"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 ninth 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: Herman Yablokoff
composition: traditional
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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the Yiddish classic "Papirosn פּאַפּיראָסן" ( eng. "Cigarettes" ) is a story of a poor boy – an orphan - that cannot make a living from selling the titled cigarretes on the street. his life is a drudgery full of hardships and everyday battles, and even begging for support, help and buying his trades does not result in situation’s improvement.
in Maria Ka's version, the lyrical subject is a young girl – a meydele instead of a yingele – and her words, strengthened by a dynamic tango vibe, highlight a common topic of Yiddish songs: misery linked with poverty.
מײַן טאַטע אין מלחמה
,האָט פֿאַרלױרן זײַנע הענט
מײַן מאַמע האָט די צרות
. מער אױסהאַלטן ניט געקענט
- יונג אין קבֿר זי געטריבן
בין איך אױף דער וועלט פֿאַרבליבן
.אומגליקלעך און עלנט ווי אַ שטײן
קופּיטיע קױפֿט זשע,
"...קױפֿט זשע פּאַפּיראָסן
***
English translation:
A cold Night and foggy Darkness everywhere.
Stands a young girl
worried and concerned -
she looks around
and from the Rain
only a small wall
is protecting her.
A basket holds this girl
in hands,
begging for mercy
and a chance.
„I have no Power to go
around the streets:
hungry, ragged, fully drenched from Rain’s tears.
I have been roaming since
the Dawn,
no one donates me
notes or coins.
They just laugh,
making from me fun.
Buy, oh, buy my cigarretes,
dry, not soaked from the Rain.
Buy them cheaply
and most fairly,
buy and show me
Truthful Mercy,
saving from starving,
giving me safety!
Buy, oh, buy
some unique matches,
thereby you’ll give
an orphan pure delight.
Needless are my endeavors and cries -
no one wants
from me to buy…
A cold Night and foggy Darkness everywhere.
Stands a young girl
worried and concerned -
she looks around
and from the Rain
only a small wall
is protecting her.
A basket holds this girl
in hands,
begging for mercy
and a chance.
„I have no Power to go
around the streets:
hungry, ragged, fully drenched from Rain’s tears.
I have been roaming since
the Dawn,
no one donates me
notes or coins.
They just laugh,
making from me fun.
Buy, oh, buy my cigarretes,
dry, not soaked from the Rain.
Buy them cheaply
and most fairly,
buy and show me
Truthful Mercy,
saving from starving,
giving me safety!
Buy, oh, buy
some unique matches,
thereby you’ll give
an orphan pure delight.
Needless are my endeavors and cries -
no one wants
from me to buy…
they just laugh, making from me fun /
like a dog I’ll have to die.
My Father lost his precious hands during the war,
my Mother couldn’t hold
her sorrows after all.
They drove her quickly
to the grave.
I stayed alone,
forlorn remained.
Sad, lonely, unhappy, stuck
like an abandoned stone, deserted rock.
Buy, oh, buy my cigarretes…”
***
Polish translation:
Zimna noc,
wszędzie Ciemność mglista -
stoi dziewczyna i usta zaciska.
Patrzy dokoła, spogląda w dół,
od Deszczu chroni ją
tylko mur.
Trzyma koszyczek
w zmarzniętych dłoniach,
jej oczy błagają wszystkich
o pomoc.
„Nie mam już siły
krążyć po ulicy
głodna, obdarta,
w deszczu zimnicy…
Ciągle samotnie się
od świtu włóczę,
nikt mi nie daje na chleb zarobić.
Wszyscy śmieją się, ze mnie żartują.
Kupujcie, kupcież, kupcież papierosy,
suchutkie, dobre, Deszczem niezmoczone!
Kupcie tanio i uczciwie,
kupcie i okażcie litość,
ratujcie dziś od głodu mnie!
Kupujcie, kupcież
zapałki rzadkie -
tym uszczęśliwicie
biedną sierotkę.
Zbędne są moje starania, błagania -
nikt nie kwapi się do kupowania…
Wszyscy się śmieją, ze mnie żartują / umrzeć niczym pies
będę musiała.
Mój Tata na wojnie
stracił obie dłonie -
Mamy krótkiego życia
był to koniec.
Szybko i młodo
weszła do grobu -
sama na świecie
jestem wśród Lodu.
Bez końca w rozpaczy
i w biedzie trwam.
Jak kamień, co moknie
i istnieje sam.
supported by 4 fans who also own “Papirosn פּאַפּיראָסן”
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
Five ghostly folk songs described by Dayydream as being on the border of imagination & reality, all wreathed in delicate echo. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 6, 2022
If you've been craving something dark and gritty yet stylish and dancefloor-ready, this hard-edged industrial synth opus might fit the bill. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 16, 2024
supported by 4 fans who also own “Papirosn פּאַפּיראָסן”
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
