For other uses, see The Voice of the Turtle.
Jewish and,
Israeli music
Religious
Contemporary
Piyyut
Zemirot
Nigun
Pizmonim
Baqashot
Secular
Israeli
Klezmer
Sephardic
Mizrahi
Secular music
Mainstream and jazz
Classical
Jewish art music
Dance
Israeli folk dancing
Ballet
Horah
Hava Nagila
Yemenite dancing
Israel
Hatikvah
Jerusalem of Gold
Piyyutim
Adon Olam
Geshem
Lekhah Dodi
Ma'oz Tzur
Yedid Nefesh
Yigdal
Music for Holidays
Shabbat
Hanukkah
Blessings
Oh Chanukah
Dreidel song
Al Hanisim
Mi Y'malel
Ner Li
Passover (Haggadah)
Ma Nishtana
Dayenu
Adir Hu
Chad Gadya
Echad Mi Yodea
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Voice of the Turtle is a musical group specializing in Sephardic music. VotT is unique in its emphasis on doing original historical research before making recordings. The band members travel the world looking for documents of Sephardic songs, and also interview community members who may remember particular musical arrangements. Their work is of both musical and historical import. An article in Rootsworld says,
"Based in Boston, Voice of the Turtle is one of the best-known groups performing Sephardic music in America. Theirs is an unusual marriage of artists who see the power of music more than just a presentation to a concert audience. 'We are all galvanized by the idea that it is critically important to preserve oral traditions in any culture. It's not so much about preserving Sephardic music but encouraging people to look at their own culture. Take from the people around you the treasures that are often missed. Learn to value the treasures that the elders have brought with them,' says Wachs."
The group members are:
Derek Burrows,
Lisle Kulbach,
Jay Rosenberg,
Judith Wachs,
Ian Pomerantz (Starting 2011),
Wachs died in October 2008. A memorial concert was held at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA on October 19, 2009. After a several year hiatus, Voice of the Turtle original members Lisle Kulbach and Jay Rosenberg have reformed the group with the addition of Sephardic singer and instrumentalist Ian Pomerantz. The group continues to perform their signature arrangements of traditional Sephardic songs.
History and Recordings edit:
The group was established in 1978, and has twelve full-length recordings. Nine recordings were published by Titanic Records, a leading publisher of early music. The book "Sacred Song in America" by Stephen Marini contains a detailed history of the group, including the story of how Wachs (who comes from an Ashkenazic Jewish background) first came to be interested in Sephardic music.
Music by Voice of the Turtle is often described as unusual. The recording "A Different Night, a Passover Musical Anthology," contains 23 versions of the song Chad Gadya. The New York Times comments (regarding the album "From the Shores of the Golden Horn': Music of the Spanish Jews of Turkey,") that "far from being esoteric, this powerfully expressive repertory will leave no one unmoved."
Languages and Instruments edit:
Voice of the Turtle sings in a variety of languages typical of Sephardic music, including not only Spanish, Hebrew, and English, but also Judeo-Spanish (Ladino), Aramaic, Yiddish, Judeo-Italian, Judeo-Provencal, and Judeo-Arabic.
Instruments played by the group include bagpipes, kamanja, cornettino, chalumeau, dumbek, riqq, shawm, bombard, 'ud, saz, and ney.
