Kame’a Media announces the release of “The Eternal Question (Di Alte
Kashe),” a compact disc by Yiddish singer Fraidy Katz. The CD comes with a
24-page booklet of Yiddish text, transliterations, English translations,
songwriter bios — and more.
Produced by Wolf Krakowski and Jim Armenti, TEQ features the musical and
vocal talents of 18 musicians from across the spectrum of Jewish, Americana and World Music.
Seth Rogovoy, author,
The Essential Klezmer: A Music Lover’s Guide to Jewish Roots and Soul Music,
writes:
“The long-awaited recording featuring the vocals of one of our finest
contemporary Yiddish singers, Fraidy Katz has finally arrived, and it was
worth every minute of the wait. “The Eternal
Question (Di Alte Kashe) features a baker’s dozen Yiddish folk and popular
tunes recontextualized for modern times; Old World ballads are draped in
accordion, pipes, tsimbl, and violin, in a peaceful coexistence along with
electric guitars, trumpets and saxophones. As co-producer Wolf Krakowski
has explored on his own albums that feature a similar approach and use the
same core band, the fabulous Lonesome Brothers, there is a natural affinity
between Yiddish popular songs and such quintessentially American styles as
blues, reggae, jazz and even country swing, and Katz explores this affinity
in a manner that showcases her intuitive grasp of the songs’ roots while at
the same time effortlessly making them speak to contemporary audiences. Had
there been no Shoah, this is undoubtedly the direction in which Yiddish song
would have evolved and the music that a vast majority of what would have
been a large Yiddish-speaking world would have been listening to today.
It’s our good fortune to have it re-created and represented by such a
sterling talent as Fraidy Katz.
Four and a Half Stars
— George Robinson, The New York Jewish Week
“One of the most important new Yiddish CDs in recent years. Wonderful
material, lots of surprises . . .”
— Yankl Falk, Di Naye Kapelye Host, “The Yiddish Hour,” KBOO-FM, Portland, OR
“After I heard it, I immediately started to use it on the air. Judging from
the listener phone calls, it is an instant hit! The timeless melodies
flawlessly performed make the CD a wonderful new addition to my playlist,
and I’ll be playing it frequently on my daily klezmer/Jewish music program.”
–Barry Reisman, WNWR-AM, Philadelphia, PA
Top Ten World Music Charts — U of Toronto & UConn@Storrs
For more information, soundclips and ordering options:
Kame’a Media: www.kamea.com
Hatikvah Music International: www.hatikvahmusic.com
CDBaby: www.cdbaby.com