Sacred Songs: From Pulpit to Pop Chart with Galeet Dardashti September 23, 2011

Iranian-descended vocalist and anthropologist Galeet Dardashti performs and discusses the beautiful Jewish High Holiday prayers called piyutim, focusing on the traditional melodies from the Middle East. Listen to a few of these beautiful songs, while gaining an understanding of their shifting historical and cultural significance—from ancient Israel to the Middle Ages, and their new relevance in modern Israel. Israel's most noted secular rock singers have begun performing their own renditions of traditional piyutim for large crowds of adoring fans, and many of their recordings of these songs have soared to the top of Israeli pop charts.
As the granddaughter of Yona Dardashti, the most renowned singer of Persian classical music in Iran in his day, and daughter of highly esteemed cantor Farid Dardashti, Middle Eastern vocalist and composer Galeet Dardashti is the first woman in her family to continue her family tradition of distinguished Persian and Jewish musicianship.

She is the leader and vocalist of the edgy all-female Mizrahi band Divahn and has a new acoustic/electronic solo project, The Naming. Galeet also pursues her passion for Jewish music and culture as an anthropologist. She recently completed her Ph.D. in anthropology on the performance of contemporary Mizrahi and Arab music in Israel.

Co-presented as part of Dardashti’s Bay Area artistic residency with the Hub at the JCCSF and the Jewish Music Festival.

TICKETS: FREE with regular admission though tickets for program required. Public programs sell out and advance registration is suggested Visit the September calendar for details: General Admission, $12; Students with a valid ID and Seniors, $10; Members and Youth 18 and under, free.

Official Website: http://www.thecjm.org