Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Genie
Date: 27 Oct 04 - 04:54 AM

Refreshing this thread, because I'm still searching to embellish my repertoire of Ladino songs.

Genie §;[-D

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Oct 04 - 03:22 PM

Most Ladino material seems to be performed on the Early Music circuit. Look out for performers like Belinda Sykes.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 03:34 AM

Looking for Ladino songs you also should search with Sephardic

Link alarm: Zemerl has a new URL

Shwa: Vocalisation sign, two dots vertical (:)
There are two kinds
1. Shwa quiescens (=mute): The consonant is not followed by a vocal, end of a syllable.
2. Shwa mobile: The consonant is followed by a short murmured e, e.g. Sh:wa

Yiddish oronunciation differs according to the area it is spoken in; it is a wide range from the Rhine to Minsk via Warszaw.

t - sThe letters B G D K P T are aspirated under certain circumstances, so T becomes Th. German (the base of Yiddish) doesn't now this sound, so it is changed to S.

Hinay ma tov: Better hine, long open e. No diphthong! Ask a German about pronunciation.
It is the first line of Psalm 133. Cf. my Lecture about ScribiTrad, Academies, and Drinking held at the Eurogathering 2004 in Hull

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 03:46 AM

Correction: oronunciation should read pronunciation.

Search also with Sephardi (the old Arabic form used in Spain)

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 28 Oct 04 - 03:48 AM

And not to forget: Search also with Sefardi (modern Spanish orthography)

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,el ginat egoz
Date: 21 Apr 07 - 08:03 AM

i am looking for the chords for "el ginat egoz" from the song of songs.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: maeve
Date: 21 Apr 07 - 08:53 AM

Guest, el ginat egoz, I believe you'll get more responses to your post if you start a new thread. This thread is from 2004.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Mike Miller
Date: 21 Apr 07 - 09:09 AM

My source for Ladino is the wonderful Sephardic singer, Joe Elias. I am sure that he has recorded enough songs in ladino to satisfy your needs.
While I'm here, can anyone give me the words to my favorite Israeli song, "Etz Tapuach" (The Apple Tree). It has the most beautiful melody.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 21 Apr 07 - 01:20 PM

www.sephardifolklit.org had a very large collection of Judeo-Spanish ballads and oral literature (Armistad Coll., Univ. California).

It is still listed in google, but I can't connect with it today.
I have posted some material from it (Señor El Gato, Miserlou, etc.). I hope it is down just temporarily.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 11:10 PM

"
We also have to watch the last Hebrew letter which can be pronounced as a "t" or a "s". Modern Hebrew folksongs, will use the "t" and older folk songswill likely use the "s". That should keep us on our toes! "

The Hebrew letter 't' should NOT be pronounced as 's', if you are singing a Hebrew song. That is the Yiddish variant and sounds very nasty. For singing Yiddish songs that's a different matter.


Mike, if it's the song I'm thinking of, it's the Hebrew version of a Russian one by Isakovsky and Blanter (both of Katyusha fame). The Hebrew lyrics were written by Ya'akov Shabtai:

ma yafe mitseva ets tapu'ach
ha'omed bagan bimlo preicha?
may yafe merega lo yadu'a
et ahuv libi holech ve'ba?
basimla halvana perach; basimla halvana.
kshe'yadi be'chaf-yado tanuch
v'eshma et shmi al siftotav
nishmati k'ets livneh tanua
v'libi kayam over gdotav/

al sadot shketim limlo ha'ain
laila kvar yarad vekochavim.
shikorim milev v'lo mi'yain
kmo nigun noded bamerchavim.
basimla halvana perach; basimla halvana.
misaviv ganei-hapri v'rei'ach
shel aviv chadash vshel pricha.
al rosheinu mtayel yare'ach
v'oro shakuf um'chushaf.

koh bahir ha'car v'lach ha'esev
she'tzava yarok et ha'shvilim.
ei-misham harmonika b'etsev
et shira tashir leloh milim.
basimla halvana perach; basimla halvana.
ma yafe mitseva ets tapu'ach
ha'omed bagan bimlo preicha?
may yafe merega lo yadu'a
et ahuv libi holech ve'ba?

