| This record is the result of many years of exploring a familial and musical Spanish Caribbean connection that has also turned out to be spiritual: my travels have not only placed me in contact with my distant family scattered throughout the Caribbean, but also with the Jewish communities in Cuba, Colombia, and Puerto Rico. Musically, the CD is an imaginary creation that envisions a syncretic Spanish Caribbean Jewish liturgical music from the synagogues of La Habana, Santiago or San Juan. My goal was to combine Afro-Caribbean culture with Jewish liturgy without sacrificing the musical or spiritual qualities of any of these traditions. As a result, there were several moments in the studio when the corriente (spiritual energy) was palpable.
The Jewish calendar is full of holidays, some requiring self-sacrifice and others needing only the pure joy of being alive. Most of the songs herein are associated with specific holidays and the others are part of the weekly liturgy. The album begins with a traditional Ladino version of Ein Kelokeinu, a song of praise that is arranged in the majestic Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance genre called bomba. The title song Herencia JudÃa extols the virtues and uniqueness of my people while playing with bicultural references: sometimes we sing in Hebrew, sometimes in Spanish, and sometimes in both languages. Etz Chaim is a beautiful song that speaks of the torah as a tree of life and it is set as a Cuban güiro with chekerés Aleinu L’Shabeach is a concluding prayer that is set in the old rumba style of yambú. In Las Cuatro Preguntas and Los Cuatro Hijos, one a changüà and one a nengón, Roman DÃaz recites two parts of the Passover haggadah that are meant to maintain children’s interest. Dayenu is another fun, but often tedious, song that we sing during Passover. Its tongue-twisting lyrics always conjured up in my mind the sound of panderetas (Puerto Rican frame drums) and the contagious plena. The Jewish New Year is frequently characterized as the days of awe, but it is also a time of spiritual cleansing and rejoicing. Therefore, Limpieza JudÃa begins with the formula for kapporot and is accompanied by the batá rhythm ilubanche. The shofar blasts cue the Aveenu Malkenu, a haunting melody where the chazzan (cantor) pleads to the Creator on our behalf. This is also set in the rhythm for Odduá who coincides with the New Year in Lucumà (Cuban Yoruba-derived) culture. The cheerful Son de Hanukah is an instrumental arrangement of three children’s songs from Hanukah that also showcase the group’s individual chops. The repetition and mode that are built into Ma Nishtana, a part of the reading for Pesach (Passover), called out for a changüà from mi querido guaso (my beloved Guantánamo). The pageantry of Sukkot takes many forms but the shaking of the lulav and etrog has always struck me as something special and the Na’anu’im melody works well with the batá rhythm yakotá. Daniel Pearl’s murder struck a nerve in my soul and it is something that I think about frequently. Kaddish is the Jewish prayer for mourning and the guaguancó, Kaddish para Daniel has been a way for me to process something that is still incomprehensible. It is my hope that this song for Daniel Pearl will keep his memory and the crime of his murder at the forefront of people’s minds. Tzadik Katamar is a danzón version of Louis Lewandowski’s haunting melody. My experiences during carnival in both Guantánamo and Santiago reminded me of the Simchat Torah celebration, and so the Simchat Torah Medley consists of songs heard during the hakafot of Simchat Torah, when we finish reading the torah in its entirety.
Que goces la rumba,
Ben
Benjamin Lapidus, Ph.D.
