One of the fun things that happens when I speak with musicians is that although I prepare questions in advance and plan what I want to discuss with them, once we start speaking the conversation goes to places I didn’t expect, and I learn new things and hear interesting stories. In fact, that’s usually how the most fascinating stories emerge.
I reached out to Moshe Kahan to speak with him about his new album, Kadosh. A few weeks ago, while working on another column, and just out of curiosity, I happened to look up one of Mordechai Ben David’s early albums – his second one, released in 1974, called Hineni. I even considered buying it. Then, during my conversation with Kahan, he casually mentioned that his grandfather was the producer of that very album. (We’ll return to that soon.)
Kahan recently released his debut album, which features ten songs composed by Yitzy Waldner, Pinky Weber, Naftali Schnitzler, and Mordechai Brezel. I spoke to him about the album and about his musical and personal journey.
Why Kadosh?
After completing the album, Kahan was searching for the right name. To him, the album was a piece of kedusha – holiness. He felt that the entire project was infused with kedusha, and the title track, “Kadosh,” was the very first song he worked on. After a year of effort, it felt natural to name the album after the song that had started it all.
The Sound He’s After
Moshe has a clear artistic goal: to bring back what he calls the “old Shwekey sound.” Yaakov Shwekey is one of his biggest inspirations because of his ability to offer something for everyone – Mizrachi, Chassidish, Israeli – and yet maintain authenticity and a clean, unmistakably Jewish sound. That balance is exactly what drives Kahan.
While many young artists today create EDM and dance music – a trend he respects – Kahan wanted his album to offer something different. Hearing that, I got excited because he was echoing exactly what I wrote in a column this past summer: the growing wave of electronic beats in Jewish music, and my personal feeling that Jewish music should be more “freilach.”
“You read my mind!” I said to him.
I mentioned that many tracks on his album have a traditional chassidic feel, with brass, strings, piano, and classic rhythms. He told me that was absolutely intentional. To him, this is genuine heimishe music – music that comes from the neshama. EDM, he feels, doesn’t capture that same soulfulness. Still, he incorporates a mix of modern and traditional elements to strike the right balance.
A Musical Heritage
Kahan grew up in Brooklyn, surrounded by music. His grandfather, also named Moshe Kahan, produced MBD’s Hineni album and may have been one of the first people to produce Jewish music concerts outside of traditional chazzanus.
Kahan shared a story: After hearing Mordechai Ben David perform at Brooklyn College in the early 1970s, his grandfather hired him for three concerts – for $250 total. A fascinating detail, especially when today a standard one-man band in Lakewood or Monsey can cost upwards of $3,000.
According to MBD’s Wikipedia page, that same Brooklyn College performance – where he earned just $50 – was where a record producer first discovered him. That producer was Kahan’s grandfather.
Kahan’s family bought every new album and listened to chassidic music constantly. Friday night and Shabbos meals often turned into two-hour singing sessions. Every sibling played piano, and some played guitar as well. Kahan himself plays piano primarily, but also guitar occasionally.
His musical influences were MBD, Avraham Fried, and of course, Shwekey. Unlike many artists, Kahan never connected to non-Jewish music. His heart is in Jewish music.
Becoming a Musician
Kahan always wanted to be a singer but was advised to wait until after marriage. Once he married, wedding jobs began coming in, and soon after, he started working on his album. He met with a few producers, and Yitzy Waldner was the last one he met. They had an excellent meeting, and one week later they began working together. Waldner ended up producing the entire album and writing six of its songs.
I asked Kahan what it’s like to be a full-time musician. What are the challenges?
Back in the day, only three top guys made money, he says – today, it is a lot easier. People pay about $5,000 for music for a siyum, not to mention weddings and other gigs. But it requires a lot of investment. He still goes to a voice teacher almost every day.
The Creative Process
Kahan has been composing since he was five years old. When he met Naftali Schnitzler, he played him a tune he wrote at age six. Schnitzler liked it so much he suggested including it on the album, but Kahan felt it was too simple. Over time he has composed many tunes, mostly slow ones – he writes sitting at the piano, which naturally leads to emotional, slower melodies. Some are upbeat, though, and one day he hopes to record many of them.
On this first album, he did not include any of his own compositions. He felt the material he received from well-established composers was stronger for a debut. However, he is certainly not opposed to putting his own songs on future albums.
When composing, Kahan draws lyrics from the siddur, Chumash, Tehillim, and other traditional sources. He first learns the words deeply, understanding their meaning, and only then begins to create the melody. The words guide the niggun.
Toward the end of our conversation, I asked him to play me something he had composed. He began to sing. What he sang had real emotion, and I can say that I think if he releases it, it has the potential to become a major kumzitz hit in the future.
What’s next for Kahan? He has several smaller projects planned – singles, videos – and then he will begin working on his second album.
You can listen to his album, Kadosh, on YouTube, Spotify, 24Six, and Apple Music, and purchase it on Mostly Music.