Rabbi David Dery has been a cantor of Jewish prayer his entire life, but Dery’s ear for pop music can be traced to his family history. Derry’s grandfather was a singer for the king of Morocco.
It is his family history that could be attributed when David Dery rocked the world of Jewish cantors by incorporating famous pop tunes into his prayer performances.
Although he has been a cantor his entire life, Rabbi Dery first came up with the idea of mixing secular music into prayers 3 years ago, before a Jewish wedding in Las Vegas. After hearing the classic song ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ by Andrea Brocelli, he used the tune in a wedding ceremony.