Artzi Goes Yiddish

January 16, 2008 - 12:30 PM by

For those not in the know, Shlomo Artzi has been one of Israel’s premier popular singer-songwriters for decades. He’s a living legend in these parts.

Most of us know Shlomo as a popular singer; in this 1995 clip brought to us by Imshin, however, he was apparently in the studio and heard the guys in the next booth over recording in Yiddish; He went to have a look-see and ended up getting in on their session (or vice versa). The results are really really nice.

For non-Hebrew speakers, Shlomo tells the camera the Yiddish reminds him of his father and grandfather; he also jokes that while he writes and sings about depression, the religious men sing songs of hope and praise. The song sung here is titled: “As Long as The Candle is Lit, Things Can Change”. (loose translation)

Interesting to note: because the ultra-orthodox community is somewhat shielded from popular culture, Artzi isn’t surprised when he poses: You don’t know who I am, do you? and the men in the clip shake their heads no. It’s akin to a Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan asking the same question.

Tags: • Category: Art, Israeliness, Pop Culture, Profiles 

Comments

2 Comments on Artzi Goes Yiddish

  1. Harry on Wed, Jan 16th 2008 7:57 PM

    2. I generally can’t stand Artzi but I found this clip to be incredibly moving.

  2. Stephanie on Wed, Jan 16th 2008 8:52 PM

    3. I like him – also found it very moving

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