EZUZ is a Philly ensemble playing Jewish world music with a beat. Rooted in ancient Jewish text, the rhythmic music of EZUZ traverses Middle Eastern, North American, Klezmer, Spanish, and South American styles -- with lyrics in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, and Ladino. "EZUZ" means "POWER" -- The Hebrew word is comprised of two words meaning "strength" and "move!". EZUZ moves audiences to sing, dance, clap, and participate in the joy of music and universal spirit! EZUZ ALBUM TRACKS 1. HALLELI Lyrics (Hebrew) Psalm 146. Music and lyric adaptation: Jessi Roemer. Halleli nafshi et El Ro'i Ahalelah Adoshem b'chayai Azamerah l'Elokai b'odi My soul praises The God Who Sees Me I will praise God with my life, all my life I will sing to my God with all of my being, as long as I exist In this adapted version of this psalm, the name for God, YHVH, is replaced by the name given to God by Hagar, Abraham's second wife and the mother of his eldest son. When Hagar and her son are cast out of their home by Sarah (Abraham's first wife), God saves them from dying of thirst in the desert. Hagar names God "El Ro'i," "The God Who Sees Me" (Genesis 16:13). This psalm, written centuries later by Israelites in Babylonian exile, is re-imagined in this piece as being sung centuries earlier by Hagar as she wanders the desert, in exile from Abraham's house. 2. IMAHOT Lyrics (Hebrew, Yiddish) : Jessi Roemer and Psalms. Music: Jessi Roemer. Aman, aman, Sarah bat Sarai malchina et shirei chalomotai Ba'emtza ha laila, imenu Sarah mitganevet el michutz la'ohel lehitpalel la'levanah: Esa einai el he-harim Meyayin yavo ezri? Aman aman, Shoshana bas Raizl Zing zhe mir fun glikt und mazl Ba'or haboker, imi Shoshana panta el hashemesh v'lahesha bracha: Ma tovim, tovim u'yafim Ma tovim hachayim! Sarah, born of Sarai, composes the songs of my dreams In the middle of the night our mother Sarah slips from her tent to pray to the Moon: I lift my eyes unto the mountains From where will my help come? Shoshana, born of Raizl, sing to me of joy and good fortune! In the light of the morning my mother Shoshana turned toward the sun and whispered a blessing: How good and how beautiful is life! Imahot (Mothers), conjures two mothers: The first is the biblical Sarah, who left her Moon-worshipping family to follow Abraham on his Divinely-inspired quest for a new land. Originally named Sarai, Sarah is re-named Sarah ("Princess") in a moment of spiritual re-birth; this piece describes Sarah as having been born of Sarai. Written in Hebrew, the language of the Torah, the first verse imagines Sarah in the desert, stealing out at night to pray to the God of her ancestors, the Moon. In this piece, Sarah says the first lines of Psalm 121 (I lift up my eyes ... from where will my help come?) in her own private moment of prayer. The second verse is about my mother, Susan Rhea Kalb Roemer z"l, whose Hebrew name, Shoshana, had the same meaning as her mother's name, Raizl (Rose). In this verse, Shoshana turns her face toward the sun that she loved, and exclaims, as she often did, that life is good and beautiful! The first half of this verse is written in Yiddish, which my mother grew up hearing in her Russian and the Polish family. The second half, containing the blessing, is written in Hebrew, the language of Jewish blessings. 3. SEIJ ANOS Lyrics (Ladino) : Leviticus 25:3. Music: Jessi Roemer. Seij anos sembraras sembraras la tierra Seij anos podaras podaras tu vinya Pero el septimo anyo la tierra tendra completo descanso para El Dio For six years, till the land For six years, prune your vineyards But the seventh year is for the land a complete rest for God Using the ancient language of the Psalms, this piece was composed just before the beginning of a year of shmita (Sabbath year for the land). It is a potent reminder in our time to use our resources with care, and to allow everything on Earth a regular opportunity to rest and regenerate. 