Erran Baron Cohen (the composer of the original score for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan) has released an album of music that updates, remixes and expands the songs associated with the Festival of Lights.
New Line Records has announced the release of ‘Songs In The Key Of Hanukkah’ – which was created and produced by composer and multi-instrumentalist Erran Baron Cohen, brother of Ali G and Borat creator Sacha Baron Cohen.
Baron Cohen scored the original music for his brother’s film, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (in which he rewrote the Kazakhstani national anthem), as well as his hit TV series, Da Ali G Show, where he collaborated with the likes of Chrissie Hynde, Travis, and Supergrass among others.
He has also released two internationally acclaimed records as part of his band ZOHAR, which fuses Hebrew and Arabic samples, electronic soundscapes, dub and drum and bass rhythms.
From a press release:
“Songs In The Key Of Hanukkah is a record that takes Hanukkah music to a place it’s never been before. It’s a musical voyage that bears repeated listening both for adults and kids who will love to hear the re-workings of the songs they already know as well as the new, original tracks,” says Baron Cohen. “Hanukkah has always been a kid-focused holiday so the challenge was how to transform the music so that it was cool and interesting for adults and yet something that the whole family could enjoy.”
Recorded in London, Berlin and Tel Aviv, the songs combine klezmer, reggae, electronica, hip hop, tango, pop and other genres, all fluently woven into something uniquely Baron Cohen’s.
The album contains five reinterpretations of classic favorites as well as five original tunes created exclusively for this project, all sung in English, Hebrew or Ladino (Judaeo-Spanish). They are performed by some world-class Jewish singers, including Israeli superstar Idan Raichel, world-music diva Yasmin Levy and New York City-based rapper Y-Love (who actually rhymes in Yiddish!) to name but a few. The result is a record that is both meaningful AND fun.
The seed for ‘Songs In The Key Of Hanukkah’ was planted a year ago when New Line Records president Jason Linn went shopping for a Hanukkah record for his father. As his shopping process began, Linn quickly noticed how many Christmas records existed, yet how few there were that celebrated the Jewish holiday.
He soon met Baron Cohen at the Borat premiere party and on November 18th, ‘Songs In The Key Of Hanukkah’ was released on New Line Records.
Click Here to see the video for “Dreidel” (f/Jules Brookes and Y-Love).”
Your Talkback on this Story