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 12:03 AM

"The Hebrew letter 't' should NOT be pronounced as 's', if you are singing a Hebrew song. That is the Yiddish variant and sounds very nasty. For singing Yiddish songs that's a different matter. "

It actually depends on the nature of the song, rather than the language (Hebrew/Yiddish). If it's a Sephardic melody, or a modern Israeli song, then the "t" sound is appropriate, but if it's an old European song (and anything before 1948 and the founding of Israel qualifies as 'old'), then it would have originally been sung with an Ashkenazic accent, and "s" is appropriate.

The Ashkenazic/Sephardic tav/sov is just the beginning of the accent games you can play. You can use various dialects that distinguish between khaf and khet, aleph and 'ayin (with a glottal stop), tav and tet, or even the ghimel and gimel, depending on where your song is from and your own linguistic/phonological mimicry capabilities,

--Charlie Baum

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 06:48 PM

Starting from the 20s or so, there was a conscious attempt to get away from Yiddish, and become a new sort of person, an Israeli. That included adopting some (but not all) of the eastern pronounciation and accentation. Tshernikhovsky is a case in point. His early poems were meant to be read with an Ashkenazi accent, but then he started writing with the Sephardi in mind.
the chaf & chet thing was however considered a bit crude, and not popular until recently.
Many of the old songs ('havu lanu susim' for example) were sung with an Ashkenazi accent, but still tended to differentiate between s & t.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Dave Masterson
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 03:41 AM

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Yasmin Levy yet. Fantastic talent (and drop-dead gorgeous to boot). A lot of her material was collected by her father Isaac Levy.

Eileen and I saw her last year at the Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells. It was the first night of her UK tour and she and her band did the most superb set, despite having spent the previous 25 hours travelling from Tel Aviv.

http://www.yasminlevy.net

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Genie
Date: 14 Jan 08 - 08:23 PM

Quote: [[ Jacob Bloom - As with any other Yiddish words, the pronunciation varies depending on where you were born.]]

Yes, but isn't that kind of true of just about any language? *g*

Some of my favorite Hebrew (Israeli) songs are:
Bashana Haba'ah
Dayenu (Passover song)
Ma'oz Tzur (Rock Of Ages) - Hanukkah hymn
(Ha-) Finjan
Yherushalayim Shel Zahar (Jerusalem Of Gold)
Hatikvah (Israeli nat'l anthem, I'm told)


My favorite Yiddish songs include:
Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen
Dona Dona
Tumbalalaika (above)
Alle Menchen Zeinen Brider (spelling?)
and
Sha! Stil! (The Rabbi is going to dance soon.) (I learned this from Theo Bikel.)
Die Mezhinke (My eldest [daughter] is betrothed)
Bai Mir Bistu Shön


And the only Ladino song I know by heart that isn't a Hanuka song is:
Los Bilbilicos (The Nightingales) - sung by The Weavers, among others

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 02:43 AM

Alle Menschen

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 05:50 PM

Maybe only a remote chance anyone here will be able to answer this...

In Istanbul a couple of weeks ago I heard a group on the telly performing "La Rosa Enfloresce" in Turkish.   I didn't catch the name of the group. Anyone know where I can find the Turkish words?

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 06:41 PM

No part Yiddish, I, but once or twice (in my experimental days) I made an attempt at singing a few of these songs. I recall that Theodore Bikel had a marvelous little songbook out around the early 1960's that included a number of them, along with some background. I may still have a copy. Lou Gottlieb and Alex Hassilev, of The Limeliters, both brought a lot of this material into their trio's work and did a lot to popularize it with a wider audience.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 15 Jan 08 - 07:30 PM

A wonderful website for Sephardic song is Sephardic Ballads and Oral Literature

I have enjoyed following some of the songs through the variants from different regions where Sephardic Jews settled after being expelled from Spain. Mo music, but good on folk lyrics and stories. Even a couple of versions of Don Gato here.

