"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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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
the second single 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, composition, production, translations: Maria Ka
performance, arrangement:
vocals, keyboard, electronics: Maria Ka
oboe: Agnieszka Waśniewska
drums: Jacek Rezner
recording, mix, mastering: Marek Romanowski | Maro Records
base photo: a still from shooting by Michał Szczepankiewicz
edition & effects: Maria Ka
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"Ven ikh kuk oyf ווען איך קוק אויף" ( eng. "When I look at" ) is the final song of the album ▪️ it brings along emotions of alienation and isolation from the surrounding world and nation ▪️ the piece induces the basic longing for being a part of people, but, at the same time, remaining truthful to the features that are unique and distinctive: the culture, language, one’s story and history, sometimes appearance ▪️ it is fully linked with feeling misunderstood, excluded and marked by a difficult family experience, towards which the reactions of the surroundings are cold and distanced ▪️ the song raises a question on one’s identity, background and knowing who you truly are ▪️ "I am more from the distant fields. ▪️ From the outside – thrice not from here." ▪️ these lyrics sum up the dissonanse and continuous feeling of seclusion, isolation and longing for something that remains genuine, yet clearly unidentified ▪️ Musically & linguistically immersed in futurism, avantgarde and in - version ▪️
lyrics
lyrics:
ווען איך קוק אויף מײַן פּנים
ווייס איך ניט, אויב צו מאַכן - טוען
.אַ ווײַטער טראָט
,בין איך מער פֿון ווײַטן אינדרויסן
.בין איך דרײַ מאָל ניט פֿון דאָ
שטענדיק פֿיל איך דעם אָנריר
פֿון דעם ווינט, דער לויפֿט
אַוועק ליידיקער היים
און מיין איך שטיל, זאָג איך גאָרנישט
.הײַנט ווייס איך שוין פֿון ניטאָ קיין זאַך
supported by 4 fans who also own “Ven ikh kuk oyf ווען איך קוק אויף”
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 “Ven ikh kuk oyf ווען איך קוק אויף”
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
