Song of Songs revisited
American Jewish artist Benyamin Brody records his own enchanting version of Shir HaShirim. Listen to it here
A new CD released by Benyamin Brody is bound to provide even members of Sephardic Jewish communities, who recite Shir HaShirim (The Song of Songs) every Shabbat night, with a new and refreshing interpretation of the biblical text.
Brody joined forces with musicians Diwon and Dugans to record a 1-hour album of the entire song accompanied by background music that combines hip-hop, rock and mizrahi influences.
Listen to the first track from the album:
Work on the unique album started after Brody listened to segments from a piece Diwon was working on and decided this was the sound he wanted for his Shir HaShirim project.
Before recording the song, Brody recited a special prayer given to him by his rabbi in Israel, who practices Kabbalah. He sang the entire song in a single take, while being in what he later described as a "meditative state."
Brody and the mike (Photo courtesy of Shemspeed.com)
A week later Brody met with Diwon and Dugans in order to add the music segments and the concluding blessing, which explains that even just reading Shir HaShirim out loud, or simply listening to it without understanding its meaning, brings one closer to God.
Brody grew up in New York and sang on the Pirchei Miami boy's choir. At the age of 16 he made aliyah to Israel, where he learned to play several instruments before returning to Ney York at 21. Back in the US he became acquainted with new Jewish music and recorded his own version of "Lecha Dodi."
