Performers' Index E
Gerard Edery
Gerard Edery, with a wonderful baritone voice, and a classical guitar master performer, often performs Sephardic and his own original compositions. He has several recordings as well as a songbook of his music. Edery is a member of several groups, including The Sons of Sepharad, The Gerard Edery Ensemble, Flamenco Sepharad, and the Gerard Edery/Laura Wetzler Duo
http://www.gerardedery.com/
Emil Zrihan
The cantor from Ashkelon, Israel, who keeps the Moroccan liturgical tradition alive and well is an international sensation. His recordings and concerts are selling wildly in the world music scene and are extraordinary by any standard. He blends traditional Jewish Moroccan music with Muslim and Spanish flemenco sounds, to name a few. Well worth investigation.
http://www.piranha.de/records/english/all_1260.html
Ensemble DRAj
A German ensemble that has put together an album of Jewish songs.
http://www.draj.de/
Ensemble M'chaiya
Don Jacobs, Terran Doehrer, Jutta Distler. According to their press release: "The Ensemble M'chaiya is Chicagoland's original revival klezmer band, founded in January 1983. Their repertoire includes Sephardic, Yiddish, and Hebrew songs. The band leads folks through line and circle dances... The Ensemble M’chaiya shapes its distinctive sound with mandolin, violin, flute, accordion, guitar, tof, and clarinet. Bouzouki, drum set, and bass, can be added. Band size ranges from duet to sextet. M’chaiya has pleased audiences in concert, at festivals, schools, universities, synagogues, clubs, and parties. Engagements have included two tours of Denmark, Chicago’s P.O.C.E.T. Jewish Festival every time since 1986, a special “Thanks to Scandinavia” commemoration program, National Public Radio, as well as opening a concert for Israel’s famous singer, Yehoram Gaon." The website includes photos and testimonials.
http://www.modalmusic.com/mc.html
Esim: Janet and Jack Esim Ensemble
Turkish musicians performing Judeo-Espagnol songs and Sephardic music. Janet was born in Ankara in 1965 and Jak was born in Ýstanbul in 1958. Together they have made several albums, including Judeo Espanyol Ezgiler (1989) with Erkan Ogur and Antik Bir Hüzün (1992) with Erkan Ogur and Okay Temiz. Also, Nezih Yesilnil, (Bass); Murat Ozbey, Bülent Ortacgil and Erkan Ogur (Fretless Guitar, Oud)join them for their European concert tours.
http://www.oz-ist.com/janetandjak.html
Essev Bar
A modern "Galilean" Israeli band with roots in world music, blending styles of many cultures. Website includes mp3 sound clips from several of their CDs.
http://www.essev-bar.co.il
Dan Ettinger
Israeli. Born 1971 in Holon, Israel. Baritone, pianist and conductor, an accomplished pianist, accompanist and coach, and was a faculty member of the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv University. A recent press release revealed: "Dan began his piano studies at the age of six. He graduated from Thelma Yellin High School, and served in the IDF's special program for excellent musicians. In 1993, he won first prize in the Francois Shapira Competition as a baritone singer (1993) and performed with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. He participated for several years in the summer academy courses of IVAI - Israel Vocal Arts Institute. During 1995-1998 Dan sang in various roles at the New Israeli Opera and was also a faculty member at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University. During that time he began to focus more on conducting, and started his meteoric progress in that field.
In 1999, Dan was appointed Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor at the New Israeli Opera; and since shortly thereafter, has served as the Opera's Conductor in Residence. His engagements there included Don Pasquale, L'Italiana in Algieri, Don Giovanni, Magic Flute, Norma, La Traviata, Die Fledermaus, Carmen, Tosca, La Belle Helen, Nabucco, Eugene Onegin and Aida.
In 2002-2003 Dan was nominated Chief Guest Conductor of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, where he leads the orchestra regularly in various symphonic and liturgical programs as conductor and soloist, playing and conducting Mozart & Haydn concerti from the piano. A major development occurred in 2003, when Dan was invited by Maestro Daniel Barenboim to join the Staatsoper "Unter den Linden," Berlin, as a Kapellmeister and Assistant to the GMD. During the 2003-2004 season, he performed works such as Turandot, L'Elisir d'Amore, Nozze di Figaro, La Traviata, and La Bohème.
As of 2005-6 Mo. Ettinger is the new Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Israel Symphony Orchestra (Rishon Le'Zion). In addition, his constant busy engagements include invitations to conduct Tosca at the Opera North, Leeds (UK), Falstaff at the Tokyo New National Theater, as well as Cosi fan Tutte in March 2005.
In Jan.-Feb. 2005 Mo. Ettinger made his successful US debut conducting Aida at the Los Angeles Opera, by special invitation from Placido Domingo.
Additional future engagements include the Hamburg Opera, the Washington National Opera, and the Deutsche Kammer Orchestra, among others."
http://www.icexcellence.com/artists/dan_ettinger.html
http://www.artpro.co.il/index.html
Even Sh'siyah
Six musicians from Chicago got together and are creating original music, some lyrics taken from traditional texts. Musical influences are eclectic, reflecting "rock, folk, reggae, bluegrass, Middle Eastern, and jazz."
http://www.TheWayJewsRock.com/frameset.htm
Evergreen
If you want to listen to Irish music, but still support a Jewish group in Israel, then this is for you. Michal and Gal Shachar, and Eitan Hoffer along with former Riverdance percussionist, Abe Doron, founded a group that is touring Israel performing traditional Irish music. Based in Ma'ale Zvia, in the Galilee, the group, Evergreen, Yarok Ad in Hebrew, plays a host of various instruments. They have also composed some original songs in the genre. The website gives some information on purchasing a CD and going to their concerts. Maybe the music will make Israel greener, (but a little more rain would help as well). One can always hope-- and that's the brilliance of planting the Irish sound in the rockier soil of Israel. Sweet.
http://www.evergreen.org.il/home.html