This is the week of the Independence day or in other words of the birthday of Israel according to the Jewish calendar. I decided to offer each day this week on my Facebook wall and in a few Facebook groups a short presentation and some music played by Israeli jazz musicians. While researching on youTube for this purpose I found a few variations on the theme of the national anthem ‘HaTikhvah’ (‘The Hope’). I dedicated an article a few years back to this topic, now I am adding some new versions added on youTube in the last few years and one classic that I discovered. I must confess that I am some kind of a fan of this niche genre. This started more than 45 years ago when I listened to Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Star Spangled Banner’ played live at Woodstock. I deeply believe that anthems are not dead songs, they are precious to many people, and they should not be played only by military bands.
(video source OliveJazz31)
The first interpretation belongs to pianist Yaron Herman, whom I presented yesterday on Facebook. Yaron lives in Paris and his ‘HaTikhvah here was played together with saxophonist and composer Emile Parisien at the Maison de la Radio in Paris on September 25, 2012 and broadcasted on France Musique Radio the same day.
(video source Zamir Daniel)
The next one belongs to saxophonist Daniel Zamir and mixes hip-hop and jazz.
(video source illanIRISH)
US-born Lazer Lloyd is a fine guitarist. He now lives in Israel and plays great music – mostly blues. Here is his version of the anthem.
Eugene Marlow’s The Heritage Ensemble is a contemporary world music quintet that records and performs mostly Eugene Marlow’s original compositions and arrangements of Hebraic melodies in various jazz, Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian, and classical styles. This beautiful jazz interpretation of ‘Hatikva’ is taken from the album ”Making the Music Our Own'(2006) with Eugene Marlow(p), Darmon Meader (alto and soprano sax), Norm Lotz(b), Gary Schwartzman(g), Barry Altshul(d)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frRz3AJknwE
(video source LES GLASSMAN)
Here is how HaTikhvah sounds on the streets of Jerusalem played by organist Isaac Kissel.
(video source AntinousIsGod1)
Here the ‘classic’. You may remember the name Al Jolson for his leading role in the first (full length) talking movie ever made, ‘The Jazz Singer’, released in 1927. He is considered the “first openly Jewish man to become an entertainment star in America”. His career lasted from 1911 until his death in 1950, during which time he was commonly dubbed “the world’s greatest entertainer”. According to the St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, “Jolson was to jazz, blues, and ragtime what Elvis Presley was to rock ‘n’ roll”. Here is his rendition of HaTikhvah sang with a beautiful Ashkenazi intonation.
source https://www.1stdibs.com/art/prints-works-on-paper/salvador-dali-hatikvah/id-a_113778/
I am adding to this collection of musical pieces the lithography that Salvador Dali dedicated to HaTikhvah – plate 16 of his series “ALIYAH, THE REBIRTH OF ISRAEL”. The series were commissioned by Samuel Shore, the head of Shorewood Publishers in 1968, for the 20th anniversary of the Independence Day. They were presented in the comprehensive exhibition of Dali’s works which was exposed in Haifa a few years ago.
Happy Birthday, Israel!