Artist:Pink Martini
Song:Ocho Kandelikas (Eight Little Candles)
Album:Joy to the World
With the holiday season upon us, I feature occasional Christmas songs. But I have never featured a Hanukkah song...until today. Pink Martini is a vocal group that mixes jazz and other musical styles. They included a couple of Hanukkah songs on their 2010 Christmas album Joy to the World. Pink Martini is led by pianist Thomas Lauderdale. He was a political fundraiser in his hometown of Portland. He thought the music on political fundraisers was boring. He formed Pink Martini to solve that problem. He called his Harvard classmate China Forbes to be lead singer. Storm Lange is the other lead singer. She was on the reality show Rock Star: Supernova. She joined Pink Martini in 2013. They have been recording since 1997 on their own label. I would describe Pink Martini's music as jazz. But it has other elements like classical and rock. Lauderdale wants to make diverse music. Ocho Kandelikas is from the 2010 album Joy to the World. It is a Christmas album. But Ocho Kandelikas is one of two Hanukkah songs on the album. It is the best known song written by Bosnian folksinger Flory Jagoda. Idina Menzel is among those who have recorded the song. It was written in Ladino which is a mix of Spanish and Hebrew. Lauderdale gives the song a Latin vibe. The guest singer is Ari Shapiro, one of the hosts of NPR's All Things Considered. He specializes in singing in foreign languages. Also on this album is a Japanese version of White Christmas. Joy to the World is available as budget CD. Their latest album was released in 2018. But according to their Facebook page, new music is on the way. And Pink Martini is touring again. So check them out if they are coming your way. Here's Pink Martini featuring Ari Shapiro, China Forbes, Storm Lange and Cantor Ida Rae Cahana performing Ocho Kandelikas on the NPR holiday special Joy to the World: A Holiday Spectacular at OPB Studios in Portland Dec. 2015.
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