Pesach is a time of renewal and new beginnings. Flowers blossoming all over, spring in the air. So what better time than now to review a couple of young musicians who have just started their careers in music?
Today, I want to introduce you to two young, highly talented musicians. They just released a few singles and both are already at work on some new songs. I have a feeling that you’re going to hear about these two a lot in the future. They both grew up in very musical homes and music has been part of their lives since they were born.
My main criterion while I was looking for young musicians to write about was that they create their own original music. These two artists both create original Jewish music – they compose and also write songs. Some of their songs are also based on pesukim. They haven’t released full albums yet, but that might come in the future. In the meantime, you can go and listen to their music, and if you like it, you can also purchase it so you have something fresh and new to listen to.
Shlomo Zomick
Shlomo Zomick’s house was always full of music. His father is a pianist. Forty years ago, he joined Neshoma Orchestra, and soon after became one of the owners of the band. As Shlomo tells me, in his home growing up in the Five Towns, every Shabbat they would sing the Zemirot shel Shabbat in a few different melodies for each song.
When he was younger, Shlomo was exposed to a wide range of music – from the Beatles to Dave Matthews and Dispatch – which has influenced and shaped his current work. Perhaps this is the reason why his music is very acoustic. (Dave Matthews has a very unique drummer – you just need to see his huge drum set and you’ll understand. Look for it on YouTube. The band’s violin player and acoustic guitar player are also very unique.)
But Shlomo also liked to listen to Jewish music. So his style is influenced by a few genres. In his music, the acoustic guitar is very dominant, as well as piano. It’s actually his father on the piano and Shlomo on the acoustic guitar and singing.
Shlomo explains that he tries to create Carlebach-style music in a contemporary way – contemporary and meaningful. Behind every song there’s a D’var Torah, he says. It keeps him focused on the meaning of the words. His father always tells him: “You got to sing when you know what the words mean.”
I asked him what comes first, the words or the music? Sometimes he reads a pasuk in the haftara and it gets stuck in his head. Sometimes he suddenly thinks about a melody and then looks for a pasuk which will match the melody. When he writes a song, he’s not just composing to the words of the pasuk – he first learns the mefarshim (commentaries) and only then composes the song.
His “Hinei” is a beautiful and interesting acoustic music interpretation of the famous pasuk from Tehillim, “Hinei ma tov uma na’im shevet achim gam Yachad.” A few popular songs have been composed using these words. My favorites are those of Avraham Fried and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Shlomo Zomick’s version is refreshing and just sounds good. I really liked the combination of acoustic guitar and violin throughout the song.
Another song, “Va’anachnu,” starts with a flute, which is already a good start. You can also hear some light touches of piano, and of course Zomick’s acoustic guitar in the background. Another song worth listening to.
“Uv’chein” is another song that I liked, while “Horachamon” is the ultimate kumzitz song – full of emotion. In the last verse, Shlomo goes up one octave, and together with strings in the background, gives the perfect ending to the song.
Right now, Shlomo is not yet performing his own songs; rather, he does kumzitz. I asked him why and he explained that he wants to perform with his own songs only when people will already be familiar with them and they’ll be meaningful for them. He has three new songs in the works at the moment.
Yechiel Giniger
Yechiel Giniger also grew up with music. His mother is a composer, performer, music teacher, and singer. (She only performs in front of women.) Her name is Malky Giniger, as many know. Yechiel’s father was in a choir as a kid, and his father (Yechiel’s grandfather), Neil Giniger, was a chazan and a choir leader. Yechiel is also a descendant from the Modzitzer dynasty, which is known for its thousands of niggunim. He was pretty much born on stage. With such a family, it’s no wonder that Yechiel, as well as his siblings – he has 12 of them – grew up to be musicians.
When Yechiel was four, his mother got him a piano teacher and since then he has been playing. He composes his own songs and also sings the music which his mother composes. Since fifth grade, he has also taught piano, voice, and more.
The basement of their house in Brooklyn is dedicated to music. There are two studios as well as a music room with a piano. Right now he is learning in yeshiva, and in parallel, he works on his music. He has released a few singles so far and was featured previously on a song with Baruch Levine and Joey Newcome.
The song “Rachem” was composed by his mother after her wedding. Yechiel grew up singing this song in his home and always wanted to bring it to the public. “Rachem be’chasdecha al amecha tzureinu, al Tzion Mishkan Kevodecha Zevul Beit Tifarteinu,” Please have mercy on Am Yisrael, please have mercy on Jerusalem. Few songs have been composed on these words from the piyut “Tzur Mishelo,” one of the Shabbos zemirot. And the Yechiel version is worth listening to.
It starts with piano, then a violin, and then Yechiel enters. Yechiel’s voice reminds me of Avraham Fried’s. I think he has a future in the Jewish music world. Together with Yechiel in this song are two of his siblings, Zevy and Yosef. At certain points, the string instruments join the piano in the background and contribute to the atmosphere of the song.
The video clip of the song is very touching and has an interesting story. Yechiel’s father is involved with Project Witness, which is devoted to Holocaust education and remembrance. “By focusing on the character, identity, and faith of survivors and victims alike, Project Witness serves to ensure that their legacy guides us and future generations toward a more hopeful future,” the organization says on its website (https://projectwitness.org). Yechiel used the opportunity of his father’s involvement to give the clip a Holocaust theme so that Project Witness could use the song.
“Imadi” (“Standing With Me”) is another song worth listening to. Starting off with acoustic guitar and piano in the background, the music becomes stronger with electric guitar in the background.
“Nachamu Ami” is a very upbeat song. Starting with strong drums, brasses, and electric and bass guitar, the song sounds like a typical Mordechai Ben David or Avraham Fried song. As I’m writing this column, it currently has only 1k views on YouTube and close to 15k on 24Six. I have a feeling that once it gets to closer to or passes the hundreds of thousands, you’ll start to hear it played at weddings.
I asked Yechiel how come “Nachamu Ami” is such an upbeat song – usually you’d expect a song with this name to be quiet and melancholy. Yechiel explains that he wanted to do something different with this song. “Nachamu” is actually a happy thing – it is comfort, the Shabbat after Tisha B’Av. So Yechiel wanted to do an upbeat song about it and this is the result. He also plans to release an electronic version of “Nachamu Ami.”
Right now, Yechiel is working on a few new songs and plans to release his own album in the future. He also does collaborations, for example on Ari Goldwag’s a capella album and Yosef Kugler’s album, and has started selling compositions.
Enjoy and Happy Passover!
