The Purim Playlist (Part II)

If you are reading this column on Wednesday, I hope you are already packed and ready with a bunch of hamantaschen, good wine and whiskey (remember, my favorite is Glenfiddich), and your costume already in your closet, ready to wear. If you’re reading this on Shabbat, however, I hope you had a great Purim celebration, and now you can relax and get some more recommendations for Purim music to listen to on Motzei Shabbat (and later this week, since we’re still in Chodesh Adar).

This is one of the greatest holidays in the year for musicians, perhaps the busiest, and so there are many songs and performances of Purim songs. And therefore I present to you Part 2 of the Purim Playlist.

“Kiymu Ve’kiblu HaYehudim, Aleihem Ve’al Zaraam,” Fulfilled and accepted by the Jews and their descendants, in every generation. Maybe not the most known Purim song, but definitely worth listening to, “Kimi Vikibli,” composed by Yumi Rosenbaum, has a really cool rhythm that will get you to dance.

Yehuda Green is known for his Carlebach-style music and has released a few albums. He is also known for his uplifting Selichot in the West Side Institutional Synagogue in Manhattan. In his Barcheini album from 2018, he has a song called “T’shuasam.” “T’shuasam haita la’netzach ve’tikvatam le’dor va’dor,” Their salvation was for eternity and their hope [carries on] from generation to generation. Like in his other songs, you can hear the acoustic guitars in the background and the enthusiasm in the song. There are some nice electric guitars solos as well.

Purim music is not only upbeat music. Actually, the beautiful Avraham Fried song “Zichor” from his Brocha V’hatzlocha album, which was released in 1995 and composed by Yossi Green, is a quiet and slow song, more chazanut-style.

The words come from the yotzros of Shabbat Zachor. “Na Ata zechor,” Please remember. “Lama, lama lama – Lama lo tizkor,” Why, why why – why don’t You remember? “Im lo lemaani, lo lemaani, zechor,” If not for me, not for me – remember. “U’lemaancha u’lemaan Yerushalayim zechor,” And for You, and for Yerushalayim – remember.

The piano, flute, and strings are very present in this song. Together with the special voice of Avraham Fried, they give it a very touching vibe.

Another Purim song by Avraham Fried is “LaYehudim” (not the single from last week’s column) from the album Aderaba. It’s a classic, upbeat Purim song which will enhance any Purim party. “LaYehudim haita ora ve’simcha ve’sasson v’yikar,” The Jews had light, happiness, gladness, and joy. Short and simple. This is, after all, what we want – happiness, gladness and joy. And a good bottle of Glenfiddich…

Did you know that Avrumi Flam has a whole album of Purim songs? The album is called Greatest Purim Hits. It was released in 2005 and has most of the familiar Purim songs in the familiar tunes, with some new tunes (that were new at least to me). Songs on the album include “Mishenichnas Adar,” “Venahapoch Hu,” “Chayiv Inish,” “LaYehudim,” “V’gam Charvona,” and “Al Hanissim.” The whole album has a good rhythm and should enhance your Purim seudah and party. It can be purchased on Spotify or Mostly Music. You can also listen to it on YouTube before purchasing.

Talking about full albums for Purim, two of my most favorite Purim albums are Chilik Frank – Purim In Yerushalayim and Purim in Jerusalem, Vol. 2 by Chilik Frank. I like the second one in particular because it has the popular wedding song “Halala Elokay.”

Frank is a very talented clarinet player who specializes in Jewish and Klezmer music. According to Wikipedia, he began to play clarinet when he was 16. He is also a Breslov chassid. Among his most popular albums is The Meron Medley. Frank plays in the annual “Hillulah” of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai on Lag BaOmer at the Kever Rashbi (Tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai) in Meron. His music is very upbeat, delightful, and stirring.

The clarinet is a fundamental instrument in Jewish music, particularly in Klezmer music. The clarinet can express emotions from touching to happy – it has it all. And perhaps this is why it is so dominant in the Jewish music.

Among the songs on Chilik Frank – Purim In Yerushalayim are “T’shuatam,” “Shoshanat Yaakov,” “Nigun Toldot Aharon,” “Nigun Simcha,” “Nigun Purim,” “Chayav Inish Lebisome,” “Venohapoichu,” and some Breslov songs as “Becha Batehu Avotenu,” “Uman Uman Rosh Hashanah,” and more Purim and chasidic nigunim.

On Purim in Jerusalem, Vol. 2, you can find “LaYehudim,” “Vetosef Ester,” “Nigun Shoshanat,” “Eim Al Hamelech Tov,” “Rikud Purim,” “Hatov Ki Lo Kalu,” “Nigun Purim,” “Vearikoti Lachem Bracha,” “Timche Et Zecher Amalek,” and my favorite – “Halala Elokay.” Plus many more – check them out for yourself.

Both albums can be purchased on Mostly Music, Spotify, and Qobuz (in Spotify and Qobuz, you should search for Purim In Jerusalem). They are also both available to listen to on YouTube before purchasing.

Can a song have a costume? There are Jewish songs that are actually based on a non-Jewish song, but with Hebrew words substituted. A famous example is the song “Asher Bara” by Yossi Piamenta from the album Sason V’Simcha – A Piamenta Wedding. “Asher Bara” was among the most popular songs when I was in high school. We used to dance and jump like crazy to this song, and it was the number one hit at our Chanukah and Purim parties. Years later, I found out that it was actually based on the song “Down Under” by the band Men At Work.

Another cool song from Piamenta that I really like is “Siman Tov U’Mazal Tov.” And an Israeli song I like, which is translated from Russian, is “El Haderech” by HaGevatron. Utterly not a Purim song, but a nice song. Don’t miss their performance with the Red Army Choir, half in Russian and half in Hebrew. You can find this performance on YouTube.

Ariel Zilber is one of the most popular and famous Israeli singers. Over the last few years, he became a baal teshuva and is now frum. He recently released a new single of “Shoshanat Yaakov” through the Tzama project. The Tzama project is a unique initiative which presents ancient nigunim from the Chasidut movement in a modern way. The nigunim are performed by popular Israeli singers like Ishay Ribo, Evyatar Banai, Idan Amedi, and Shlomi Shabat, as well as Avraham Fried, etc. Zilber’s “Shoshanat Yaakov” can be found on YouTube, Spotify, etc., and more information about the Tzama project can be found on their website, https://www.tzama.co.il.

We said in the Purim Playlist – Part 1 last week that our Purim party would have contemporary music together with some oldies. Have you ever heard Shlomo Artzi sing hasidic music? Check out Artzi performing “Od Yishama” and “Yevarechecha Hashem MiTzion” at the Festival Hazemer HaChasidi. Festival Hazemer HaChasidi was a song contest between the years 1969-81 in Israel. You can listen to these two performances on YouTube.

A Gitten Purim! Happy Purim!