Basya Schechter - oud, guitar, saz, percussion, vocals;
Daphna Mor - recorders, zurna, melodica, ney, vocals;
Meg Okura - violin;
Shanir Blumenkranz -bass;
Yuval Lion - drums;
Jason Lindner - rhodes, keys;
Mathias Kunzli - percussion;
Uri Sharlin - accordian, vocals.
Regular guests:
Alan Kushan - santur, for Queen's Dominion project;
Shane Shanahan - percussionist, for Queen's Dominion project.
Influences
Oumou Sangare, Ali Farkah Toure, Suzanne Vega, Salif Keita, Oum Kalthoum, Loreena Mckennitt, Noa, Abdullah Ibrahim, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Voix de Bulgare, Shimi Tavori, Abdelli, The Doors, South Indian, Bulgarian & Macedonian vocal styles, Rokia Traore, Pink Floyd, Bouboucar Traore, Ofra Haza, Joni Mitchell, Chasidic Jewish music, Led Zepplin, Paradox Trio, Tori Amos, Radiohead, Turkish folk music, Chava Alberstein, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Jewish litergical and cantorial music, Ismet Siral, Nick Drake, Gilberto Gil, Mordechai Ben David, Cesaria Evora, Joao Gilberto, Fela Kuti and Afrobeat music, Gigi, Manu Chao, Toumani Diabate, Simon Shaheen, Amadou & Mariam, Abida Parveen, Riyad Sombati, Miami Boys Choir, Poogie, Tananas, Farid El Atrache, Latcho Drom soundtrack, Nacati Celik, Yair Dalal, Rasha, Youssou N'Dour, Qawwali Sufi music, Hungarian Gypsy folk music, Sudanese and Nile River folk music, Sephardic and Ladino music, Greek folk music...
Sounds Like
Listen to Haran, the latest album by Pharaoh’s Daughter, and you hear a musical journey from Hasidic Brooklyn to ’70s psychedelia, from an Israeli seminary to smoky bars in Turkey, and street scenes in Morocco and Zambia. Band leader and vocalist Basya Schechter has invented her own identity, still rooted in the words, sounds, and experiences of her childhood, but using her global curiosity to launch a reformulation of Judaic musicality. Haran marries the Hebraic and Biblical texts that orthodox children memorize with a modern, globally-informed Jewish sound.
“By Way of Haran,” the album’s namesake, invokes the place where Abraham started his spiritual journey, and a place of significance as an early caravan route. “I heard the names of these ancient places throughout my childhood,” remembers Basya. “So I hitchhiked to eastern Turkey by myself and came to these places and felt the deep history. Haran represents the beginning of a journey, a crossroads between east and west, the beginning of the Jewish religion, and the beginning of monotheism.” The song starts with a strong Turkish theme composed by the late Ismet Siral upon which is added an unexpected bass line and the influence of The Doors.
Many of the songs on Haran come from the diverse repertoire of songs of the Sabbath known as zmirot (“Yona” and “Hashomer”) and mystic Kabalistic poetry from the 11th-15 centuries (“Ka Ribon” and “Askinu”).
“In some of these words you feel the mystical weight,” Basya says “I love to explore that, because it makes me feel connected to a deeper understanding of the world and myself. I’ve always been connected to a sense of yearning in melody; a sense to get to someplace. Zen is all about being where you are. I come from a very unsettled sense of home; always that promise that something in the future or something that is part of the world that I don’t understand is going to give me answers. In melody, I am deeply connecting to who I am now and what I want to be and what I want to express.”
What Baysa found was that the connection she needed was across cultures. “I’ve found inspiration in people connecting to their tradition as deeply as I connect to mine,” says Basya. So other songs on Haran are inspired by a range of influences: an Arabic rhythm in a ten-beat meter reminiscent of Oum Kalthoum, a slow African groove in five, a melody by Algerian singer Abdelli. But the presence of the standard drums-guitar-keys of a rock band cannot be missed.
Rock organ meets kemanche (spike fiddle), ethereal keys are the foundation for santur (Persian dulcimer), and the zabumba (Brazilian forro drum) drives accordion. Haran unites all of these elements in a simultaneously fresh and timeless way. But this multiplicity of sounds does not stand in the way of Pharaoh’s Daughter’s biggest accomplishment on Haran: a bottomless well of melodic creativity. Even if the listener does not fully grasp the spiritual power of the lyrics in Aramaic, Ladino, or Hebrew, the musical hooks resonate on their own journey long after the album is over. 'Haran', Pharaoh's Daughter's fifth album, will be released on Oyhoo Records in May.
Blending a psychedelic sensibility and a pan-Mediterranean sensuality, Basya Schechter leads her band, Pharaoh's Daughter, through Doors-like improvisations, liturgical chants with Middle Eastern, and spiritual stylings filtered through percussion, flute, strings, oud, saz, bass, rhodes and electronica. Their sound has been cultivated by Basyas Hasidic musical background and by trips to the Middle East, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Central Africa, Turkey, Kurdistan and Greece. There she has studied in ethnomusicology centers as well as learning through meeting internationally renknowned folk musicians in cafes, and from street performers, who have taught her songs from their musical heritages. Inspired by world instruments, but also influenced by Western song structure, she began retuning her guitar to sound like a cross between an Arabic oud and a Turkish saz, with harmonic minor melodies, and odd time signatures. Pharaohs Daughter has traveled both nationally and internationally, has performed recently at Central Parks Summerstage and at Carnegie Hall. They have released two cd's on John Zorn's Tzadik label.
'Haran', Pharaoh's Daughter's five record, will be released on Oyhoo Rocords in May.
LOVED your show last nite--i'm an ole music freak & your sound is very cool...& touches our spiriyual essence--THANK YOU... Also,was your bass player toying around with the Mountain Jam(Allmans) bass leads during a jam in a song i loved--just the name has slipped my mind--anyway i'm curious as to what he was doing... The whole band grooves as one--you touched our souls--Thanks so much!
HOLA COMO VAS TE INVITAMOS A QUE ESCUCHES NUESTRO PRIMER SENCILLO "VICIOS" Y NOS COMENTES QUE TE PARECE.. TAMBIEN ESTAS INVITADO A UNIRTE A LA FAMILIA DEL PERRO CALLEJERO CUIDATE .. Y YA SABES
Hello There!, Just wanted to tell you that I appreciate your musical tastes, styles talent and being part of your network. Stay cool & I hope you enjoy your holidays! ZT
Thanx for the add & support KASBAH ROCKERS WITH BILL LASWELL feat. Maghrebika, Amira Saqati, B-Net Marrakech, Dar Beida 04, Makale and more , out now on iTunes with two exclusive bonus remixes.
Your talent and light shine through on the song that we wrote and recorded together.. Thank you again for contributing to the EARTHRISE SOUNDSYSTEM Album. Yours' is a most special song!
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