“No matter what the language the songs are being sung in the emotional impact is the same. One can hear the bitter sweetness of the life of permanent exile imbued in the sounds no matter what the subject matter. Perhaps that’s reading something into the music due to knowledge of the history of the Jewish people, but I dare anyone to listen to these women and not be moved in some manner by the tones and quality of their voices.
— Richard Marcus, DESICRITICS.ORG”
For centuries, Jewish music has been shaped—and continues to be transformed—by the unique Jewish experience, characterized by influences from all over the globe as Jews migrated from place to place. Songs of love, loss, spiritual longing, work, resistance, and survival are sung in Yiddish, Ladino, Hebrew, Bulgarian, Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, and English testifying to the geographical diversity of Jewish history. Daring and sublime works by iconic contemporary Jewish composers including Meredith Monk, David Lang, and Daniel Hoffman bear witness to the contemporary Jewish experience, where extended vocal techniques, bold improvisations, and modern harmonies transform tradition.
Examples of Jewish Program
SZOMBATESTE BÚCSÚZTATÓ (Hungarian Jewish, traditional, arr. Juliana Graffagna, Cookie Segelstein & Joshua Horowitz, from the repertoire of Márta Sebestyén)
A GUTE VOKH (Yiddish from Bratslav, Ukraine, melody by R. Kalmanovsky, from the singing of Gershn Eisenberg, via Gerry Tenney, Lorin Sklamberg, and Adrienne Cooper, arr. Shira Cion, Joshua Horowitz, and Cookie Segelstein)
Instrumentals: BLACK GRASS HORA (Traditional, arr.Joshua Horowitz); ORPHAN RUNAWAY (Composed and arranged by Cookie Segelstein)
Recorded live in concert on December 11, 2021 at The Freight and Salvage in Berkeley, CA
LEKOVED YONTEF, LEKOVED SHABES (IN HONOR OF THE HOLIDAY, IN HONOR OF THE SABBATH) Yiddish. As sung by sisters Zinaida Lyovina and Dasya Khrapunskaya, both born in Turov, Zhytkavichy region, Gomel Region, 169 km east of Pinsk, Belarus.
From the DVD Kitka and Davka In Concert: Old and New World Jewish Music. Translation: YERUSHOLAYIM SLAVNYI GOROD - Russia, Jewish traditional, from Michael Alpert.
Excerpt from the PBS documentary. Kitka is an Oakland, CA based acappella group that teamed with the musicians from Davka for an incredible concert at the historic Temple Sinai in Oakland, CA.
The DVD
Winner of a 2007 Accolade Award of Excellence
Please note, the program above is being offered for Kitka's 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. Additional ethnically specific and/or collaborative programs are also available by special arrangement. Kitka also offers a variety of community outreach activities including vocal workshops, choral masterclasses, community sings, lecture-demos, K-12 assembly programs, open rehearsals, pre-concert talks and more.
We would be delighted to discuss ways to engage your communities more deeply in Kitka's work.