Yehuda Katz –”Hodu”

01 Dec, 2010 by yossi

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Yehuda Katz, acclaimed musician and undisputed leader of the legendary Jewish rock band “Reva Lesheva”, stopped everything four years ago and made a complete switch. Katz and his band performed world-wide, produced albums and created quality Jewish music that gained international fame. Then, he decided on a change of pace, as well as sound.

Seeing Israeli youth so far removed from Judaism bothered Yehuda Katz. So, he got together a few like-minded friends and formed a voluntary organization “Neshima” (“Breath”), a dynamic educational group that aimed to bring youth closer to the source of Judaism and Jewish culture formed by the Torah and Jewish history. In so doing, Katz joined the ranks of informal educators, but his love of music has not abated and Katz plays, performs  and most importantly composes exciting Jewish material, albeit a might quieter. Through this Katz completes a “spiritual” turnabout, his latest music is more spiritual, inspired by loftier ideas. His performances, too, have undergone a transformation and contain not merely music but also convey a spiritual message.

In his newest album Yehuda Katz goes solo providing an unusual musical experience. Those who see the performance will hear less rock; instead the music cuts through the usual cynicism, touches the soul and resounds through you. Yehuda Katz aims to carry you off to the world of Jewish culture, and he’s ripe and full and determined to do just that.

As a close protégé and friend of R. Shlomo Carlebach, Yehuda Katz was fortunate enough to spend a quarter of a century watching his teacher open hearts with his songs, his stories and through personal contact. Katz was blessed with an opportunity to inspire the souls of many through this rare approach to music, stories and Jewish spirituality. In this way he managed to connect to Jewish from the four corners of the earth.

The first single now being released, “Hodu” generated an amazing clip. The day that the song was recorded, Katz heard on the radio of a struggle between parents at a religious school in Petach Tikva, surrounding their opposition to the integration of Ethiopian children into the community. This news greatly upset Katz, which is expressed in the clip, and led to his having artists from the Ethiopian community join him in song and dance throughout the recording.

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