"Vi Iz Dus Geseleh?" Yiddish Song JAY BLACK Vocal

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Americans And Black Blatt Chagall David Holocaust Idish JAY Jewish Marc Shoa Shtetl The Yiddish Yiddishkeit Еврей Идиш
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  • Added: 04-Nov-07

English title: "Where is the village?".
Year 1966
Jay Black, lead singer of the pop group
"Jay and the Americans".
"Where is the Village?" (Vi iz dus geseleh?)
a well known yiddish song.
"In 1966, Jay took a standard yiddish song
and adapted it into a version to demonstrate
his feelings about the Holocaust. After a
long struggle with the record company, he
convinced them to let him record it.
While recording it he worked with Artie
Butler to help him with the arrangement
since Jay comes from an Orthodox Jewish
background. Jay Black who was born David
Blatt is the voice, the creator, and
everything you hear on that vocal.".
A superb interpretation seldom heard in
recordings of this song. I feel he showed
a facet of his personality that's quite
mature for someone in his twenties.
A young man singing about the horrors of
the Holocaust, recorded in a vinyl LP
intended for the teenagers who buy pop/rock.
First half of the song is sung in yiddish,
and the second half of the song in English.
Only one other major jewish vocalist, Steve
Lawrence, included a yiddish song in his
popular repertory, a song titled "Where Can
I Go?", also about the Holocaust period.
Steve Lawrence sang the english lyrics first,
followed by the yiddish lyrics.
Jay Black undertook a higher risk, singing
the yiddish lyrics first. "Where is the
Village?" is a gem of a yiddish song, and
Jay Black's curriculum should indicate
popular vocalist, and yiddish singer.

"Where is the Village?" sung in Yiddish
and English

Paintings by MARC CHAGALL.Born in Vitebsk,
Belarus.( White Russia).
Yiddish lyrics:
Vi iz dus gesele,
Vi iz dos shtib,
Vi iz dos meydele,
Veimen ich kh'hob lieb,
Jot iz dos gesele,
Jot iz dos shtib,
Jot iz dus meydele.
Veimen ich kh'hob lieb,
Jot iz dos gesele,
Jot iz dos shtib,
Jot iz dos meydele,
Veimen ich kh'hob lieb.

la,la,la...........


Bilingual version of VI IZ DUS GESELE by
Jay and the Americans, the pop group from the 1960's made up
of jewish boys. The song titled in english WHERE IS THE VILLAGE?
Vocal by Jay Black ( born David Blatt), lead singer of JAY AND THE AMERICANS.
( VI IZ DUS GESELE) is included in the CD : JAY AND THE AMERICANS: It begins with a poem like intro in english about the
loss of father, mother, sister, brothers and sweetheart ( spoken
or better said recited). The great arrangement is by Artie Butler, who has also
arranged songs for Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand. It is an
excellent presentation of this song. All I can say is
"enjoy, enjoy".
The song is also known as "Vu iz dus geselle" "Vu iz dos gesele" , "Vi iz dus
gesele" "Vi iz dos geseleh" "Vi iz dus gesele" "Vi is dus gessele"...

MARC CHAGALL: (from Wikipedia)
"Marc Chagall (Yiddish: מאַרק שאַגאַל; Russian: Марк Захарович Шага́л; Belarusian: Мойша Захаравіч Шагалаў Mojša Zacharavič Šahałaŭ) (7 July 1887 -- 28 March 1985) was a French painter of Russian-Jewish origin who was born in Belarus, then part of the Russian Empire. Among the celebrated painters of the 20th century, he is associated with the modern movements .
Biography

Marc Chagall was born Moishe Shagal (משה שאגאל - Shagal is a dialectal, North-Eastern Yiddish variant of the surname "Segal", an acronym of סגן לוי Segan Levi, meaning "Assistant Levite"); his name was rendered in the Russian language as Mark Zakharovich Shagalov. Chagall was born in Vitebsk, Russian Empire (now in Belarus), the oldest of nine children in the close-knit Jewish family led by his father, a herring merchant Khatskl (Zakhar) Shagal, and his mother, Feige-Ite. This period of his life, described as happy though impoverished, appears in references throughout Chagall's work."

