To Understand Israel, Listen To Its Pop Music

The Globe And Mail ^ | 05/11/18 | Matti Friedman

[goldstategop]

MATTI FRIEDMAN

What I find most remarkable, having lived here for the past 23 years, is Israel’s bewildering and fast-moving society, the complexities of which are usually overlooked by observers. The question of what “Israeli” means in 2018, and how that’s changing and why, are particularly important ones at this anniversary. One good way to answer is to listen to pop music.

But the singer in a shiny white gown who belted out a cover for a national TV audience was Sarit Hadad, one of Israel’s biggest pop stars and the queen of a genre called “Mizrahi,” or “eastern.” In the hands of Ms. Hadad, who has the style and vocal power of the great divas of the Arab world, and with the addition of instruments such as the oud, the poet’s words were transformed into a song of the Middle East.

There was a time when you could barely get Mizrahi music played on the radio, and anyone who wanted to keep up with the latest hits had to go to a cluster of scruffy cassette shops around the Tel Aviv bus station. That realy was an expression of the broader disenfranchisement of Israelis from the Islamic world, who were rarely spotted in the academy or in the corridors of power.

The contentious politician responsible for this year’s anniversary celebrations – and for Ms. Hadad’s cover – is the Culture Minister, Miri Regev, a combative voice known for railing against the old cultural elites. Ms. Regev, who is of Moroccan descent, belongs to Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party, whose political base has traditionally been heavy on Israelis with roots in the Islamic world. Ms. Regev regularly stokes nationalist sentiment and is reviled on the left; the liberal daily Haaretz has called her “Trump in high heels.”

[goldstategop]

Israel is a complicated country - the best way to understand it is through an appreciation of its Mizrahi pop music. Ofra Haza was the first mainstream Mizrahi music star in Israel and her 1983 hit "Chai" sent her popularity soaring to enormous heights. Her collection of Yemenite Jewish music sealed her reputation as an accomplished artist. What was once derided in Israel as "bus station" music is now virtually universal. Israel is the ultimate meeting ground in the Middle East where east meets west in music.6tyt

[tired&retired]

Can you provide a link for us to hear a sample of this pop music?

[goldstategop]

Try HebrewSongs.com

They have audio files of popular songs, Hebrew text, romanized Hebrew transliteration so you can sing the song in Hebrew and English translations.

Its most comprehensive Internet resource for Israeli music with more than 4000 songs listed and new songs are being added regularly.

[tired&retired]

Would this be a good example?

https://youtu.be/co1F0X_qnr0

[American in Israel]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eYaC_2HfVvw

[American in Israel]

Mine is the pop hit Chai mentioned in the article The words are translated.

[ExGeeEye]

404

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Oops! That page isn’t here.

Looks like the Globe and Mail have take the link down.

[BeauBo]

I googled the title and found a new link for the story:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-to-understand-israel-listen-to-its-pop-music/

[gbaker]

I guess nobody has shown her how to dress and act like a slut on stage show she’ll be real popular. s/

[jjotto]

Youtube has selections from Sarit Hadad and others. Ofra Haza (whose family was from Yemen) is an older classic example.

A sampler:

http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/top-picks-week-israeli-music-culture/

[jjotto]

Excuse for Miri Regev photo:

[PlateOfShrimp]

Miri Regev is definitely not guilty.

Sarit Hadad is a bit too mainstream for me.

These guys are waaay out there and I would love to see them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8eJK-gwUFo

Another artist who I think is wonderful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjEBLeZz1j4

Cheers

[tired&retired]

Thanks for sharing...

Good music, like are, food beer and wine is what you personally like. Thank you for sharing the links.

I’m not into the techno music. It just doesn’t fit with me.

[Mrs. Don-o]

This one works.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-to-understand-israel-listen-to-its-pop-music/

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Thanks.

[PlateOfShrimp]

Well, this is something completely new and different, not a smidge of techno

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chG6xRsX7ns

Cheers!

[tired&retired]

Thanks.

That one is enjoyable.

One of my research interests is determining how sound/music is used in mind control and manipulation. I’ve lectured on this topic several times and demonstrated how it is done.

One common technique is the drum beat cadence which lowers consciousness to where a person surrenders their authority horizontally to another person. It is the reason for marching cadences in military training. Shifting notes that get the body swaying also serve to destabilize consciousness making the person vulnerable.

To demonstrate this, I stand behind a person and hold their shoulders, swaying them back and forth until I feel them surrender to my movement stimulation. They must feel safe that my hand on the lower side will create resistance to stop them from falling. After a few shifts back and forth, the trust is there, and then I remove the lower hand allowing the person to fall a short distance and then catch them. It is an automatic hypnotic induction technique where not one word is spoken. It’s partially the reason for the “Trust Fall” technique commonly used in marital therapy.

This same technique can be done with music.

Sound is powerful. I’ve knocked people off their feet merely by pouring water from a plastic bottle into a solo cup while standing several feet from the person.

For many years I traveled around the USA visiting charismatic churches to observe and learn the techniques utilized. Thus my interest in religious music.

[American in Israel]

Dang, played for me. Awesome poetry from a Jewish perspective.

[American in Israel]

Oh that touches my heart!

I so miss Israel...