MADONNEWS CENTER UPDATE

Apparently, I've become My Urban Kvetch: Your Madonna News Source (trademark pending).

This is the latest: Madonna's singing in Yiddish now.

I, for one, am glad. This is just what the universe needed. And I'll tell you why...

Way back when my brother was in high school, he had an extra credit assignment in Social Studies class to translate the Billy Ray Cyrus classic "Achy Breaky Heart" into Yiddish, and perform it for the class.  He taped it, and played it for us, and oh--how we laughed. It sounded so funny. And yet there was something avant garde about it.

[Carrie Bradshaw moment: I found myself wondering, could other songs find another life re-recorded in a mellifluous combination of German and Hebrew?]

Now Madonna is making everyone's dreams come true and proving the prescience of this particular teacher.  Taking a cue from the resurgence of klezmer and her interest in all things moderately Jewish, she now performs songs in Yiddish. Which songs? Iz Brent? Oifn Pripetchik? The Partizaner Lid? (And yes, those are the only three Yiddish songs I know, having learned them in sixth-grade when I was in choir. Oh, I know 'em. And I'm not afraid to use 'em. Don't you dare dare me...)

I would love to know how Madge's songs translate. Yiddish-speakers--feel free to submit your lyrics here. (May I suggest "Like a Prayer" to start with?) If they are submitted in the next two weeks, I promise to sing one of them at the next karaoke event I'm scheduled to emcee.

 

MADONNEWS CENTER UPDATE

Apparently, I've become My Urban Kvetch: Your Madonna News Source (trademark pending).

This is the latest: Madonna's singing in Yiddish now.

I, for one, am glad. This is just what the universe needed. And I'll tell you why...

Way back when my brother was in high school, he had an extra credit assignment in Social Studies class to translate the Billy Ray Cyrus classic "Achy Breaky Heart" into Yiddish, and perform it for the class.  He taped it, and played it for us, and oh--how we laughed. It sounded so funny. And yet there was something avant garde about it.

[Carrie Bradshaw moment: I found myself wondering, could other songs find another life re-recorded in a mellifluous combination of German and Hebrew?]

Now Madonna is making everyone's dreams come true and proving the prescience of this particular teacher.  Taking a cue from the resurgence of klezmer and her interest in all things moderately Jewish, she now performs songs in Yiddish. Which songs? Iz Brent? Oifn Pripetchik? The Partizaner Lid? (And yes, those are the only three Yiddish songs I know, having learned them in sixth-grade when I was in choir. Oh, I know 'em. And I'm not afraid to use 'em. Don't you dare dare me...)

I would love to know how Madge's songs translate. Yiddish-speakers--feel free to submit your lyrics here. (May I suggest "Like a Prayer" to start with?) If they are submitted in the next two weeks, I promise to sing one of them at the next karaoke event I'm scheduled to emcee.