Jewish weddings in North Carolina: Live music for ceremony and reception

Here are mp3 samples of our Jewish music: (use scroll bar to access more)

Mappamundi has been playing Jewish events since 1994. You can hire 2-3 of us for your ceremony, or all of us for your reception. We have a huge repertoire of Yiddish songs, klezmer tunes for dancing, Hebrew lovesongs, folksongs, and prayers, and Israeli folkdances - plus a sprinkling of Sephardic songs (in Ladino).

We play lots of other kinds of music, too. Hear our samples of swing and folk.

Hire two of us for a small, quiet event, or up to five for a big occasion. We're friendly, smart, patient, and accommodating.

Pianist Aviva Enoch also works with us. Jane Peppler and Aviva Enoch recently issued a recording of Yiddish songs (including the famous "Yidishe Khasene") and perform Yiddish songs and klezmer dance tunes, Israeli songs and dances, and swing music for cocktail hour and dancing. For more: Jane Peppler and Aviva Enoch, NC musicians for weddings and parties

The album is called "I Can't Complain but sometimes I still do" and will be available at Skylark Productions starting October 17, 2010.

Mappamundi is Ken Bloom (who's played in klezmer bands since before his own bar mitzvah, on clarinet, guitar, domro, balalaika, bandura -lap wire-strung harp from the Ukraine, bouzouki, and more); Jane Peppler (vocals, fiddle, viola, concertina, piano, she's former music director of the cantor corps at Temple Judea Reform Congregation in Durham and conductor of the Triangle Jewish Chorale for fourteen years, she's studied Yiddish and performed at the Medem Bibliotheque in Paris and with Sheva Zucker in NC); Jim Baird (bass, guitar, trombone); and Beth Holmgren (voice, piano, percussion). See bios of Mappamundi "and friends".

• You wouldn't serve canned food - you shouldn't serve canned music. Real musicians add energy to an event.

  Simkhes - joyous celebrations - eynem orem oder raykh (whether rich or poor), have always been marked by the presence of live musicians.

• Local rabbis are on a campaign to have more meaningful music played at simchas, and to bring a stronger Jewish flavor to the events.

• Unlike many traditional klezmer bands, Mappamundi plays not just traditional Israeli and Yiddish songs and instrumentals, but also a variety of music from other ethnic traditions and heritages.

Special Jewish Wedding traditions we've been part of:

• We've taught a nigun (wordless tune) to assembled guests who hummed and sang it as the wedding party came in.

• We've played riotous music after the signing of the Ketubah and led the bride and groom down to the ceremony site.

• Following the ketubah signing, the khosn-kale (bride and groom) sometimes park themselves in separate areas with their friends, each group with a musician or two.

  There are lovely slow tunes for the kale bazetsn (the seating of the bride).

  The groom's group eventually heads towards the bride's hangout; she and her companions hear the approaching parade of musicions leading the groom and his men to her.

  The groom puts the veil over the bride's face (the bedekn) and the band leads the guests to the chupa.

  (More commonly, the band sits near the chupa playing an instrumental prelude period as the guests arrive.

• A song like "Dodi Li," "Erev Shel Shoshanim," or "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" is often requested for the bride's entrance. Sometimes the bride circles the groom seven times; the seven blessings can be chanted, or there can be the accompaniment of a slow hora.

• Songs or tunes with special significance to the couple are sometimes included in the ceremony.

• The glass is crushed, the crowd shouts "L'chaim!" and wee strike up a high-energy, joyous instrumental as people file away.

• At some weddings, in the reception area the band strikes up the traditional Od Yishoma melody to announce the entrance of the bride and groom.

  At some point the two are lifted on chairs to dance in the air as others dance around them... the chair dance is always popular but be sure your friends are steady on their feet!

  First dances are often relatively slow so everybody, old and young, may fulfill the mitsvah of rejoicing with the bride and groom. Then freylekhs begin, lively dances, and perhaps a mekhutonim tants (dance with in-laws and other family members)

• Music for the reception: background music, dance music (folk dancers, waltzers, and ballroom dancers can be accommodated), wedding songs, requests, miscellaneous delights.

• Folk dances include Israeli horas (Hava Nagila is NOT the only one!) and popular folk dances like Mayim and Ma Navu.

  Sometimes the bride's friends dance in one line, the groom's friends in another, and they then weave their lines together.

You can also read about how I got interested in Yiddish.