Bente Kahan

[Eva]

Finally... Finally! Finally, I remember her name after some years... Bente Kahan is a Jewish singer who lives in (I think) Norway. Her family has fled from Transsylvania (Romania) during worldwar 2.

I bought her CD called 'Jewish Songs' for an acquiantance of mine who I don't see a lot anymore nowadays. I have tried to find the CD for myself but had forgotten the name of the singer.

While I was browsing through the collection of the Rotterdam central discotheque (like a library, but only for music) I found her name again. I can very much recommend the CD.

Eva

[Mimi]

You're so right Eva!
I saw Bente Kahan and her band Jiddishkeit many years ago on a Klezmer workshop and bought the cd...

Mimi

[Eva]

And I thought I was telling you something new Mimi! I should have known better... :D

Eva

[Helge]

http://www.bentekahan.com/

I had never heard about her before...

-- Helge in Oslo, Norway!

[Eva]

Oh Helge, you should take a listen. She sings beautiful songs. On 'Home' she does that in several languages. Let me know what you think...

Eva

[Darlene]

I found a short fragrement on youe tube. She difinatelly good and seems as if it would be a lot of fun at her concerts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTcSjxH6c_o
Thanks for the Heads up Eva, Darlene

[david uk]

thanks for the youtube link, Darlene

great stuff!

[gisli]

Hey......this music sounds like "Fiddler On The Roof Music"....if I was a rich guy...dadadadadadadada" Nice.

[Mimi]

Well, I think Bente is much better than only that!

And if you want more excellent songs in Yiddish you MUST listen the following cds:

Chava Alberstein & the Klezmatics: The Well

Chava Alberstein: Lemele

or watch her on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ8jAafAkrM

this song is from The Well

Mimi

[Bat]

Chava is charming...I love to hear Yiddish spoken or sung, though I don't understand a word of it, somehow I sense meaning in what I hear.
My true love is a good Klezmer band, tho...what wild fun!

[Mimi]

Bat,
if you're dreaming of WILD Klezmer fun you should listen to KCB, the Klezmer Conservatory Band, big brass and the great voice of July Bressler. I had the privilege to see them live 12 years ago at Klezmer Festival and I swear I'll never forget that night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkmFgQ9fM94

Apart from this: The Klezmatics' early albums are great fun. "Rhythm and Jews" , "Jews with Horns" or "Possessed" are my favourite albums. Recently they received a Grammy for their last album combining Klezmer with Woodie Guthrie lyrics! I read that on Wikipedia last night but did not listen to that album yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nil4ZceDF_8

And... by the way... their drummer is legendary: David Licht! Marcia will like him!


Other wonderful bands are Brave Old World, Kapelye or the Klezmorim.

[Eva]

Mimi dear, is there any music you DON'T know a lot about??? :)

Eva

[Mimi]

Don't worry, my dear Pirate Queen!

I've got two real hot spots of musical interest: (female) singer songwriters (mostly North-American and Italian)and Jewish Music (American and European Klezmer and Israeli singers) apart from this I know a bit of Celtic / Irish Folk and Folkmusic from South-Eastern Europe.

And I've always been curious to discover new music.

Mimi


... I don't know anything about funk, rap, hip hop, techno, not much about Jazz, house, independant etc etc etc...

[Eva]

I'll sing for you, Mimi!

Eva

[Mimi]

Well, having read your dialog with Gisli on the other thread I'm wondering if that might be a promise or a threat???
Anyway I'm looking forward to meeting you this summer!

Mimi

[Eva]

I will leave that to your own imagination, Mimi (or your nightmares...) :p
However, I can already tell you that I am not as good as Janis or Bente Kahan :D

Eva

[Mimi]

Doesn't matter at all, Eva, we'll sing along together!

Mimi

[Bat]

Oooh, Mimi! I will listen to it all! Thanks for the sites..the wilder the better!:D

[Bat]

And so I did...Itzak Perlman is masterful and wonderful, as he is in everything he does, Chava Alberstein is charming, and Peter Yarrow had me in tears, as he always does with "Puff"...I don't know why, but I shed a tear every time I hear that silly wonderful song. Childhood lost, never to be revisited, I guess.

[Mimi]

I'm happy you liked them, Bat!

Mimi

[gisli]

Doesn't matter at all, Eva, we'll sing along together!

Mimi

Ahhh shooot.......not in for a long time and allready been thrown out of the duet........what is it with you women?

[Eva]

Who said you were thrown out? I need the cry of the wild Icelandic wildebeast in my songs.

Eva

[Eva]

I took a look again on Bente Kahans website. If you click 'discography' and then on the album 'Home', you can listen to 3 MP3 soundbites. All great songs. Please take a listen when you can. Especially interesting for Mimi and Bat.

(And Gisli, everyone is allowed to sing along even if their Yiddish isn't all that great. Hopefullt those who know Yiddish will tell us how to pronounce everything)

Eva