Sabra Sounds

Five years after his last solo release, Pablo Rosenberg has added a new solo effort to record store shelves.

By VIVA SARAH PRESS
pablo disk 88 298 (photo credit: )
pablo disk 88 298
(photo credit: )
PABLO ROSENBERG Khikiti Lach (Base Records/Eyal Robert Productions) Five years after his last solo release, Pablo Rosenberg has added a new solo effort to record store shelves. Khikiti Lach comprises 12 tracks of Mizrahi-Latin-Israeli ballads. The title track is already running on radio play lists. Whereas he made his first real splash with hard rock (as part of the band, Stella Maris), Rosenberg's songs today lack his once signature distortion, guitar solos, and quick riffs. Instead, his new works include a musical blend of instruments in the Mediterranean style. Rosenberg is a middle-of-the-road musician who doesn't present anything unique but tries to ensure that what he offers is good quality. He fails in the lyric department especially on songs "Shafut Shelach" and "Kama Mazal" which contain pathetic texts. For example in "Shafut Shelach," he sings, "I gather your kisses, inoculate your happiness into my blood, swallow your tears, spill your perfume on me..." The song "Al Tidagi Li Ima," which also boasts mediocre lyrics, has won favor with soldiers (it tells of a soldier on guard duty). The Spanish flavored track "Meldita Luna" (with Shlomi Shabat), which was released two years ago and which was penned by Diego Torres and Kezuro Lopez, prevails as one of the album's best numbers. In the music production department, the Argentinean born, Beit She'an bred Rosenberg fares fairly. There's nothing outstanding here, however, there's nothing dire either. On Track 12, "Boee Kvar Habayta," the pace picks up as Nick Miller (from Stella Maris) pitches in with music composition. Other contributing composers include Pero and Jose, and Torres and Lopez. Overall, Rosenberg offers yet another Israeli-Mediterranean compilation to the local musical scene. Maor Cohen sings Charles Baudelaire Les Fleurs du Mal (Flowers of Evil) (NMC/NaNa) Multi talented musician Maor Cohen, once dubbed the "wonder boy of Israeli rock," takes on the challenge of Charles Baudelaire's writings in his latest album, Les Fleurs du Mal. Sderot born Cohen worked on the project for five years. Dori Manor translated Baudelaire's poems into Hebrew, and Peter Roth helped out with music production. Cohen offers the 12 excerpts innovative recitations. He mixes classical music with rock and produces something that not even the scandalous French poet would expect. On a number of the songs, Cohen offers theatrical performances to the dramatic texts ("Hitalut," "Mevo Hadam"). The Satu-Mare philharmonic orchestra of Romania, which backs up Cohen, was conducted by Roth's grandfather, Laslo Roth. The tracks "Haoyev" and "Demdemai Haerev" also remind listeners of Cohen's jazz expertise. Cohen's name will ring familiar to fans of such groups as Hazvuvim, Ziknei Zfat, Tzemed Raot, and Habalyanim. Just as Baudelaire was audacious in his life, Cohen dared to release a compilation of translated 19th century poetry for the contemporary local music market. And he did well.