Shlomit & RebbeSoul
OriginIsrael/New York
Genres
Years active2011 (2011)–present
MembersShlomit Levi
RebbeSoul
Websiteshlomit-rebbesoul.com

Shlomit & RebbeSoul is an Israeli-American world music duo, consisting of Yemeni-Israeli singer Shlomit Levi and American musician RebbeSoul (Bruce Burger). Formed in 2011, they released their debut album, The Seal of Solomon, in 2015.

History

Prior to collaborating, Shlomit Levi, an Israeli vocalist of Yemenite Jewish descent, had performed with the metal band Orphaned Land as well as singer-songwriter Boaz Sharabi.[1] Meanwhile, Bruce "RebbeSoul" Burger, a successful solo artist in America since the early 1990s, moved to the Israeli town of Zikhron Ya'akov in 2007;[2] there, he was a guitarist for the band Hamakor,[3][4] and his 2010 album From Another World found success on Israeli radio.[2] Levi and Burger were introduced in 2011 by Yedidia Snir, a business manager Burger had been consulting for his Israeli music career, and the two began performing together.[2][1] Over the next few years, they toured in Israel and New York, including a show at Nazareth College in upstate New York, with a band that included Orpahned Land drummer Matan Shmuely.[2][5] They also collaborated with photographer Dina Bova on promotional artwork, which incorporated classic Yemenite henna designs.[2]

Shlomit & RebbeSoul's debut album, The Seal of Solomon, was released independently on February 10, 2015, with cover art by Bova.[1][6] Later in the year, the duo performed at Baronita in Zikhron Ya'akov[5] as well as a series of concerts in Northeastern New Jersey.[1] Elsewhere, Burger produced several songs for Christian Arab oud player George Simaan, including a version of "Erev Shel Shoshanim" with Levi on vocals.[1]

After a period of inactivity, in 2019 the group released a new single, "YemenaY YaY". In April 2021, they released the single and music video "Bereishit (Genesis)"; drawing from artist Yael Kanarek's Toratah project, the song uses a regendered Hebrew and English version of the opening text of Genesis that uses feminine pronouns for God.[7][8]

Musical style

The music of Shlomit & RebbeSoul combines traditional Jewish and Yemenite music with rock, folk, electronica, and world music,[2][5][8] with Levi singing in Hebrew, English, Arabic, Yemenite and Aramaic.[5] Their repertoire includes both songs from the Ashkenazi Jewish canon, such as "Avinu Malkeinu", and traditional Yemenite songs like "Abdah", a Yemenite wedding song.[8][2] Levi's embrace of Yemenite music was inspired by Ofra Haza,[1] and her vocals were described by Lior Phillips of The Jerusalem Post as "ruminative, unburdening, sometimes startlingly unguarded",[5] while Burger's rock guitar playing has influences of Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Martin Barre, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Steely Dan, and Shlomo Carlebach.[5][2] They have also cited Israeli musician Idan Raichel as an artist who similarly combines the music of various cultures.[2]

Discography

Studio albums

  • The Seal of Solomon (2015)

Singles

Year Song Album Ref
2011 "Spirit (Ruchi)" The Seal of Solomon [9]
"Two Suns" [10]
2012 "Abdah Bilagual" [11]
"Avinu Malkeinu" [12]
2015 "Galbi" [13]
2019 "YemenaY YaY" non-album single
2021 "Bereishit (Genesis)"

Music videos

Year Song Director Ref
2012 "Abdah Bilagual" Michael Cohen [11]
"Avinu Malkeinu" [12]
2015 "Galbi" (lyric video) [13]
2021 "Bereishit (Genesis)" Nitsan Tal [14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Larry Yudelson (April 24, 2015). "Connecting through music". The Jewish Standard. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Maurice Picow (May 3, 2012). "A 'rebbe' with soul". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 5 February 2016. Archived at group's website
  3. ↑ Roth, Paula (Jun 26, 2008). "The source of häMAKOR -- it's all in the family". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  4. ↑ Roth, Matthue (May 19, 2009). "Salute to Israel Parade: An Interview with Hamakor". MyJewishLearning.com. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Phillips, Lior (April 6, 2015). "Musical soul twins". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
  6. ↑ Shlomit & RebbeSoul - The Seal Of Solomon, Discogs, retrieved 2023-02-06
  7. ↑ Yudelson, Larry (April 21, 2021). "Creating a regendered Torah". The Jewish Standard. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
  8. 1 2 3 Abusch-Magder, Ruth (2021-12-07). "Yemenite Tradition Meets Musical Soul". Be'chol Lashon. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
  9. ↑ Levi, Shlomit (Oct 29, 2011). Spirit (Ruchi) - Shlomit levi & Rebbesoul - Jewish Music, World Music – via YouTube.
  10. ↑ Levi, Shlomit (Oct 30, 2011). Two Suns - Shlomit & RebbeSoul - Oriental World Music – via YouTube.
  11. 1 2 Levi, Shlomit (Jul 24, 2012). Abdah Bilagual-Shlomit & RebbeSoul - Yemenite wedding song - Shlomit Levi ceremony – via YouTube.
  12. 1 2 Levi, Shlomit (Sep 20, 2012). Avinu Malkeinu - Rebbesoul & Shlomit Levi אבינו מלכנו שלומית לוי ורביסול – via YouTube.
  13. 1 2 Levi, Shlomit (Nov 16, 2015). Galbi - Lyrics Video - Shlomit Levi & RebbeSoul – via YouTube.
  14. ↑ Levi, Shlomit (March 8, 2021). Shlomit Levi & RebbeSoul- Bereshit (Genesis) From the Regendered Bible By Yael Kanrek* – via YouTube.
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