Sometimes the site is closed, but it is open today.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 22 Jan 08 - 04:48 PM

All throughout school, we had to sing "Bashana Haba'a" (Next Year) at the last day of school, just before the summer holiday. Guess that explains why I'm not fond of it.
The Finjan song lives on in schoolboy parodies. The refrain of:

haru'ach noshevet krira-ra-ra
nosif od keisam lamdura-ra-ra

(The breeze blows chill-ra-ra
we'll add another twig to the campfire-ra-ra)

is changed, so you can add either a policeman, teacher, or anyone else for that matter, to the campfire.

Subject: ADD: Shecharchoret (Morenika)
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 22 Oct 08 - 05:07 AM

Shecharchoret (Morenika). A traditional Ladino romance from Salonica which became very popular in Israel, in translation. Part of the lasting popularity is down to its inclusion in the musical Bustan Sfaradi, about the Ladino community in Jerusalem of the 1930s.
There was a folk tradition that a dark skin was a punishment for sin, hence her explaining why her skin is dark. The tradition is drawn from the Song of Solomon.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SuavwikBrQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cua0dYqMdNE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpZchj5dVxs


SHECHARCHORET (MORENIKA)

Shecharchoret yikre'uni tzach haya ori,
Umilahat shemesh ka'itz ve'ani shchori.

Shecharchoret yafiafit kol kach,
be'einaich esh bo'eret libi kulo shelach.

Shecharchoret yikreuni kol yordei hayam,
Im od pa'am yikreuni shuv elech itam.

Shecharchoret yikreuni ben le'av molech,
Im od pa'am yikreuni acharav elech.

The Dark Girl (unsingable translation)

The dark girl they call me, my skin was pure,
From the sun beating down it did turn black.

Dark Girl you are pretty beyond measure,
In your eyes burns a fire, my heart it is yours.

The dark girl, that is what the seafarers call me,
If they call me again, with them I'll go.

Dark girl, that is what the son of a royal father calls me,
If he calls again, with him I'll go.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 Oct 08 - 02:06 PM

Volgadon, any chance you have Ladino lyrics for "Morenika"?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 02:39 AM

A very complete set of lyrics can be found here:
http://www.jewishfolksongs.com/he/morenica-he

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Jacob B
Date: 23 Oct 08 - 01:36 PM

For those interested in Sephardic/Ladino music, a new website dedicated to the subject has just gone online. It can be found at http://www.sephardicmusic.org/

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 28 Oct 08 - 11:21 AM

I found an interesting video on youtube, Ilanit performing two classic Israeli songs. The first one is practically unknown.
Ruach Atzuv/Hachnisini:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kng7wMTNAjI

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Kevin Sheils
Date: 28 Oct 08 - 01:07 PM

There's a group based here in London, UK called Los Desterrados (The exiles, I believe) who specialise in modern interpretation of Ladino/Sephardic music.

Not a genre I know much about but I have two of their CDs and really enjoy their music but have yet to see them live, soon I hope.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 02 Nov 08 - 05:19 AM

Adio Kerida (Farewell My Love).

Performed here by Avraham Perera, one of the best interpretars of Ladino music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duLiIeO_7tI&feature=related



Tu madre kuando te pario

I te kito al mundo

Korason eya no te dio

Para amar segundo

Adio, Adio kerida

No kero la vida

Me l'amargates tu

Va bushkate otro amor

Aharva otras puertas

Aspera otro pasion

Ke para mi sos muerta.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 02 Nov 08 - 05:49 AM

Cuando el Rey Nimrod.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=plq62KWBg2Y&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYOrtCwECgw&feature=related
This is not a macaronic song, as Abraham Avinu (Our Father Abraham) was the traditional term for Abraham.
There are many versions, some shorter, some longer, of this song. The plotline is simple. King Nimrod is out walking in his garden, trying to tell his future through the stars. He sees a bright star over the Jewish quarter and realizes that Abraham will soon be born and overthrow his idolatry. Nimrod decrees that every newborn male shall be killed. Abraham's mother sneaks off into the wilds to give birth to him, and he is tended by angels in a cave.

This legend shows not only the influence of other biblical stories (such as Moses), but also of Christian influence. Spain of the 13th century was a very cosmopolitan and multicultural place.