4. SHEMESH V'YAREACH Lyrics (Hebrew) : Psalm 148. Music: Jessi Roemer Halleluyah! (8x) Min hashamayim: Halleluyah Bamromim: Halleluyah Kol malachav: Halleluyah V'kol tzva'av: Halleluyah Halleluyah! (8x) Shemesh v'yareach halleluhu Shemesh v'yareach, kol kochavei or! Halleluyah (praise Yah)! From the heavens: Halleluyah On the heights: Halleluyah All Yah's angels: Halleluyah And all Yah's minions: Halleluyah Halleluyah! Sun and moon praise Yah Sun and moon, and all the stars of light! The basic rhythm in this piece - called Ayoub (Job) in Arabic - is an ancient rhythm that is common to many cultures throughout the world, from the Middle East to Africa to the Caribbean. The instrumentation celebrates this commonality of cultures by combining musical styles from these different countries and continents to express this psalm's universal theme of praise. 5. PSALM 101 Lyrics (Hebrew) : Psalm 101. Music: Jessi Roemer Hesed u'mishpat ashira lecha, Adoshem azamera Askila baderech tamim matai tavo eilai Ethalech b'tom levavi b'kerev beiti (2x) Ra' lo 'eda (8x) Of lovingkindness and justice I will sing to you, God, I will sing I will try to walk the simple path when it comes to me in the domain of my house I will not know evil This emotional Middle Eastern setting of the psalm expresses the work involved in walking a path of integrity; sometimes the biggest challenge can be to act with justice and kindness within one's own home. The last four lines of the text could also suggest that we extend the notion of our own house beyond the physical walls, and behave with kindness toward everyone. The clarinet solo references the Jewish folk tune "Et Dodim," whose sensual words of love are taken from the Song of Songs. 6. OR (LIGHT) Lyrics (Hebrew & English): Jessi Roemer, Genesis 1:3-4. Music: Jessi Roemer. Or, vahehi or vayara she ha'or hu tov v' hevdeil bein or u'vein chosech Or, she yihiyeh or she yihiyeh or, she yihiyeh or Or, vayehi or, And You saw the light was good, and divided light away from darkness Or, she yihiyeh or she yihiyeh or, she yihiyeh or Or zoreach ad she ein al ma l'hitpalel Or aleinu v'al kol yoshvei, yoshvei teivel Or, she yihiyeh or she yihiyeh or, she yihiyeh or Or, t'ni lanu or Please see the light is good, and shine some light into the darkness Or, she yihiyeh or she yihiyeh or, she yihiyeh or Light that shines on us till there is nothing left to pray for Light that shines on all the creatures that this world was made for Or, she yihiyeh or she yihiyeh or, she yihiyeh or In our cities and in our forests and on our streets and in our gardens and in our lifetimes and in our coal mines and in our prisons and on our children Light that shines on us till there is nothing left to pray for Light that shines on all the creatures that this world was made for Or, she yihiyeh or she yihiyeh or, she yihiyeh or ... The song is an extended prayer that begins with the biblical creation of light and telescopes out over several places in our modern world, returning repeatedly to the plea - made in modern Hebrew to a female God - "She yihiyeh or," "Let there be light." The prayer is also a call to action: If we want to make the world safer for our children, we need to bring light everywhere, including to the darkest places. Ancient Middle Eastern text and modern commentary find expression here in a North American folk/pop musical setting. 7. HINENI Lyrics (Hebrew & English) : Torah and Jessi Roemer. Music: Jessi Roemer. Hineni, yom va'laila (Here I am, day and night) Hineni (Here I am) Ooo Hineni, here I am Hineni every day Hineni here I, -neni here I, -neni here I am! A celebration of the act of showing up! The biblical term Hineni means, "Here I am, fully: Mind, body, and spirit!" 