Celebrity Grapevine

Mosh Ben-Ari won over the hearts of some 400 Muslims in Toronto with a series of Israeli rhythmic melodies.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
moshe ben ari disk 88 29 (photo credit: )
moshe ben ari disk 88 29
(photo credit: )
IT SEEMS that whenever a great writer or composer dies, the people with access to his or her estate discover a treasure trove of unpublished works. This was also the case with one of Israel's most beloved composers, lyricists and pianists, Polish-born Israel Prize laureate Moshe Wilensky. He composed extensively for the IDF and had more than a thousand songs to his credit. Most famous Israeli singers have performed songs by Wilensky, who died in 1997 at age 87. And now some new songs are being dug out of the attic. Among the singers who frequently performed alongside Wilensky was Tzipi Zarenkin, who several years after his death discovered some 40 unpublished melodies that Wilensky had composed - some to the lyrics of well-known songwriters. Two years ago, at a memorial tribute to Wilensky, Zarenkin met his widow Bertha, who told her that she had donated all of her husband's works to the National Library at the Hebrew University. The bequest had included pieces that had never been performed. Zarenkin went to the library on an exploratory musical mission, and together with arranger Rafi Kadishman selected eight songs, which will be performed by Zarenkin and Eli Gorenstein to Kadishman's piano accompaniment at a nostalgic concert. The event is scheduled for July 28 at the Voice of Music Festival at Kfar Blum. IT STANDS to reason that any time that Rita or Rami Kleinstein is seen in the company of someone of the opposite sex, some rumor about a new romance starts floating around. That's what is happening right now with regard to Rami and former Miss World Linor Abergil, whose highly publicized romance and subsequent marriage to Lithuanian basketball star Sarunas Jasikevicius had a relatively short shelf life. After making a successful career for herself as a model and actress, Abergil is now trying her luck as a singer and recorded her first song with Kleinstein last week. Though each has strenuously denied that there's anything more than a professional relationship between them, tongues are wagging. "MUSIC HATH charms to soothe the savage breast," wrote British playwright and poet William Congreve in his play The Mourning Bride in 1697. The sentiment sounds trite, but it still holds true. Israeli vocalist and guitarist Mosh Ben-Ari discovered this last week when performing in Toronto in front of an audience of 400 young Muslims from Somalia and Afghanistan at the request of Israeli Consul Amir Gissin, who is trying to bridge cultural gaps by bringing Israeli entertainers to audiences unfamiliar with Israeli culture. Ben-Ari captivated the audience with a series of Israeli rhythmic melodies to which the youngsters enthusiastically clapped their hands and tapped their feet. And after the concert, they crowded him in the same manner that teeny boppers crowd any pop star. FOREIGN EMBASSIES are jostling to bring their cultures to Israel. Much of the wrangling is happening at the Israel Festival, but it's going on outside the festival, too. Polish Ambassador Agnieszka Magdziak-Miszewska has gotten an overdose of her country's culture this year, celebrating Polish Culture in Israel. It may continue next year, too, during the centenary celebrations of Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, it is not yet certain whether she will be attending the Polish production of Isaac Bashevis Singer's The Magician of Lublin, which will be produced in Israel under the auspices of Yiddishpiel. Like his Polish colleague, Australian Ambassador James Larsen has also discovered the difficulty of being in two places at the one time. While the Australian Embassy is supporting a performance by Australian cellist Li-Wei at Ein Kerem in Jerusalem on July 2, Larsen (who was in Jerusalem for the opening of the Australian Film Festival last week) will not be able to attend the cello recital because he will be attending the Tel Aviv opening of the Australian Film Festival. However, the embassy will be represented by Third Secretary and Cultural Attache Alison Drury. ISRAELI ACTRESS Moran Attias has won what she considers to be the chance of a lifetime. Attias, who is currently in Hollywood, has been selected to play in a 13-part television series based on the award-winning movie Crash. It will star veteran actor Dennis Hopper, who has been typecast as mean and somewhat unhinged.