This article appeared in the Nov. 24,
2005 Jewish Advocate.
Sounds and moves from warm regions beat the
chill:
HaKesher and BCCA present Middle Eastern
music/dance
BY SUSIE DAVIDSON
Given recent changes in the weather, Sunday
eveningÕs multiethnic program of diverse entertainment at Dionysos Greek
Restaurant in Cambridge provided a welcome chance to enjoy some
warming sounds, dance moves, food and drink.
ÒTraditional Meets Contemporary: A Jewish
and Middle Eastern World Music and Dance Concert,Ó produced by HaKesher
Magazine and the Brookline Community Center for the Arts (BCCA) in conjunction
with Johara Snakedance Productions, featured an ambitious roster of music, song
and dance. As if a 30th anniversary reunion concert by renowned Israeli musical
ensemble Tsliley Haud wasnÕt enough, the bill also included open dancing and
performances by local belly dancer Johara as well as BCCA head Dan Ben-Dror
Marshall, who showcased Dabki, Yemenite, Persian, and Raks Sharqui (belly
dance) styles.
Partial proceeds from tickets sold by
Marshall helped to support the BCCA, a non-profit dance/arts organization that
until this past May was located at 14 Green St. in Brookline.
Tsliley Haud, which means ÒThe Tunes of the
Oud,Ó formed in 1974 and produced 11 records. Some of their songs
became classic folk dances and Chafla (celebration) tunes. The group,
which combines East and West influences, features the guitar-like Oud, a
plucked lute-type instrument of the Arab world. They rejoined in 2003 after an 18-year
hiatus, and on Sunday, nearly 100 people filled the restaurant, which is
located inside the Radisson Hotel along the Charles River, to
hear original singer Rami Danoch, for the first time in Boston, perform
three decadesÕ worth of classics from Israel, Yemen, and Morocco.
Danoch, who hails from Yemen and is
regarded as a forefather of Sephardic music in Israel, and pianist/synth player
Yaniv Ravizada joined with percussionist Ronen Evron from the Berklee School of
Music (both are Israelis). Dionysos proprietor George Kariotis offered
traditional Greek delicacies, and as nearly half the room got up to dance
during the groupÕs medley of hits, he joined them on the floor himself.
The evening also included a tribute to
Zohar Argov (1955-1987), for whom founding member-guitarist Yehuda
Keissar had written compositions. Argov, a Middle Eastern and Oriental music
singer with a fascinating yet tragic life, still commands cult status in
Israel. The group performed several of ArgovÕs hit songs, which included ÒSod
Hamazalot,Ó or ÒThe Secret of the Zodiac,Ó written by Yemenite singer Avihu
Medina and made popular by Argov, and ÒOd Yom Yavo,Ó or ÒAgain, A Day Will
Come.Ó Tsliley HaudÕs own songs included their number one hit from 1974,
ÒChanale Hitbalbela,Ó or ÒThe Young Woman Got Confused,Ó and ÒOfra.Ó They also
performed two traditional Jewish songs, the Havdallah tune ÒLa Nir Velivfamim,Ó
or ÒTo the Candle and the Spices,Ó and ÒShalom le Vendodi,Ó or ÒHello to my
Nephew.Ó
"The most beautiful thing about music
and dance is that they sometimes bring unlikely people together," said
Johara (which means "Jewel" in Arabic). Johara, whose real name is
Juliette Cusick, holds a B.A. in Spanish and an M.A. in Applied
Linguistics from UMass Boston. A dancer, drummer, choreographer and teacher who
specializes in Middle Eastern dance, she also earned a degree in Jazz and
studied at Berklee. Among the award-winning bellydancers she has trained,
she said, are women (and occasionally men) who are scientists, secretaries,
schoolteachers, students and housewives from every socio-economic class and
culture. She had words of praise for Marshall and the BCCA. "He helps
all types of artists to flourish."
Clearly, the crowd felt the same. ÒDan is
full of spirit and organization,Ó said Yinon Shmaryahu, a member of the
Sephardic Congregation of Brookline. ÒThe evening was good for the soul,Ó said
audience members Eli Cohen and Moshe Katz. Nearby, Yehuda Asulin remarked that
for him, it was the best night in the longest time. ÒIt was awesome Ð just like
a Mizrahi wedding,Ó added Lois Gordon.
ÒHearing the Oud made for a breathtaking
evening full of wonderful music and dance,Ó echoed attendee Nava Subary Ervin,
as she expressed appreciation to the organizers. ÒThanks for bringing Israel to
us.Ó