Amazon.com: The diversity of modern Jewish music is a result of centuries of hard traveling and cultural interaction. The secular and religious sounds of the Diaspora now embrace everything from European memories to the Latin experience to folk and modern pop styles from the Middle East. For example, the jazzy pathos of klezmer music reflects shtetl (village) life in Russia and Poland during the early 20th century, while the Arabic-tinged Sephardic repertoire dates from medieval times and then back to Sinai. This thoughtfully assembled sampler covers the major roots and branches plus some bonus oddities. Among the stand-outs are Israeli folk singer Chava Alberstein singing with The Klezmatics, a love song from the late Yemenite chanteuse Ofra Haza, and pianist Uri Caine's avant-garde treatment of a 13th-century Moroccan text. The American ex-hippie Uzca, who sings in an imaginary language, is in a class of his own. --Christina Roden
My first experience with Jewish music besides Klezmer I like Klezmer and I've been interested in experiencing more different types of Jewish music. Trust Putumayo to put together a thoughtful collection of a variety of different styles of Jewish music. I won't try to explain the music, the CD has one of the most impressive sets of liner notes I have ever read, and they can speak with a lot more authority than I can. You'll enjoy reading the insert as much as you do listening to the music. If you enjoy musical explorations, you cannot go wrong with Putumayo!
Rebecca Kyle, May 2008
A delightful overview of the wealth and depth of Jewish Diaspora music Putumayo's A Jewish Odyssey collects music from several different continents and fine examples of the two major divisions of Judaism: Ashkenazim (Eastern European) and Sephardim (those in the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Morocco, etc. that are descendants of the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492).
Several of the artists such as the Klezmer Conservatory Band, Chava Alberstein, and Ofra Haza may be familiar to savvy world music fans, but there are other bands such as Italy's KlezRoym that were equally impressive.
The album opens with the melancholy-sounding Yiddish waltz Der Goldener Pave. Burning Bush's Rad Halaila displays strong Arabic influence. The standout Fel Shara from Italy's KlezRoym was one of the disc's highlights for me. Strongly Sephardic, the string-driven melody brought to mind nights spent wandering Toledo's narrow streets (Spain, not Ohio!), old Jewish quarter and synagogues. Ofra Haza's riveting Rachamim displays her pure, sweet voice to perfection. Janet/ Jak Esim's haunting version of Ija Mia Mi Kerida (an old Sephardic ballad from medieval Jewish Spain) features a guitar flirting with Eastern modality and jazz.
Consuelo Luz delights on the mystical Las Estreyas, blending several genres. Finjan's Dancing On Water comes off as more of a Celtic lament, but the album closes with Fortuna's haunting Brazilian version of Shalom Aleichem, which leans towards the symphonic.
Overall, the album does a good job of showcasing various interpretations of Jewish song, although it heavily favors Sephardic over Ashenazic klezmer (more "old school" Yiddish klezmer would have been nice; for an expansion on the offerings here, check out NPR's excellent Yiddish Radio Project). Several up-and-coming Jewish bands are showcased, along with stars such as the late Ofra Haza and the captivating Chava Albertstein (her album Yiddish Songs is a treat).
Tradition! This album is hardly all-the- klezmer-all-the-time.There's a great deal of variety.Zohar does a jazzy "Shabbat Medley";the late Ofra Haza has the beautiful,passionate "Rachamim." Uzca's "Kona Hora" is in a made-up language,but who's translating?Does it matter?Consuelo Luz from Santa Fe sings a wonderful love song;Fortuna from Brazil,in her song,demonstrates that yes,Jews still have Messianic hope.She sings of the "king of kings/blessed be he." This song disproves the common Christian misconception that most Jews see the Messiah as a metaphor rather than a person.
This is a strong album.
Sidenote:The synagogue in my area is quite large,and most of its members used to be Christian.
Bland I wish I had liked this CD more, but I'm afraid that overall I found it boring. I think part of the problem is the decision to show how all the various artists from all over the world shared a common tradition. I think the CD would probably have interested me more if it had showcased the differences between them rather than the similarities, because after a while it all started to sound alike. Perhaps orthodoxy extends to music too. The artists seemed to be following orthodox tempos, orthodox rhythms, orthodox intervals and progressions. I found all the selections tasteful and subdued. I've now listened to it four or five times, but I don't think I'm ever going to warm up to it.
Spiritually uplifting! I make sure to listen to this CD at least once a week -- it helps to keep my spirits up in this crazy world. Every single friend for whom I have played "A Jewish Odyssey" has immediately purchased it! You don't have to be Jewish to love this eclectic and stirring collection of music from around the globe.
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