Veteran singer-songwriter and ensemble leader Shlomo Gronikh has been on something of a spiritual odyssey for some years now.
By BARRY DAVISshlomo 88(photo credit: )
Veteran singer-songwriter and ensemble leader Shlomo Gronikh has been on something of a spiritual odyssey for some years now. His repertoire increasingly includes material with a clearly traditional Jewish nature, supplementing the canon of Ethnic fusion and pop hits he's been developing for the last thirty plus years.
So, it comes as no surprise to learn that Gronikh's forthcoming show at Jerusalem's Bible Lands Museum (Wednesday at 9 p.m.) is based on a program of new, Biblically inspired compositions. The repertoire covers almost every ethical base going, and Gronikh describes it as "based on a wide spectrum of themes: justice, righteousness, integrity, man and his identity, love songs and prayers."
According to Gronikh, despite making his name for his mostly high-energy pop output, he has never strayed far from his religious and cultural roots. "Throughout my lifetime I have composed music with Biblical themes. Since my bar mitzva, I have felt a special connection to the Bible. My life has been paved with clues and signs leading towards the well of music that has now burst forth from my soul in the form of New Biblical Music - ancient emotional texts in modern garments."
Gronikh's new accompaniment arrangements for Biblical texts include new interpretations of Jewish melodies, traditional and contemporary nigunim, and world and soul music. The instrumentation will be particularly rich - with Gronikh on piano and shofar and Erez Monk on percussion, with the pair backed by the Jerusalem String Quartet.
As the concert will take place outdoors, warm clothing is recommended. Tickets range between NIS 100 and NIS 85, with discounts available for students and soldiers. For more information, the Bible Lands Museum can be reached at www.blmj.org or (02) 561-1066.
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