Mordechai Ben David

Mordechai Ben David
Background information
Birth name Mordechai Werdyger
Born (1951-04-16) April 16, 1951[1]
Origin Sea Gate, Brooklyn, New York
Genres Contemporary Jewish religious music
Occupation(s) Vocalist, composer
Years active 1973–present
Labels MBD

Mordechai Werdyger is an American Hasidic Jewish singer and songwriter popular in the Orthodox Jewish community. As the son of famous Cantor David Werdyger he is known by his stage name Mordechai Ben David (Hebrew: מרדכי בן דוד‎‎, lit. Mordechai, son of David) or its acronym MBD. He is known as the "King of Jewish music" and has produced over 30 albums over the past 40 years while performing worldwide. He has headlined the popular charity concerts HASC and Ohel for almost two decades.

Genre

Mordechai Ben David may be considered a pioneer of contemporary Hasidic song. He started his musical career in the early 1970s, a time when Hazzanut was the main source of recorded music in Jewish Orthodox circles, with very few solo singer performers. One notable singer who preceded Werdyger was Shlomo Carlebach, who had started a genre rooted in Hasidic and American folk song in the early 1960s.

Mordechai Ben David based his career on his father David's acclaim, choosing Mordechai Ben David (Mordechai the Son of David) as his stage name. In contrast to his father, who recorded classic Hasidic niggunim(songs) with cantorial vocals and classical instruments, Ben David blended traditional Hasidic singing with modern and popular music techniques. He was encouraged in this endeavor by Rabbi Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz, the Ribnitzer Rebbe.[2] He soon became known as an innovator and rose quickly to become a musical superstar to Orthodox Jews worldwide.

Ben David's music is considered "soul touching" and "spiritually uplifting", with most of the lyrics based on Hebrew prayer, Biblical passages, and religious poetry, known as Zemirot. Other songs, composed in English, Yiddish, and Modern Hebrew, carry religious themes such as the sanctity of Shabbat and the yearning for Mashiach. His recordings include traditional Hasidic melodies of Eastern European folk-style alongside more modern jazz, pop, and rock music.

Throughout his career, Werdyger has worked with many composers and arrangers, most notably Yisroel Lamm and Moshe (Mona) Rosenblum, as well as others including Suki Berry, Moshe Laufer and Yossi Green, Boruch Chait & Abie Rotenberg. He himself has composed many songs that he has recorded. He has also collaborated side by side with well known musicians including Yaron Gershovsky (Director of the Manhattan Transfer), Daniel Freiberg, and Ken Burgess.

Over the years, Mordechai appeared as a guest soloist on a number of albums recorded by his father, the late Cantor David Werdyger. Later years he appeared on albums produced and sung by his son Yeedle Werdyger, and brother Mendy Werdyger, both of whom are known singers in their own rights. He has appeared on a number of "All Star Cast" albums produced by Suki & Ding.

MBD's style has been an inspiration to many Jewish singers over the past decades; following his genre are famous singers such as Avraham Fried, Lipa Schmeltzer and Yaakov Shwekey.

Together with well-known producer Sheya Mendlowitz, Mordechai produced the first solo recording album of singer Avraham Fried entitled "No Jew Will Be Left Behind" in 1981. In fact during the following few years, Sheya & Mordechai jointly produced a number of hit albums together including "Mostly Horas" (1987), his own album "MBD & Friends" (1987), "Yisroel Lamm & The Philharmonic Experience" (1988), and "25 Years of Jewish Music" (1988).

Music and politics

Some of Werdyger's songs have carried political messages.

In 1984 and 1985, MBD's songs "Hold On" and "Let My People Go" focused on the Jewish refusenik plight behind the Soviet Iron Curtain. While "Hold On" expresses hope, "Let My People Go" specifically calls for "support and pressure" to free Anatoly Natan Sharansky and Ida Nudel from Soviet captivity.[3][3]

In 1986 MBD's quasi-rock beat "Jerusalem Is Not For Sale" spearheaded the Haredi opposition to missionary practice in Jerusalem.[4][5]

1994's "Yerushalayim We Will Never Leave You", recorded in Hebrew and English, protested the intent of dividing Jerusalem under the Oslo I Accord.

MBD released a single track in 1996, named "Chevron Always And Forever" (heb. חברון מאז ולתמיד), protesting proposed Israeli concessions over Hebron under the Oslo II Interim Agreement.

