Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Prominent poets, including Ya'akov Orland, Alexander Penn, and Nathan Alterman, wrote
lyrics that were adaptations of Biblical texts and Jewish prayers translated into a Zionist con-
text, thus lending cultural value to the corpus of Israeli song. These folk songs were meant to
unify people through communal songs by praising the Zionist pioneers and celebrating the
revival of the land. The music itself was a blend of Middle Eastern musical elements with East-
ern European melodies. Israeli folk songs, then, ranged in style from Russian ballad to Balkan
folk dance (such as the hora) to Arab melody (such as the
debka
).
Naomi Shemer, one of the most famous composers and lyricists of Israeli folk music, cre-
ated songs that quickly became classics. Her songs dealt with Israeli landscapes, society, and
events. Shemer's “Yerushalaim Shel Zahav” (Jerusalem of Gold), written in the anxious days
just before the Six-Day War in 1967, became almost a second national anthem.
The fact that Israeli folk songs were not usually recorded when they were composed led to
the production of
shironim
(songbooks), small booklets containing their lyrics and sometimes
musical notes. These shironim were distributed widely among music teachers, youth move-
ments, and others who taught the new songs in all types of group gatherings. Another form of
music consumption was
shira betzibur
(communal singing), where people sang the lyrics from
the booklets accompanied by an accordionist who also acted as the conductor. Shira betzibur
were important social events that brought people together, strengthening the new nation's
communal and emotional unity.
Army Ensembles
Military entertainment units called
lehakot tzvaiot
(army ensembles) were created to entertain
soldiers and raise morale during war. They were also supposed to embody the esprit de corps
and prestige of the particular unit or command to which they belonged. The fi rst army en-
sembles were established in 1948 during the War of Independence. The most famous was the
Hizbatron, which furnished a model for those to come later: a group of young male and female
soldiers performed sketches and sang folk songs that refl ected a spectrum of feelings from joy
to heroism to melancholy. Many leading musicians learned their craft and began their rise in
these units.
The fi rst period of the lehakot tzvaiot, from the mid-1950s until 1967, featured simple musi-
cal and stage productions. Low budgets made simplicity a necessity, but simplicity was also
seen as a core national virtue. The typical instruments were limited to an accordion and a
darabuka
(goblet drum). The second period, from 1967 to 1975, was characterized by more
elaborate productions with more instruments: drums, electric guitars, organ, and bass. For
two decades, between the mid-1950s and the mid-1970s, the repertory of the lehakot tzvaiot
dominated Israeli popular music.
The Rise of Israeli Rock
The musical works today considered the fi rst masterpieces of Israeli rock had three charac-
teristics: they were typical rock songs with electric instruments and personal lyrics; they used
melodies and lyrics similar to traditional Israeli music; and most of the musicians were gradu-
