I was listening to streaming music at my desk yesterday. There is a very disturbing trend in Jewish music that really isn't new, but it is bothersome. It is the use of English music with Hebrew words. Allow me to explain.
Without thinking too much into how I know these things, there was a Hebrew ( modern Hebrew, thank goodness, not words of Tanach) set to a Lady Gaga song. This was bad enough. However, what really got me was a Lecha Dodi set to a medley of Beatles songs. Now that was very well done, but it is still inappropriate.
I remember years ago singing something in Shul to a beautiful popular song, and afterwards Soupeater informed me that it was not appropriate to use popular songs during prayers.
Unfortunately, most people do not have someone to tell them what is proper, or worse, a song gets into our consciousness and them it spirals into more and more inappropriate settings. Such as the Beach Boy song that a kid sang for Kedusha, and when we called him on it, he told us it was a D'ror Yikra niggun, so that is what he was singing. I am not sure he even realized it was a popular English song.
This should be differentiated from the Variations and Country Yossie lines of music, which are clearly meant as spoofs of popular music, and clever plays on the originals. They do not usually creep into our davening though.
It's just sad that our rich heritage is being infused with this music due to the laziness, lack of creativity and larceny of our popular musicians today.
7 comments:
I know a rebbe that does the same thing for his niggunim :)
but we love to hear him sing so keep it coming.
Are you sure that other tunes, things that are currently used in davening, have never been popular songs, from many moons ago? They're just not popular anymore?
Isn't that a function of golus, that we've lost our own music, we don't know what the Leviim sang in the Bais Hamikdash?
(this is not nasty, it's a real question)
Not nasty also -
but how are we supposed to foster musical (or any other) creativity within our own set, if anything outside the pale of physically SITTING and learning is considered "bittul z'man"? (Forget music - even chessed....)
ARGH.
I forgot to subscribe to further comments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhqQcYYyY7I
classic
there is a major difference between lady gaga songs and the popular stuff of many moons ago. the stuff from then has some musical merit. nowadays its just loud and annoying.
one mans meat is another mans poison. Nevertheless i agree with Dr G , some things really are inapproriate It still is Dah lifnai me atoh omaid related
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