Jewish music has enjoyed the cultural diversity of its people for decades. Jewish people who have migrated from all corners of the earth have brought with them the culture, art and music from their origins and have created mash-ups of cultural influences for centuries. In Jewish communities that have a wide spectrum of backgrounds, you are able to find influences like the Jamaican dubstep that influences the Jewish rapper Matisyahu for instance. But you don’t need to look for examples only in the pop world. Synagogues around the world have long been influenced by their members. Tunes and hymns from Yemen are incorporated in prayers. So are tunes from ancient Spain, where a thriving Jewish community was once part of the Spanish empire. Jewish music, just like Jewish culture is always adapting and consuming information from its surroundings. The need to be part of the larger community is visible when you take a closer look at the Jewish artistic heritage.You can spot influences from (at least) decades ago in almost any Jewish song that comes out these days. But Jewish art is also a part of the community’s need to integrate with its surroundings. next time you hear a Jewish song, try to look for these markers that will tell you where the artist drew inspiration from.
