Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

Hard to Keep Your Feet Still During a Sharon Katz Concert

South African music is not subtle about the beat. It hits the beats and in rapid succession. You’ve got to dance. Sharon Katz on electric guitar, her very popular Cuban bassist Ignacio Arango, and her drummer hit all the notes and bounced to the next ones. It was funky,  joyous, and rhythmically bubbling through your body. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, International, Mimi Pollack, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

July 4th Fireworks: Fun for Us, Traumatic for Some Pets

Speaking of fireworks, Gary Weitzman, CEO of the San Diego Humane Society, shared these four tips to prepare for July 4th. It is known as the loudest holiday of the year and the most frightening for our fur babies. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

OpEd: The Powerful Lion Symbols at Entrance to Ma’ale Adumim

A unique, long-term partnership between the Diaspora and Israel resulted in Ma’ale Adumim being the beneficiary of two huge Lion sculptures. The two Lions of Judah, each eight feet in height and ten feet in length, majestically supine and serene, are sited at the city’s entrance for maximum visibility. They are just below the large, bold “I Love Ma’ale Adumim/ Welcome Visitors” sculpture. [Jerry Klinger]

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Israel, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food, USA

TICO Performs a Fourth Fifth and a First

Before intermission, we heard Silence, a world premiere by John Michael Luther, based on a poem written by Conductor Amos’ granddaughter, Piper Gillett, when she was 13 years old. The work made a profound impression, especially remarkable that the words were written by one so young, and inspired such an interesting setting by composer Luther. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Mickey Katz

Courtesy of Wikipedia Mickey Katz (June 15, 1909 – April 30, 1985) was an American musician and comedian. He was the father of actor Joel Grey and paternal grandfather of actress Jennifer Grey. Meyer Myron Katz was born on Sawtell Court in Cleveland, Ohio, to a Jewish family. He was one of five children born to Johanna (née Herzberg) and Menachem Katz.

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Songs in ‘Johnny and June’ Memorable, but Narration Lacks Something

Basically, the show takes us through both Johnny and June’s beginnings, the way they met, how they started touring together and eventually fell in love, though both were married to others at the time. [Sandi Masori]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Shavuot Wishes and Some Fascinating Upcoming Events

Youth Summer Music Camp (6th-12th grade) with Sharon Katz will be at 1 p.m., Monday, June 17 until Saturday, June 22 (no camp on Wednesday, June 19) at the San Diego Central Public Library. Katz is the founder of The Peace Train Project and Band and will direct this summer camp at the library. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, International, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Music Review: The Queen is Afire!

Last week, I was both shouting and dancing to the most marvelous violin music. There is a saying that the greatest compliment a Jewish violinist can receive is to say “Your violin really spoke to me.” We must say that to violin maven Alicia Svigals, who is releasing a new CD after more than 20 years. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

The Lion’s Trail: Beit She’an

It was a surreal parallel of reality, courage, and life that refused to give up. The mayors of Beit She’an, Kiryat Shemona, Beit Jann, and the Council Rep from the Golan Regional Council came to join us.  Each of their communities is under attack by Hezbollah.  Each of their communities has a Lion.  Each of their communities determinedly endures. [Jerry Klinger]

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Israel, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Staff and Bylined Contributors

OpEd: The ‘Music’ of Socialism

Why didn’t I become a socialist? Soviet socialism destroyed my family and I could not love it. But it turned out that I disliked socialism for the same reason I did not become a musician: my aunt’s piano also left Kiev.  Instead of using my absolute musical ear for music, I had to use it to listen to the atonal music of wailing, to the unmelodic moans and gloomy chords of the lamentations of the Soviet Jews. [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Antisemitism, International, Israel, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Mandy Patinkin Concert: Controversial for Some; Entertaining for Others

The show was part concert, part stand-up, part story-telling. It was just Patinkin and an accompanist on piano. After spending a bit of time heckling the late comers in the audience, he spent some time singing some songs from Broadway musicals, old Jazz hits, and even a surprising rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”  [Sandi Masori]

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Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Rocking, Rolling and ‘Mothaland Bouncing’ at the JCC

Black manages to integrate Jewish theology, history and culture into his lyrics. The cadence and flow of his music is similar to Jay-Z and Ice-T. He even weaves in some humor. There is a definite gospel vibe. It was spiritually transforming, transporting us out of the tension we in the Jewish community have been living under for eight months. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Israel, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Peter Yarrow

Courtesy of Wikipedia Peter Yarrow (May 31, 1938) is an American singer and songwriter who found fame as a member of the 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary. Yarrow co-wrote (with Leonard Lipton) one of the group’s best-known hits, “Puff, the Magic Dragon”. He is also a political activist and has supported causes that range from opposition

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Jewish Celebrities, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA, Wikipedia

The Yin and Yang of Life’s Transitions

As high school students are graduating and heading off to college, The Israeli American Council (IAC) encourages students to join Mishelanu (Of our own). Mishelanu is a supportive community for college students to celebrate Jewish heritage and love for Israel. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, California, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors