November 12th, 2022 – Shabbat is almost here!
And today we will listen to a mysterious Tunisian singer: Bishi Slâma. Any tips about his biography will be very welcomed!
Hello, how are you? I hope well. Today, when this email is being sent, I am at home. No travelling today, as I have to leave soon to the hospital for a little surgery, that is continuation of the process for which I missed the MBS of July 29th. The operation of today has been planned, not like that one that was urgent, and tomorrow I will be at home again.
Let’s enjoy the music, no matter where. Today I bring you a wonderful recording by a singer about whom I only know that he is a Jewish man from Tunisia. I found the recording at the Youtube and I bought the CD, hoping to find some biographic data about him, as there was nothing at the Internet about him. But no. In the CD there are 4 artists about whom there is no info at all and this man, Bishi Slâma, is one of them.
I have asked the author of the notes of the CD, Gérard Bar-David, as friend on Facebook, in order to ask him. If I got any info, I will update you. In the meantime, let’s just learn a little bit about the Jews in Tunisia. In another MBS I will come back to this country, with another artist included in this album, about whom there is available more information.
Then, please, spread the word.
 |
Share this with a friend, right from here |
About how the Jews arrived to Tunisia
From the notes of the album of which I speak below:
“According to the legend, when the Emperor Nabuchodonosor seized Jerusalem and set fire to the Salomon Temple in 586 B.C., Cohanim priests escaped slavery in Babylon by crossing the Mediterranean Sea in a straight line, which led them to the island of Djerba in Tunisia. There, they built the first Ghriba synagogue and it is said that in its vault they inserted some of the original Temple stones, which they had taken with them in their flight.”
Later in time, in the XV century, Sephardic Jews settled in Tunisia after been expelled from Spain. In the XVIII century, Grana Jews from Livorno crossed the sea and settled in Tunisia too.
“The successive immigrant generations blended with the local culture and music and songs in Arabic merrily puntctuated such celebrations as brith milah (circumcision), bar mitzvahs and weddings. […] Singing was forbidden to Muslim women, therefore the greatest female singers could only be Jewish”.
About the piece
The piece is included in the album Chanteurs juifs de Tunisie, Patrimoine Musical, released by the very interesting French record label MLP in 2013. It is one of three albums dedicated to Jewish singers from North Africa: Algeria and Morocco complete the trio.
From the blessed Discogs website I learn that Khoz Ed Dibliz means “take your bracelet”.
It’s time to enjoy the music:
Click the picture to listen to Khoz Ed Dibliz by Bishi Slâma:
|
Share this with a friend, right from here |