Herencia JudÃa
Cuando me preguntan, quien soy de donde vengo
Con este apellido raro, siempre quieren saber
No tengo verguenza, no sufro’e conciencia
Hablando de mi herencia, herencia judÃa
Mi pueblo ha contribuÃdo, mucho a la humanidad
En arte, cultura y ciencia, les digo sin vanidad
De distintos colores, lenguas y apariencias
Regados por todo el mundo, con las mismas creencias
De América al medio oriente, del antaño hasta hoy dÃa
Orgulloso estoy de mi herenecia judÃa, orgulloso estoy de mi herenecia judÃa
Coro: Orgulloso estoy de mi herenecia judÃa
Kaddish para Daniel
Mi corazón está lleno de tristeza, porque te mataron y fuiste inocente
Padre, hijo, amigo y marido, a tà te canto Daniel Pearl
Fuiste periodista inquieto y valiente, con un futuro mas brillante que nuestro sol
Tu muerte pesa como una piedra en mi alma, tus ultimas palabras rompen el corazón
Te mataron solo por ser judÃo y no te vieron como un ser humano
Para mà tú fuiste una perla, Daniel, a tà te canto
Para mà tú fuiste una perla, Daniel, a tà te canto
Coro: Fuiste una perla, Daniel te canto
Personnel
Onel Mulet: saxophone (3 & 14), flute (13), percussion (9)
Jorge Bringas: bass, voice (1-3, 4, 6, 9, 12)
Jeremy Brown: violin (13)
Antonio Devivo: percussion, voice (1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12)
Roman DÃaz: percussion, voice (5, 11)
Benjamin Lapidus: tres, accordion, minor percussion, voice (2, 4, 9, 12)
Samuel Levine: maracas (10), voice (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 12-14)
Oscar Oñoz: trumpet (2)
Andy Statman: mandolin (1, 6)
Recorded & Mixed by Joel Hamburger at Godelstring, November 6-December 11, 2007
Mastered by Josh Bonati at Bonati Mastering December 14, 2007
Produced by Benjamin Lapidus
Executive Produced by Teresita Levy
All arrangements by Benjamin Lapidus ©(P) 2007 Neb Sudipal Music, ASCAP
2, 5, 11, 12 Written by Benjamin Lapidus
1. Ein Kelokeinu (traditional arr. Lapidus) - bomba
2. Herencia JudÃa (Lapidus) - son
3. Etz Chaim (Salomon Sulzer arr. Lapidus) - bembé
4. Aleynu L'Shabeach (traditional arr. Lapidus) - yambú
5. Las Cuatro Preguntas (Lapidus) - changüÃ
6. Dayenu (traditional arr. Lapidus) - plena
7. Limpieza JudÃa (traditional arr. Lapidus) - tambor
8. Son de Hanukah (medley) - son:
Mi Y’malel (traditional, adapted M. Ravino arr. Lapidus)
Sevivon Sov Sov Sov (traditional arr. Lapidus)
Ma O'tzur (traditional arr. Lapidus)
9. Ma Nishtana (traditional arr. Lapidus) - changüî
10. Na’anu’im (traditional arr. Lapidus) - tambor
11. Los Cuatro Hijos (Lapidus) - nengón
12. Kaddish para Daniel (Lapidus) - guaguancó
13. Tzadik Katamar (Louis Lewandowski arr. Lapidus) - danzón
14. Simchat Torah Medley - comparsa:
Y’varech’cha (D. Weinkranz arr. Lapidus)
Min Hametzar (Boruch Chait arr. Lapidus)
Éle Chamda Libi (traditional arr. Lapidus)
David Melech Yisraél (traditional arr. Lapidus)
Eretz Zavat Chalav (E. Gamliel arr. Lapidus)
Am Yisraél Chai - (Shlomo Carlebach arr. Lapidus)
Gracias:
The Creator; Teresita Levy, Ari Miguel & Ilan Andrés Lapidus for their patience, love, and support; The Lapidus family; The amazing musicians on this record: Sam, Jorge, Roman, Tony, Onel, Andy, Jeremy, and Oscar; Akiva ben David a.k.a. Joel Hamburger; Josh Bonati, Kenneth O’Banyoun, Ann Braithwaite; Joe Veillette & Martin Keith; The EMJC community; Sonido Isleño bandmembers & fans; Aryeh Maidenbaum; La comunidad judÃa de Cuba, Puerto Rico y Colombia; Mis hermanos y maestros los changüiseros del Guaso quienes me inspiran: siempre les tengo en mi mente, mi corazón, y en las cuerdas de mi tres.
This recording is dedicated to the memories of Max Lapidus, Mario Rivera, and Rabbi Eric Kaye.
Ben Lapidus plays Raezer’s Edge Speakers, Veillette electric tres, Acoustic Image amp |
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