Entertainment

A Rebbe With Soul

The Israeli rock 'n' roll band Reva L'Shev -a will join metro Detroiters
in a weekend tribute to the music of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach.

The newest CD, Etz Chaim Hee —
Secrets, goes from the title track, an
earthy and friendly ballad, to "Mah Tov,"
a Grateful Dead-influenced rocker. The
band soon will be releasing a new single,
"Kayn T'hyeh Lanu," in honor of Purim.
"We want people to sing with us, dance
with us, surrender to the music, listen and
enjoy," says Katz, whose wife gave the
band its name. Translating to "A Quarter
to Seven," the name is taken from the
Kabbala, which explains that each day of
creation equals a thousand years.
"I started the band in 5753 (1993),
the end of the sixth millennium," Katz
explains. "So we really are reva l'sheva, a
quarter to the seventh millennium,
which is Shabbat — full of light, peace
and everything good."
Reva L'Sheva includes instrumentalists
from very different religious backgrounds
and tries to reflect a wide spectrum of
Reva L'Sheva: "We come sounds through its brand of ethnic rock.
SUZANNE CHESSLER
from different places and
Special to the Jewish News
While guitarist Katz is Orthodox, per-
lead different life styles,
cussionist Avi Yishai is secular, adding
but we come together to
ehudah Katz doesn't believe audiences
sounds
originating in Africa, the Middle
communicate a message of
have to understand the Hebrew lyrics
East
and
South America.
love and caring," says band
performed by his band. Although he'll
The
differences,
they believe, send a
member Yehudah Katz.
tell stories in English to explain and do
message of unity
a few songs in English, it's the mood communi-
"We come from different places and
cated by the music that's important to him.
lead different life styles, but we come together to commu-
Katz, one of five members of the Reva L'Sheva musical
nicate a message of love and caring," Katz says. "What's
group, works hard at combining liturgical lyrics with rock
interesting about this tour is that we'll be playing for
'n roll and ethnic beats. The style so impressed Rabbi Arnie
Orthodox, Conservative and Reform groups. We're open
Sleutelberg of Congregation Shir Tikvah that the rabbi
to people and have found people are open to us. Our goal
invited the Israeli musicians to do a Michigan concert.
is to show respect for each other."
Reva L'Sheva will perform at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March
For the Michigan show, Yishai will be replaced by
25, at the D. - Dan and Betty Kahn Building at the Jewish
Norbert Goldberg; who was raised in .Argentina and played
Community Center in West Bloomfield. The performance
in pit orchestras on Broadway. Other members of the band
is part of the Troy congregation's yearlong Shlomo
include percussionist Ziv Yechezkeli, of Kurdistan descent,
Carlebach Festival.
who specializes in Arabic drum beats; harmonica and elec-
"When I'm in Russia, there's a translator on stage, but
tric guitar player David (Harpo) Abramson, a convert to
the music is really where it's at," says Katz, who toured
Judaism after moving from the United States to Israel,
internationally with Rabbi Carlebach. He composed more
where he brings folk, country and rock influences; and bass
than 4,000 melodies before his 1994 death, and is known
guitarist Adam Wexler, who performed with Prince's drum-
as the singing rabbi.
mer Bobby Rifkin before settling in Israel.
"Words can get in the way sometimes," says Katz. "If
"It's neat to hear Jewish liturgical text combined with
you hear the melody, you can draw your own picture.
rock 'n' roll," says Rabbi Sleutelberg, who first heard the
We've got repertoire from three albums and new material.
group in Israel. "We're often familiar with the prayers,
There are about 50 tunes to choose from for each show and
and the performance is hard to resist."
give a positive spiritual message through music."
While the March 25 concert is jointly sponsored by the
That message, emerging before Katz left the United States
Jewish Community Center and The Jewish News, Shir
for Israel seven years ago, is spread through recordings, tours
Tikvah is scheduling other musical groups throughout ;the
and television appearances, including programs broadcast in
year to celebrate the Carlebach style, and its programs will
the U.S., Great Britain and Germany.
be open to the public. During the weekend of the Reva
Suzanne Chessler is a Farmington Hills-based freelance writer.
REBBE WITH SOUL on page 82

IT

'

Neshama Carlebach: "i don't want to
be my father; I don't need to be my
father. Bn so happy just to be myself.
He made me who I am and .bn
delighted to share that with the world"

The Next
Generation

The daughter of the
late Rabbi Shlomo
Carlebach sings to
keep his dream alive.

MARA I RESNi R
Special to the Jewish News

Neshama Carlebach, oldest
daughter of the late Rabbi
Shlorno Carlebach, is considered
her father's protege, continuing
in his tradition of soul singing
and storytelling. The 25-year-old
has performed throughout the
United States and the world,
including Israel, Morocco,
Slovakia and Austria. On her
newest CD, Restoration, half of
the music is Neshama's and half
her father's. She spoke to the
Jewish News from her New York
City home.

IN: When did your interest in
music first begin?
NC: I always wanted to be a per-
former from when I was 5 years
old. My mom put me in music,
dance and acting classes. I had a
private teacher from the time I
was 13. I sang with my father for
five years. He was always begging

NEXT GENERATION on page 82

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