In 1999, on a track sung in Hebrew, "Ad Matay" (heb.עד מתי), written by Chaim Walder, Werdyger took on tensions between Israeli secular and religious parties. This dramatic composition expressed a heart-wrenching cry against internal hatred and takes an indirect shot at anti-religious politicians Yossi Sarid (Meretz) and Tommy Lapid (Shinui) by rhyming their surnames into a phrase depicting "the flame of hatred [lapid lit flame] which leaves no remnants [sarid lit remnant]".

In 2010, MBD re-wrote his famous English song "Unity", expressing protest of alleged Federal injustice to Sholom Rubashkin in his widely publicized case in the U.S. The song, renamed "Unity For Justice", was performed by MBD together with Avraham Fried and forty famous Jewish singers. An HD Video recording was publicized on a petition website as well as the social network.[6][7]

Family

His father, David Werdyger, was a hazzan (cantor) and Holocaust survivor originally from Kraków. His brother, Mendy, is also a Jewish singer and owner of the Jewish record label Aderet Records and its retail store in Boro Park, Brooklyn, Mostly Music.[8] His son, Yeedle,[9] and nephew, Yisroel Werdyger (Mendy's son),[10] are also popular Jewish singers.[11]

His wife, Esther, is also the daughter and sister of hazzanim.[2] His brother-in-law is Cantor Ari Klein, who in the past recorded a few albums of his own. And his cousin, Shmilu Rosenberg of Canada released two albums back in the 1980's, a come back album and an appearance on an all star album in the 1990's.

Current activities

Werdyger continues to work on recordings in his private studio in Sea Gate, Brooklyn and cooperates with contemporary music producer Eli Lishinsky.

His most recent album, Kissufim, was released in October 2011. This production was said to be his last album, with MBD stating that illegal CD burning and internet downloads were ruining the industry and making albums financially unprofitable.[12]

After great success with Kissufim, in February 2012, MBD announced on Menachem Toker Radio Israel that he had just started on a new album, although he did not release information about the type of album.

He has also unofficially released a non-public single titled "Omdos Hoyu" in honor of a Yeshiva Student's marriage in Israel, and although it was only released at the event in Israel, it has become widely popular through being posted on the web.

Another single released was "Yachad Shivtei Yisrael",[13] composed in honor of the 2012 Siyum HaShas.

Werdyger does not sing at mixed concerts for religious reasons.[14]

Werdyger lives in Sea Gate, Brooklyn, and has mentioned that he has purchased a house in Jerusalem and intends to move there shortly.

Song adaptations

A few of MBD's songs are adaptations of well-known, non-Jewish songs.

In addition, "Vechol Maminim", from MBD's album of the same name, was an adaptation of "Tov Lehodos", an earlier song by Shlomo Carlebach.

Discography

In addition, MBD appears on many albums including:

References

  1. ↑ Alpert, Yair (April 18, 2011). "Photos: MBD Celebrates His 60th Birthday". matzav.com. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  2. 1 2 Rosengarten, Gittel Chany (17 July 2013). "Living With the Star". Mishpacha Family First. pp. 14–20. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  3. 1 2 http://frummusic.net/media/creation/MbdLyrics.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1986/Mass-Protest-Against-Mormon-Building/id-0055d9ef7dbbe1808d53c67887e72505
  5. ↑ http://emp.byui.edu/ANDERSONR/itc/Israel/jerusalemCenter/rally.htm
  6. ↑ http://unityforjustice.com/
  7. ↑ http://www.chabad.info/index.php?id=20569&url=article_en
  8. ↑ Ferber, Elisha (February 9, 2009). "Matzav.com's Exclusive Interview With...Lipa Shmeltzer & Eli Gerstner". matzav.com. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  9. ↑ "MBD Live in Israel featuring Aaron Razel & Yeedle". Jewish Insights. 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  10. ↑ "The Sheichet Interviews Yisroel Werdyger". Jewish Music Report. March 1, 2009. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Rabbis call for boycott of Ben David". The Jewish Telegraph. UK. June 11, 2004.
  12. ↑ http://www.vosizneias.com/92341
  13. ↑ http://jewishmusicreport.com/2012/07/31/mbd-sings-new-song-for-the-siyum-yachad/
  14. ↑ http://jewishmusicreport.com/2013/01/14/hasc-xxvi-concert-recap/
  15. ↑ Musical Transitions Reprinted from Discoveries - May 1995 by Christopher Papa
  16. ↑ http://www.mostlymusic.com/big-time-alter-heim-then-now.html
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