Ancient Jewish Poem Revived in New Musical Performance
The "Chibat Ha'piyut" (Love of Liturgical Poetry) project has released a new musical rendition of "Yihyu Kemotz," a piyut (liturgical poem) composed by Rabbi Israel Najara. The performance features musical direction and qanun playing by Elad Gabbay.
The poem "Yihyu Kemotz" draws inspiration from the sharp prophecies of Isaiah concerning idolatry. Rabbi Israel Najara utilized these powerful words as the basis for his poem, which is noted for its linguistic richness and sophistication. The rendition is performed in the Hijaz maqam.
Joining Gabbay in the performance are Amit Sharon on percussion, Eliyahu Dagan on bouzouki, and Gil Shapira on guitar. Aharon Menahem handled the recording and mixing, while Yaakov Yanai Line was responsible for the filming and direction. The project is managed by Eliyahu Gabbay and Yossi Ohana from the Chiba Center, alongside Ohad Zimran and Tzila Biterman from the Zalman Shazar Center. Zacharia Kozlov is credited with production, and the music video was filmed at the Chiba Center's studio.
