Reply To: Is Jewish Music “Jewish” Anymore?

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NOYB
Participant

This has been the same complaint for at least hundreds of years. If a person thinks the Yiddishe music they’re listening to is unique and has no relation to goyish music, that usually means they are not familiar with the goyish music that the Yiddishe music is similar to. Sfardi music sounds like Arab music. Chassidishe nigunim sound like military marches and other music popular in the countries and times they are from, and some are even exact copies sung vocally instead of being played on instruments (I once heard someone sing Shalom Aleichem to the tune of Beethoven’s Fur Elise, he swore it was a nigun from I think Belz?). Chazzanus is literally just opera music.

This is not to say that we should freely be listening to goyish music. The above listed styles are currently and were in the past similar to the goyish style, but missing a lot of the negatives. For example, the DJ style music that sounds “no different than what non Jews would listen to” in fact has major differences. Our music has no pritzus, no nivul peh, and is composed of quotes from the torah or chazal. Our music is (mostly) played at events conducted in accordance with halacha.

It is also important to point out that different music is meant for different crowds. If you feel an event/song/singer is too close to the goyish style for you, keep in mind it is likely meant for people who would otherwise be engaging with the FAR worse goyish version.