The chorus goes:
Avraham avinu, our dear father
Blessed father, the light of Israel.
Avraham avinu, our dear father
Blessed father, the light of Israel.



Cuando el rey Nimrod al kampo salia,
Mirava en el sielo i en la estreyeria,
Vido una luz santa en la djiuderia,
Ke avia de naser Avraham avínu.

Chorus:
Avraham avínu, padre kerido,
Padre bendicho, luz de Israel.
Avraham avínu, padre kerido,
Padre bendicho, luz de Israel.

La mujer de Terach se kedo prenada,
I dia en dia eye preguntava,
De ke tienes la kara tan de mudada,
Eya ya savia el bien ke tenia.

Chorus.

Cuando el rey Nimrod al kampo salia,
Mirava en el sielo i en la estreyeria,
Vido una luz santa en la djiuderia,
Ke avia de naser Avraham avínu.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jun 09 - 03:31 PM

Somebody just sent me a link to the Florida Atlantic University Judaica Sound Archive - lots of recordings of a wide variety of Jewish songs. This site and Zemerl at the two best Jewish music resources I've found on the Web.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Jack Campin
Date: 18 Jun 09 - 05:47 PM

The Turkish record company Kalan Müzik has a lot of Ladino stuff (Ladino is called "Yahudice" in Turkish). Most of their stuff has multilingual booklets, usually including English and sometimes Hebrew.   www.kalan.com . Prices are reasonable considering the very high quality of their research and documentation, but shipping can be expensive.
.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 03:08 AM

Click here for a very nice YouTube recording of Vilna: A Yiddish song. Performed by Fraidy Katz. Directed by Wolf Krakowski.

The video says the song was composed by Olshanetsky & Wolfson. I can't figure out if it's a recent composition or not, but it's a good song and a very good video.


-Joe-

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Eiseley
Date: 10 Mar 10 - 08:47 AM

It seems that Hester Duchaine went to the big city and decided to go into a bar with some friends. They all ordered beers. Hester quickly drank hers, then reached for the drink of the man sitting next to her at the bar. The man had been talking to someone else but when he saw his glass being stealthily moved from his side he turned and said, "MY beer, Miss Duchaine!"

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,Wolf Krakowski
Date: 11 Mar 10 - 03:05 PM

Hi Joe:

Thanks for the Link to "Vilna."

According to Eleanor and Joseph Mlotek in "Songs of Generations:"
"... sung in the Vilna Ghetto, published by Shmerke Kaczerginsky in 1947.

... almost every program in the ghetto opened with it. Original words by A.L. Wolfson (1867-1946) and music by Alexander Olshanetsky (1892--1946) were printed in the compilation "Vilne" in 1935.

Bonus Track from the CD, "The Eternal Question (Di Alte Kashe): Fraidy Katz Sings Yiddish" (Kame'a Media).   Available from CDBaby, Amazon, etc. Distributed by Hatikvah Music International.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 11 Mar 10 - 11:34 PM

You might also check out Stereo Sinai, a duo from Chicago. All of their lyrics are in Hebrew or Yiddish.
http://www.stereosinai.com/

Stephen L. Rich

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GUEST,Sheila
Date: 16 Aug 10 - 01:16 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=H4IF8OmLOMw   

Tumbalalaika sung by Three Great Tenors.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 May 21 - 12:03 AM

And here's a song from the prolific polyglottal Nana Mouskouri called "Over and Over" that uses the melody from "Tumbalalaika." Anybody know other songs that use this melody?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2oDEWBjjU0

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GerryM
Date: 08 May 21 - 02:43 AM

Joe, Benny Hill adapted the melody for one of his own compositions "Anna Marie", according to accordeonworld.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: GerryM
Date: 08 May 21 - 02:48 AM

But I think he only uses the tune of the chorus. Anna Marie, by Benny Hill.

Subject: RE: Hebrew/ Yiddish/ Ladino songs
From: Felipa
Date: 16 May 21 - 05:41 PM

In 2008 Jack Campin was looking for Turkish words for the Ladino song La Rosa Enflorece
https://lyricstranslate.com/tr/la-rosa-enflorece-g%C3%BCller.html has it though I don't know if these are the same lyrics Jack heard.