Hislahavus is an avid Jewish music collector. He gets a kick out of varied and eclectic music, and is in heaven when friends join him at the Shabbos table to sing some Chabad d'veykus niggunim and Sefardi zemirot. He works in the youth industry, where he puts his passion for good Jewish music to work. He plays flute - though not professionally, by any means, and is the Baal Tefillah and Baal Koreh at his local shteeble.

VIDEO – Piamenta, Shyne and Naftali Kalfa

Here’s a preview for what seems like it’ll be a fascinating video, with Belzer rapper Shyne, Yossi Piamenta, and the vocalist of Yossi’s album Yihyu Leratzon, Naftali Kalfa. A very intriguing picture comes out – check it out!

Hislahavus’ Review of Leap of Faith

It’s always a good day when we get a new Lipa offering, isn’t it? As always, the talented guy comes up with some good stuff. Let’s check it out, looking at it honestly after a few weeks of analysis and highlight the best of the best on this album. (BTW, Lipa scores once again on a

New Take on Discs? VIDEO

Nadav Bachar and Oren Tzor have delighted us with their two brilliant albums under the name A Groyse Metsie, and their beautiful albums under the name Peshita. However, with ripping discs more and more common, they’ve alighted upon a new idea. Watch this phenomenal (and hilarious) clip and tell us what you think!

The Best of Mordechai Ben David – a Career Perspective pt. 4

Maaminim: (***) 2001: The title track of this album went just about as far as Moshiach did, becoming the next in MBD’s series of uber-hits, and being sung at soccer games in Yerushalayim. MBD’s voice still sounds strong and powerful, and he really belts it out. I don’t know why they went with the fake horns

The Best of Mordechai Ben David – a Career Retrospective pt. 3

Live in Yerushalayim: (*****) 1989: This second of MBD’s live albums remains a keeper. He is joined by Michoel Streicher, who does an excellent job on Ki Lekach Tov, Ivdu and Vyemeley, but the star of the show is certainly MBD, who sings through a few of his major hits (Just One Shabbos, Rachem #2 –

The Best of Mordechai Ben David – a Career Retrospective pt. 2

(Part 1 of this series can be found here.) Just One Shabbos: (*****) 1983: With the release of this album, MBD really hit his stride. First he came out with what would be his first mega-hit, Just One Shabbos; a song that is still sung in camps and Chabad Houses across the world. This record is

The Best of Mordechai Ben David – a Career Retrospective, Pt. 1

  Talk about an article that has been a long time in the making! The first version, actually written up for the early stages of this website, was lost after a site crash. A second version was lost after a personal computer crash. And in the meantime, MBD announced Kissifim would be his final album

An “Artistic” Version of the Alter Rebbe’s Niggun – Video

Nadav Bachar and friends play the Chassidic great Daled Bavot (also known as the Alter Rebbe’s Niggun) superimposed over Yonatan Masoud’s colorful painting. A truly “artistic” video! &nbsp

Hislahavus’ Review of Fried’s Keep Climbing

How many artists out there are there whose CDs you’ll get as soon as they come out, because you KNOW that they’re going to give you value? Top on everyone’s list would be Avraham Fried, and it is no surprise that Keep Climbing is a keeper. Every time through this record I love it more,

Hislahavus’ Review of Yehuda Glantz’s Chai Vekayam

Yehuda Glantz is the working definition of the word “eclectic” in the Jewish music world. The talented Argentinean-Israeli is a multi-instrumentalist (charango, accordion, pan pipes, guitar, keyboards, percussion, vocals), and is at home playing many different genres. He always has something for the discerning ear, and his newest offering, Chai Vekayam, is no different. It’s

Music to the Tune of Judaism – A History of Music in Judaism

In the last years of his life, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson of Lubavitch organized a group dedicated to the preservation of Chassidic melodies. Considering that vast majority of these tunes were created and spread by mouth and ear alone, many were in danger of being lost. For all we know, many of these tunes probably

Ever Seen a Nigun Played With This Before?

Brilliant guitarist Nadav Bachar, of A Groyse Metsie and Pshita (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/nadavbacharpshita, www.cdbaby.com/cd/repentancedooresdaltayte) has been spotted with a strange new ax! Check out the video below for some beautiful musicianship on a unique instrument they seem to call a “Ketar”. The nigun was composed by a heavenly Lubavitcher chasid named R’ Hillel Potchoper, who used to

Music to the Tune of Judaism – When There Are No Words

You’ve probably heard a Chassidic tune sung without words and wondered where THAT came from. Really, was the composer too lazy to write some lyrics? Or maybe the notes were whipped off his desk before he managed to set them to poetry? Well, obviously, there’s something more to it than just lack of creativity. We’ve