The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Jewish Music Research
Centre has released a new Jewish music treasure
for the 21st century, songs learned in the 19th century
and preformed in the 20th century by Haim Behar Menahem,
known more commonly through the use of the Turkish title
of honor, Effendi. The four-CD album is entitled: 'An
Early 20th-Century Sephardi Troubadour: The Historical
Recordings of Haim Effendi of Turkey.' This enormous
four CD set contains 59 songs in both Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish
(Ladino).
Haim
Effendi was born in Europe, in Adrianople (Edirne),
Ottoman Turkey in 1853. His Judeo-Spanish recordings
reflected songs that were popular among the various
Spanish Jewish communities in places such as Adrianople,
Constantinople, Smyrna and Salonika. His Hebrew recordings
focused on the shabbat and high holiday liturgy in the
traditional Turkish style.
The
first two CDs are made up of liturgical and paraliturgical
music including songs sung and prayers recited on shabbat,
that were recorded between 1911-1922. This includes
Haim Effendi's recitation of Kiddush, singing
Avinu Malkenu, etc. The third and fourth CD contains
songs in Judeo-Spanish. These songs were recorded between
1907 and 1922 and include commonly known songs such
as 'Avre tu Puerta,' 'El Dio Alto,' 'La Serena,' and
'Los Bilbilicos,' but also includes many songs that
have not been heard in decades such as 'Boulissa,' 'El
Parto Feliz ,' 'Maldicha es la mi Vida,' and 'Muero
yo de Amor.' While some tracks are clear, others are
scratchy yet authentic. All songs however contain that
lovely haunting yet melodic Turkish-style of singing.
The
set is visualy appealing as all four CDs have been created
to look like miniature 78 rpm albums. Enclosed is a
superb 89 page book edited by Edwin Seroussi, professor
of musicology and director of the Jewish Music Research
Centre at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The book
is in English and Hebrew, and all song lyrics are provided
in Judeo-Spanish with English and Hebrew introductions
and backgrounds. Research on the recordings contained
in the book was conducted by Joel Bresler who researches
and collects (rescues!) old fragile Sephardic 78 rpm
record albums. His research is showcased on his Website
where he focuses on over 100 years of recorded Sephardic
music.
Haim
Effendi's music was surely played in the now long-gone
Sephardic kavanes, coffee houses, of New York
City's Lower East Side where Greek, Turkish, Bulgarian
and Syrian men would mingle, smoke, eat, and talk. His
music was both liturgical and secular and the latter
was extremely influential to other musicians. Although
Haim died in 1938 in Alexandria Egypt, it was said that
his music was played on Radio Cairo until 1956.
No
Judeo-Spanish music collection would be complete without
authentic songs such as these. These are not some modern
rock & roll remake of Sephardic songs, these are
not another boring artsy cover band's interpretive version
of the old Spanish songs, this is the real deal-the
songs of the Spanish Jews sung by a Jew whose family
arrived in the Ottoman Empire from Spain. These are
old and once much-loved songs, sung in the now extinct
Ottoman Jewish style, but that can once again be treasured.
The
four CD set is available through the American
Sephardi Federation in New York City.
