Amichai’s Top 50/21 Wally Brill’s Kiddush L’Shabbat
I inherited my dislike of cantorial music from my late father. He preferred his prayers short and to the point and was no fan of extra vocal gymnastics. He would chant the Kiddush – Shabbat blessing over wine, holding up his silver cup, in a particular tune, classic Polish-Hasidic version, with no extra fanfare. I never imagined as a kid, all those Friday nights, that one day I’ll not only enjoy cantorial music but also find some fusions that will make me want to dance to the Kiddush and sing out loud.
And then I found ‘The Covenant’ – about 20 years ago. It was the didgeridoo that did it.
Wally Brill’s album ‘The Covenant’ mixes historical recordings of Jewish cantors from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s with world, ambient and dub elements, tablas, digeridoo, trumpet and Tibetan singing bowls = amazing. Hypnotic.
Raise a glass tonight to sabbath, to fusions, to our parental legacies with our unique twist, to the sacred. And let’s dance.
Shabbat Shalom.
– Amichai
Amichai’s Top 50: Soundtrack of my life. 4/20-6-8 2019/Passover-Shavuot 5779
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