"An incredibly
eclectic combination of sounds, styles and influences that actually
turns out to be as spiritually sound as it is entertaining."
--
Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
"...one
of the finest Chanukah albums in recent memory"
Happy Hana-Jah
A musicologist
and Fulbright scholar named Alan Eder drew together a dozen
or so talented friends -- Israeli singers with enchanting voices,
Rastafarian drummers, West African dancers and a couple of cantors
-- and put them in a recording studio in Valencia.
The result:
"Reggae Chanukah," one of the finest Chanukah albums in recent
memory. The new and reinvented traditional songs blend ska,
reggae, samba, Hebrew folk and liturgical music with spoken
word and rock in a wonderfully upbeat and spiritual style. If
Eder's "Reggae Passover" of two years ago was a sort of experiment,
Reggae Chanukah is the proof that the preeminent musical style
of the Carribean can enliven and intensify the Jewish experience.
From the
opening track, "Be All That You Can Be (Join the Maccabee
Army)" to the final drum-laden groove, the music gets children
and adults moving. Our advice: fire up a latke, crack open a
Red Stripe, and hit it. We can't imagine what kind of magic
was taking place in that Valencia recording studio, but we're
sure, as the singer says, "A great miracle happened there, mon."
--Robert
Eshman, Managing Editor, Jewish Journal of Los Angeles
"A
miracle happened here."
"Sure,
we all know about how the cruse of oil miraculously burned for
eight days and nights back when the Maccabees rededicated the
Temple. The latest miracle is "Reggae Chanukah," a CD and cassette
that puts traditional Hanuka music--usually childish stuff--into
the Afro-Caribbean rhythms of reggae, ska, dub, Nyabinghi, Brazilian
samba and even Middle Eastern maksum....The miracle is musical--it
all works wonderfully....The solo and ensemble work are...exceptional...."Maoz
Tsur" and "The Dreidel Song" may never be the same....This CD
would be a welcome addition to any music collection. It is just
plain enjoyable music. But it also carries Hanuka's message
of freedom and rededication without ever being heavy-handed
or preachy. Get it for the music and listen for the messages.
It is a worthwhile Hanuka gift on both levels."
--Joel
Roteman, Executive Editor, The Jewish Chronicle
"I
applaud Alan Eder and his ensemble! Reggae Chanukah is a wonderful,
innovative album that speaks to the heart as well as the feet....Eder's
eclectic world music arrangements and talented ensemble infuse
these [Chanukah] classics with a vibrant energy not often heard
in more traditional arrangements..."
--
Robert Kaye, The Jacksonville Jewish News
"Just when
you thought you had heard it all, along comes a tape and CD
for Chanukah giving which will blow your mind!....When I played
this tape for my Hebrew School class recently, they were partly
stunned and partly enchanted by the unusual sound....[REGGAE
CHANUKAH is] a good way to grab the kids and at the same time,
indulge in some old time favorites, slightly reincarnated."
--Paula
Shulak, Jewish Voice of Delaware
