Ancient message, modern package

Performer brings new life to Jewish music

April 21, 1996
Web posted at: 7:00 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT)

From Correspondent Craig Heaps

BERKELEY, California (CNN) -- Judaism is an ancient religion with a rich musical tradition. In modern times, it faces two problems: finding ways to keep the ancient music alive, and getting young people interested in it. Confronting those challenges has become the life work of musician Bruce Berger, who believes he's found a way to give the old music a modern beat. (170K AIFF sound or 170K WAV sound)

Berger, a music producer and performer in the San Francisco Bay area, created his sound by taking traditional Hebrew songs and updating the melodies. "I was searching for my own sound, you know, and I eventually found it in my roots," he said.

Without Berger's musical update, some of the songs might have faded into history, lost to a new generation. Berger performs the music, which he calls "rebbe soul," in both religious and secular settings.

Chana Pelta is one of his fans. "You don't want to hear all that modern music about sex and drugs and everything that's on the radio," she said. "You can listen to stuff that's very, like, Jewish, but still has a good beat."

Orthodox Rabbi Yosef Langer, also a Berger fan, said he appreciates the intent of Berger's work, which is to wrap an ancient message in a new package.

"The kids of today really want stability, they want roots and identity," Langer said.

Berger's music has begun appearing in record stores around the country. "It's legitimizing it in the same way that music from other cultures is very legitimate. You can hear it on the radio or whatever," Berger said.

Moreover, his music may be setting a trend. "I've noticed that ever since I did this, there are Jewish musicians who are like blues players or whatever, who have started playing some of these things in their gigs," he said.

Berger says he's primarily exploring his cultural roots through his music, but he knows that for many, the music carries religious meaning as well.

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