Jay Black
AKA David Blatt
Born: 2-Nov-1938
Birthplace: New York
Еврей
イディッシュ語
イディッシュ語

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Comments on

"Vi Iz Dus Geseleh?" Yiddish Song JAY BLACK Vocal

15 Comments | Add Comment
  • to albertdiner: ...

    to albertdiner:
    Are you sure the song comes from 1920s?And wtitten by Secunda?! If so...it was 10 years earlier than Russian film "Maxim's Trilogy" by the famous directors Kozinzev & Trauberg, when this song was sung in Russian (see my previous comment) by the hero "proletarian worker" Maxim. What's the source you recommend me to check it out? Thank you.

    By ChapLitsin [Affiliate User] 1215368303 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • I have traced the ...

    I have traced the song as far back as the 1920s to a New York yiddish theatre musical written
    by the great SHOLOM SECUNDA.

    By albertdiner [Affiliate User] 1215335974 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • That's so beautiful ...

    That's so beautiful!!!!
    I loved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    By hadassahart [Affiliate User] 1215322107 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Beauty,tenderness ...

    Beauty,tenderness melody good harmonise with picture Chagall

    By afik1945 [Affiliate User] 1215113054 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • This song appeared ...

    This song appeared in the soviet pre-war film "The Maxim's Youth" (Юность Максима) as
    the Russian song with the lirics well known to all Russians:
    Крутится, вертится шар голубой,
    Крутится, вертится над головой,
    ...............................
    Где эта улица,где этот дом,
    Где эта барышня, что я влюблен?
    .............................. etc.
    So... when the song was born and who's the Autor?!

    By ChapLitsin [Affiliate User] 1213842913 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Ellen, Thank you ...

    Ellen,
    Thank you for your praise. This yiddish song
    was "hidden" away in a pop album of Jay and The Americans, of which Jay Black was the lead
    singer. It has been one of my favorite yiddish
    songs since I heard it. Pity Jay Black did not
    record more yiddish songs. His girlfriend wrote me he still sings the song at his concerts in Westbury, L.I..
    Let's hope that Steve Lawrence will record
    more yiddish songs, along with Eydie.

    By albertdiner [Affiliate User] 1213774063 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Dear Albie: I just ...

    Dear Albie: I just discovered this posting. The blending of the music and art is just amazing!!!!! You've presented your viewers with a splendid gift. iy Thank you so much for all your wonderful contributions. This is what YOUTUBE should be about!

    By devorayael [Affiliate User] 1213745123 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • wonderful!

    wonderful!

    By batlameita [Affiliate User] 1213644038 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • When this song was ...

    When this song was sounded in Russian in the soviet movie about revolution years, nobody new it was an Yudish song. And nobody told or wrote about that. The russian lirics of the song became very popular among soviet people,,,

    By ChapLitsin [Affiliate User] 1213319329 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • sad for others ...

    sad for others who's loved ones are no longer here, to kiss on each cheek when we met , to play with as children, to walk with holing hands skipping along care free, IN OUR STREET,
    going to shul on Saturdays in my BERLIN, MY FATHER WROTE IN LETTER IN 1939 ,IT NEVER GOT THERE AS IN NOVEMBER OF THE SAME YEAR ALL HIS FAMILY MEMBERS WERE NO MORE .NOT ONE SURVIVED
    I WAS NOT EVEN BORN, SAD YES MUCH SADNESS FOR THOUSANDS AND THEY WERE NOT ONLY JEWS LIKE MY DAD !
    ENT THROUGH

    By rnv09 [Affiliate User] 1211549408 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Thank you for the ...

    Thank you for the quick response.The music/video you upload is one of the reasons that I check into YOUTUBE

    By shaya5543 [Affiliate User] 1203915400 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • The song is ...

    The song is included under the english title
    Where's the Village in the following CD:
    Livin Above Your Head / Try Some of This [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [IMPORT]
    Jay & The Americans. Vocal solo by Jay Black

    By albertdiner [Affiliate User] 1203903544 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • I have been trying ...

    I have been trying to find and purchase this beautiful music for a very good friend, who is very deserving .
    If anyone has info please provide.
    I would be ever thankful

    By shaya5543 [Affiliate User] 1203900166 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Pas que je sache. ' ...

    Pas que je sache. 'Tradukoj bonvenaj'(= traductions bienvenues) est une invitation aux visiteurs francophones qui comprennent l'espéranto.

    By bruselo [Affiliate User] 1198975842 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
  • Merci beaucoup pour ...

    Merci beaucoup pour m'envoyer les paroles de
    la chanson en ESPERANTO. Est-ce que la chanson
    a ete traduit en francais ?

    By albertdiner [Affiliate User] 1198973772 Reply Spam Moderate Up Moderate Down
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