It's been a horrible week. No question about it. Today brings word that Leonard Cohen has died at age 82. Words cannot express the feelings of gratitude I have for his life and his achievement. From his first album in 1967 he accompanied me through my youth and into later days. All the way through. Cohen could only have arisen in the heart of the … [Read more...]
Daniel Barenboim: Hated in Israel, Unwelcome in Iran
Daniel Barenboim is far more than a brilliant orchestral conductor. He is a human being, a mensch. Though raised in Israel (but not born there), he has always risen above the insular world-view of many Israelis, especially regarding its relations with its neighbors in the Arab world. Together with Edward Said, he founded the West-Eastern Diwan … [Read more...]
The Pennywhistlers Started It All
There were two songs that played a formative role in my musical life. They are Shto Mi e Milo, recorded by the Pennywhistlers (1966) and Si Bheag, Si Mor, by Planxty (1973). The Pennywhistlers came first. They were the mother lode. Ethel Raim and her sisters created one of the first, if not THE first, American ensemble to perform world music. Until that … [Read more...]
Pete Seeger’s Evolution on Israel
Last night, in my appreciation of Pete Seeger I wrote about the Weavers mega-hit, Tzenah. I noted the fullsome praise of the new Zionist nation that characterized its lyrics. I also noted that, at the time, neither Seeger nor many others outside the Arab world understood the deep injustice that had been done to the Palestinian inhabitants of Israel during … [Read more...]