8. AHAVAT OLAM Lyrics (Hebrew) : Liturgy. Music: Jessi Roemer. Ahavat olam Ahavat olam beit Yisrael amcha ahavta Torah u'mitzvot, chukim u'mishpatim otanu limadeta Al ken Adoshem Elokeinu b'shochveinu uv'kumeinu Nasiach b'chukecha venismach b'divrei Toratecha umitzvotecha l'olam va'ed, l'olam va'ed Ahavat Olam Ki hem chayeinu v'orech yameinu U'v'hem nehegeh yomam valaila yomam valaila V'ahavatch lo tasur mimenu l'olamim Baruch ata, Adoshem, ohev amo Yisrael v'kol yoshvei teivel (2x) Ahavat olam (2x) Eternal love for the House of Israel You have loved your people Torah and righteous deeds, rules and laws you have taught us. You are our YHVH, our God, as we lie down and as we rise. We'll speak of your laws and be happy in the words of your Torah and righteous deeds Forever. Because these (laws) are our life and the length of our days And we will inhabit them day and night Don't ever take your love from us Blessed are you, Yah, who loves Yah's people. 9. ELIYAHU Lyrics: Liturgy & Jessi Roemer. Music: Jessi Roemer Eliyahu hanavi, Eliyahu ha Tishbi Eliyahu hagiladi, aifo Eliyahu? Eliyahu hanavi, Eliyahu ha Tishbi Eliyahu hagiladi, aifo Eliyahu? Ay yay ... Eliyahu hanavi, Eliyahu ha Tishbi Eliyahu hagiladi, aifo Eliyahu? Eliyahu balibi, Eliyahu barashi, Eliyahu banishmati -- hiney Eliyahu! Ay yay ... Eliyahu the prophet, Eliyahu from Tishbeh Eliyahu from Gilad, where is Eliyahu? Eliyahu is in my heart, Eliyahu is in my head, Eliyahu is in my soul -- Eliyahu is here! In Jewish tradition, the appearance of the prophet Eliyahu is the harbinger of the coming of the Messiah. Traditional epithetical descriptions of him emphasize his humble origins, implying that he was a man of the people. This piece posits the possibility that each of us has Eliyahu within, and thus has the potential to bring about a Messianic age in which everyone is safe, fed, and at peace. The musical patterns here span continents - from the Middle East through Eastern Europe to South America - as the Jews have spanned these places throughout history. 10. KADOSH (HOLY) Lyrics: Liturgy & Jessi Roemer. Music: Jessi Roemer. Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh (2x) This whole world holy, Kadosh Kadosh (2x) Kulam k'echad call out together as one Kulam k'echad answer together as one Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh (2x) This whole world holy, Kadosh Kadosh (2x) Kulam k'echad breathe together as one Kulam k'echad can live together as one Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh (2x) This whole world holy, Kadosh Kadosh (2x) This sunlight holy, Kadosh Kadosh This water holy, Kadosh Kadosh This earth is holy, Kadosh Kadosh Make my hands holy, Kadosh Kadosh This piece elaborates on a central repetition (Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh) from the central prayer of Jewish liturgy (the Amidah), which emphasizes God's holiness. The original lyrics ask us to stop for a moment and try to envision the whole world and everything in it as holy. How would that affect how each of us walks through the world? The EZUZ ensemble is a multi-talented group of musicians from North American, Eastern and Western European, Lebanese, Armenian, South American, and African-American lineages. EZUZ members have played with such esteemed musicians as Zakir Hussein, Simon Shaheen, Yair Dalal, and Ohad "Udi" Bar David, George Clinton, Robert Walters 20th Congress, MOFRO, Martin and Wood, The Delaware Symphony, Vile Tyrant and the Middle Men, African dance troupes in Sweden, Jazz quartets in France, Tango quintets at Lincoln Center in NYC, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, and a hard rock rap group at in Austin, TX, to name a few. EZUZ has played in concert venues, art spaces, synagogues, churches, cultural centers, and at festivals including Limmud Philly, The POWER Music Festival, Yardley Interfaith Music Concert Series, The Cannery, L'Etage, Crossroads World Music Series, Rittenhouse Soundworks Arts Space, and the Jewish Folk Arts Festival of Washington, D.C. For information and bookings, contact jessiroemer@gmail.com.