I just saw THE HAVA NAGILA MOVIE tonight at the Jcc in Manhattan. . It was kitschy and cute at the same time.
Hava Nagila is a song I have a love-hate relationship with . It is about the only song that non-frum Jews know . It kind of would define Jewish music to many. I always thought that it was such a shame because there are so many beautiful Jewish songs beyond Hava Nagila that it made me resent that it was so popular. Yet many gentiles have sung Hava Nagila because they loved the song. Harry Belafonte fell in love with the song in the 1950's when he hung out in the village with his folk singer friends. He first performed hava nagila at the Village Vanguard in the 1950's. He would always include it in his repertoire along with The Banana Boat Song. He even included it when he performed in Germany in the 1950's. He said that he used to love performing it in front of Jewish audiences because everyone from babies to grandparents would get up and dance.
Connie Francis, Elvis, Bob Dylan, and Chubby Checkers are others who have sung Hava Nagila.
Hava Nagila originated as a hasidic niggun of the Sadigora Hasidim. It was later put to words in the 1920's. There is a controversy over who really wrote the words we sing today.
Sometimes the song Hava Nagila was just as Jewish as many Jews wanted to be.
The movie was produced by Roberta Grossman and written by Sophie Sartain. Roberta Grossman was at the screening tonight. She said that the movie has appeared in 80 Jewish film festivals. She feels that the movie has united the audiences who watch it. They go into the theater as individuals and they leave as a Jewish community. I would like to believe this to be true. The power of music is so strong. There are so much that can divide people. Music touches the core and has incredible powers.
THE HAVA NAGILA MOVIE is being released in the theaters starting March 1. It is worth watching.
Hava Nagila is a song I have a love-hate relationship with . It is about the only song that non-frum Jews know . It kind of would define Jewish music to many. I always thought that it was such a shame because there are so many beautiful Jewish songs beyond Hava Nagila that it made me resent that it was so popular. Yet many gentiles have sung Hava Nagila because they loved the song. Harry Belafonte fell in love with the song in the 1950's when he hung out in the village with his folk singer friends. He first performed hava nagila at the Village Vanguard in the 1950's. He would always include it in his repertoire along with The Banana Boat Song. He even included it when he performed in Germany in the 1950's. He said that he used to love performing it in front of Jewish audiences because everyone from babies to grandparents would get up and dance.
Connie Francis, Elvis, Bob Dylan, and Chubby Checkers are others who have sung Hava Nagila.
Hava Nagila originated as a hasidic niggun of the Sadigora Hasidim. It was later put to words in the 1920's. There is a controversy over who really wrote the words we sing today.
Sometimes the song Hava Nagila was just as Jewish as many Jews wanted to be.
The movie was produced by Roberta Grossman and written by Sophie Sartain. Roberta Grossman was at the screening tonight. She said that the movie has appeared in 80 Jewish film festivals. She feels that the movie has united the audiences who watch it. They go into the theater as individuals and they leave as a Jewish community. I would like to believe this to be true. The power of music is so strong. There are so much that can divide people. Music touches the core and has incredible powers.
THE HAVA NAGILA MOVIE is being released in the theaters starting March 1. It is worth watching.
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