Songs My Bubbe Should Have Taught Me; Volume One: Passover

Editorial Review:

A gorgeous collection of Yiddish Passover songs, mostly in traditional Eastern European Jewish style and instrumentation, from the finest poets and composers that Yiddish culture has produced. Lori's transcendent, expressive and changing voice is joined by internationally known singer, Michael Alpert (of Brave Old World), and violinist, Steven Greenman (of Khevrisa) to produce a unique album of unforgettable music that you will want to hear again and again.

The songs on this album are all songs my grandmother should have taught me. My grandparents all spoke Yiddish, but they kept it as the "secret language" so they could talk and the kids wouldn't understand. I only heard a few words, like mentsh and tukhes. I knew no Yiddish songs, even though my father grew up listening to Yiddish radio programs that his grandmother had on all the time. Until I started teaching at the Cleveland Workmen's Circle and sang for my father the beautiful Yiddish songs I was learning, I never knew he knew any. It astounded me when he sang along with me in his resonant bass-baritone voice. We had sung together every weekend when I was growing up. We sang on Friday nights when we went to the synagogue in Philadelphia where my father was the rabbi. We sang together in the car. He taught me every kind of song I can think of. Every kind but Yiddish.

My grandmother never taught me any Yiddish songs, but she should have. She had a beautiful singing voice and played piano, but she never sang to me. As an adult learning Yiddish songs and music, I missed out on learning how to sing in the Yiddish song style directly from her, but one day I realized that I did learn from her, because my father taught me to sing and he learned to sing from my grandmother, who learned from her mother. Even though I didn't learn the words from my ancestors, I learned the nuances of style, of tone, of ornamentation -- the neshome, the soul, of Yiddish song -- from all of them through learning to sing from my father.

My accidental meeting with Yiddish has been like finding a long-lost friend -- comfortable, familiar, an easy friendship. I love it. I missed it and I didn't even know it. Yiddish has filled a hole in me where I didn't even know there had been one.

My hope is you will listen to these songs, learn them, and teach them to the next generation. This wonderful heritage should not be lost.--Lori Cahan-Simon

Tracks:

1. Der seyder (The Seder)
2. Burikes (Beets)
3. Der bekher (Tayere Malke) The Goblet (Dear Malke)
4. Shvimt dos kestl afn nil (The Little Basket Floats on the Nile)
5. Dos lid fun matse bakn (The Song of Matzoh Baking)
6. Di fir kashes (Ma nishtano) The Four Questions (What is the Difference)
7. Avodim hoyinu (We Were Slaves)
8. Miriams gezang (Miriam's Song)
9. In dem land fun piramidn (In the Land of Pyramids)
10. Eliyohu hanovi (Elijah, the Prophet)
11. Dayeynu (It Would Have Been Enough for Us)
12. Zog, maran (Say, Marrano)
13. Der grester yontev (The Greatest Holiday)
14. Peysakh avek (Passover is Gone)

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