Henriette Azen | Klezmer Klub | Kabbalah. Produced by Cobie Ivens.
I. Henriette Azen. (18:26 min)
A descendant of seventeen generations of Tetouan rabbis, she was born in Sidi Bel Abbès in northern Algeria. She simply leaves us the treasures of her mother, Reine Teboul, herself the daughter of Rahel Bibas, whose husband, a rabbi, descended from an illustrious Sephardic family that gave its name to a Tetouan synagogue as early as 1575. An only child, Henriette Azen learned everything from her mother and already knew her repertoire by heart by the age of twelve. She sings from memory, without any repetition, with a strictly naked voice (as she was taught!): no superfluous effects, no showy effects, no technical effects, and above all, no need for interpretation. She does not try to “sing well,” nor to embellish anything: she entrusts her heritage to the microphone.
CD. Chants Judéo-Espagnols de Tétouan à Oran – Henriette Azen.
LABEL: Not On Label (1992) code: SC 703.
II. Klezmer Klub. (18:49 min)
A collection of songs and melodies with strong London undertones, this Yiddish song set brings to life the characters, places and sounds of the Jewish East End at the turn of the 20th century. They are filled with the names of the places, people, activities, feelings and political views of what was once a vibrant Yiddish society. Some of the songs are by renowned writers: Morris Winchevsky, Itzik Manger and Chaim Tauber. Others have been collected from oral tradition. Almost all of the songs are very rarely heard. They have been painstakingly researched (with considerable help from many in the Jewish community) and arranged by the band.
CD. Whitechapel : Mayn Vaytshepl – Klezmer Klub.
LABEL: Not On Label (2009), code: KRCD001. VIDEO
III. Kabbalah. (21:56 min)
Released in 2011, this second album immediately exploded onto the musical landscape with a new sound. The group comprises fifteen instruments, five musicians, three languages, and Klezmer, traversing countless musical genres. Rooted in the Hasidic Jewish tradition, their repertoire expands to jazz, rock, hip-hop, spoken word (oral poetry), and Eastern music, with exalted choruses, enchanting moods, and radiant melodies. In Yiddish, Russian, and English, they tell the story of a diverse range of characters overwhelmed by the joys and sorrows of existence. A blend of modernity and tradition, full of melancholy and fervor.
CD. Boxes, bagels & elephants – Kabbalah.
LABEL: L’Autre (2011), code: KAB2110328. VIDEO
Thanks to Muziekweb.
