As part of Jewish Heritage Month, a unique cantor performance called 'Triola' will take place this week, Wednesday, at the Ramat Yadin Auditorium in Netanya, a trio between Israeli artist Moti Giladi and cantors Israel Rand and Shlomo Glick. The performance is not just another concert or cantor evening. It has a refreshing combination of humor, classics and a lot of soul.
Cantors10 met Giladi, a versatile Israeli artist, to understand what the artist from the general sector and the world of cantorship brings, and what the message of the new show is.
""First of all, the audience," Giladi begins, "the fascinating connection of the people of Israel. In the audience, sitting side by side, there is a combination and gathering of the people of Israel, from secular, religious, traditional, with a light knitted kippah and a regular knitted kippah, to kibbutzniks, moshavniks, and urbanites. This above all gives a wonderful feeling, a kind of mission for the unity of the people of Israel.
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""Unlike every cantor evening, in the show we combine cantor, humor, and classics. And when I say humor, then first of all it is a great mitzvah to make Jews happy, and especially when the humor is true Jewish humor.".
""In addition to the diverse audience," Giladi continues, "the uniqueness between the variety of styles can also be seen on stage. On the one hand, an Israeli artist and entertainer, and on the other, two religious cantors, one Haredi, who combine together the story of the musical history of the Jewish liturgy, while emphasizing the external influences that affected Jewish music during the days of exile among the nations.".
""And what do I mean?" he asks, and replies: "The environment in which the Jews lived greatly influenced Jewish music, and many melodies and styles penetrated into the prayer. This is a fact that has existed throughout history. In the show we combine the styles that have been gathered together over the years, such as Elvis Presley who will 'appear' on stage with cantors Rand and Glick in 'From His Place Is Japan in Mercy,' to the tune of O sole mio.
""Also in the show, a humorous, topical and satirical salute to 'Tuvia the Milkman' from Fiddler on the Roof, a 'Mama' string connecting MAMMA in Italian to Charles Aznavour's LA MAMMA to 'Letter from Mother' in Hebrew and Yiddish, and a special arrangement of 'A Yiddish Mother'.".
""I also humorously prove that all the melodies in the world, including the Beatles, ultimately originate from the Jews. For example, the cantors perform 'Sorrento,' and I go on stage and explain that 'Sorrento' is actually 'Shoreh Yanata.'.
""Another connection between different musical styles, we combine the piyyut 'El Nura Alila', recited by the Sephardim, with the melodies of the Ashkenazim's High Holy Days, and it is fascinating to see how 'El Nura Alila' connects precisely to the opening melody of the Ashkenazi 'Barcho'.".
""You don't see such a style in the world of classical cantoral music. Here it is both joyful and exciting, and with messages that come out from between the scenes and from the segments of the performance. The many combinations with innovative multimedia create a high-quality, different and interesting piquant experience that has not been seen anywhere else," concludes Giladi.
Moti Giladi and the Tikun Readers' Book | Photo: Yoav Itiel
Rabbi Lau's speech
""In the show I also appear in the character of Rabbi Lau, who gives a fiery speech about 'These are things that have no lesson,' emphasizing the fact that 'these' inverted is 'lau.' And don't say 'these' but 'lau,' meaning: These are things that have no lesson, I don't have a lesson on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, only on Wednesday between four and six.
""And at the end of Rabbi Lau's speech, I turn to cantors Rand and Glick with the question, how much will their performance cost me? And they answer me with 'These are things that have no lesson' in Harshman's famous performance, in the melody of the Gemara study, in an extraordinary duet and in a magical dialogue of wonderful harmonies.
""Another word about Rabbi Lau," Giladi continues, "A few months ago I led the International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony in Krakow. Many Knesset members were there, as well as the Chief Rabbi, Rabbi David Lau. I approached him in his father's voice and said to him: 'My dear son, I want to tell you that your speech was excellent, etc., etc.'" The truth is, he almost ate the hat.
How do you, as a non-religious person, connect to the world of cantorship??
""I grew up in a traditional home. Ever since I was a child, I fell in love with melodies and prayers. My parents would sing Shabbat hymns and other songs in Yiddish at all times. Towards my Bar Mitzvah, I had a teacher named Pesach Kaplan, from whom I was privileged to learn the meanings and the structure of the prayer. And without much modesty, I tell you that if they held an international competition on the grammar of the biblical meanings and the haftarot, I would win at least third place. Even knowledgeable Haredim blush when they see that my small talisah is not like a large talisah.
""Professionalism and meticulousness in taste go with me everywhere. You'd be surprised, but for every performance, wherever it is, I take the 'Tikkun Korami' with me. No matter what, I will always find in the parasha some analogous connection to the period and the day, or some reference that is related to current events and taken from this week's parasha or from the haftarah.".
""In this show, too, I will take with me 'Tikkun HaKoraim'...", Giladi returns to the topic for which we gathered, "The beauty is that on the one hand we see Moti with his image and his stereotype as an entertainer, and suddenly he brings valuable things from the sources or from Jewish liturgy. These innovations are good for both us - the artists and the audience, this is what ultimately defines goodness and quality," Giladi concludes.
At the end of the fascinating conversation and the surprising leaks from the show's content, the great curiosity about such a special show still remains. Whether it's Giladi's voice and the singing of the cantors, or the unconventional combinations of the different musical styles, it just sounds good.
