"Der Hemshekh דער המשך ( eng: „the continuation” )" is an album fully inspired by and dedicated to invisible women’s biographies, stories and female sagas, sung and written by Maria Ka entirely in Yiddish. This Music material consists both of traditional Jewish songs, adapted to a woman’s perspective, and newly written Yiddish pieces immersed in contemporary context and current subjects.
The starting point of the whole story are already-existing lyrics of Jewish songs, in which the heroines are entangled in, both universal and characteristic of Yiddish pieces, narrative threads: autonomy and separation from an overprotective mother, seduction and poverty.
These fragments are then continued in pieces written contemporarily by Maria Ka. Their lyrics are the extension of biographies included in well-known Jewish songs, taking into account the chosen moments of woman’s course of life. Such lifeline and lyrical continuity gets filled and completed with modern sounds of vocals, keyboard, loopers, oboe and drums, forming the musical landscape of electronic, alternative, avantgarde and ethnic genre.
More universally, "Der Hemshekh דער המשך" is a manifesto of women’s visibility, presence, existence and participation in the public life, especially in its most important parts, both political and social. It is a call for the ultimate equality, regaining the lost fundamental laws ( especially in the context of Poland that was started with restricting already strict abortion law in January 2021 ), the fall of double standards and equalizing the existing disproportions.
Yiddish is a very important aspect of the whole, of currently written and composed songs in particular. It is a language rarely used nowadays for creating new artistic forms, and in general opinion might exist rather as an element of the past or some religious circles than contemporary Music pieces. Maria Ka restores its culture-forming function and presents a Music story about Jewish woman’s life - path: maturation, individual changes, emotions, breakthroughs and events dependent on history.
This whole process and album is a contribution to uncovering centuries-long-unseen, unnoticed and not commemorated woman’s experience, the one often omitted, not engraved in metal monuments, not transferred from generation to generation. "Der Hemshekh דער המשך" distinctively marks its presence in hitherto dominant patriarchal narrative and creates a new quality of telling Yiddish stories: modern, diverse and individually matched.
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the fourth song of the ten - piece Yiddish album "Der Hemshekh דער המשך" containing five songs written by Maria Ka contemporarily in the language and five already existing Jewish pieces adapted to the female perspective.
the album is dedicated to and inspired by invisible women's biographies.
its recording took place during the period of women's mass protests in Poland in Fall 2020.
performed and recorded with the band.
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lyrics: Itzik Manger
composition: Philip Laskovsky
production, translations: Maria Ka
performance, arrangement:
vocals, keyboard, electronics: Maria Ka
oboe: Agnieszka Waśniewska
drums: Jacek Rezner
recording, mix, mastering: Marek Romanowski | Maro Records
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"Oyfn veg shteyt a boym אויפֿן וועג שטייט אַ בוים" ( eng. "By the wayside stands a tree" ): Itzik Manger’s classic is a moving poem describing a mother – child’s emotional entanglement, overprotectiveness and transferred anxiety, that all hinder maturation and shaping autonomy. in a poetical way, it shows a tough relationship which sucks in all attempts of becoming an adult: a free, separate, self - determinating being. the version included in this album has a little twist: the name included in the narrative is changed. with what is it replaced? listen carefully and search it by yourself.
By the wayside stands a tree -
stands a tree a little bent.
All the birds have from it
flown away with the Wind.
Three flew West,
three flew East,
Southward flew the rest.
And the tree remained alone
forlorn
amongst the storm.
I tell Mamma: „Listen, dear
unless you it prevent,
I will, Mother, one and two,
transform into a bird adult.
I will sit on this tree,
sing it quiet lullabies,
amongst Winter it console
with some finest, pretty tones”
Says the Mother: „Oh no, child!”
and with tears she starts to cry
„God forbid! You can still
on this tree entirely freeze!”
I say: „Mamma, it’s a harm
for your eyes this way to cry.
I will anyway become
an adult bird that flies away.”
Cries the Mother: „Miriam, dear,
take, for God’s sake, take at least
this warm little scarf with you
so you wouldn’t catch the flu.
Take with you galoshes, dear -
severe Winter’s approaching here.
And a fur hat put on head -
oh my misery, oh my pain…
Ref. Yam tari tari…
Put this Winter singlet on,
wear it underneath, you fool.
Unless you want to be a guest
among those who passed away”
It’s hard for me to raise my wing.
With lots of needless, useless things
my Mum has provided me -
a powerless tiny bird.
I look into Mamma’s eyes
with huge sadness, with no light.
Her Love and care have held me back
from becoming an adult bird.
By the wayside stands a tree -
stands a tree a little bent.
All the birds have from it
with the Wind flown away.
***
Polish translation:
Przy drodze stoi drzewo,
stoi pochylone.
Wszystkie ptaki
wyfrunęły z niego -
każdy w inną stronę.
Trzy na zachód, trzy na wschód,
reszta na południe.
Drzewo zostało samo
pośród burzy opuszczone.
Mówię Mamie: „Słuchaj,
jeśli mi nie przeszkodzisz,
stanę się, Mamo, raz i dwa
ptakiem - niebawem, na dniach.
Będę siedzieć na drzewie
i je kołysać do snu,
nucić mu ukojenie -
piękną melodię z nut.”
supported by 4 fans who also own “Oyfn veg shteyt a boym אויפֿן וועג שטייט אַ בוים”
One of my favourite musical discoveries in a while. These musicians are seriously talented. I can’t help imagining that there would have been a whole significant subculture of Yiddish psych rock like this in a different, kinder universe. For now, this is a window into that world that might have been. And I love every second of it. Audrey
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supported by 4 fans who also own “Oyfn veg shteyt a boym אויפֿן וועג שטייט אַ בוים”
One of the best new albums of Yiddish and Klezmer music on Bandcamp in my opinion. The collaboration of two sensitive artists of different generations who know a lot about Yiddish and American music.
dcarkner
