About The Artist:

Yossi Piamenta is often called the Hasidic Hendrix. As a young secular Israeli prog-rock electric guitar player, Yosi was brought to the United States by saxophone legend Stan Getz in the mid-seventies to record some of his original music, after a chance meeting in Jerusalem. A spiritual reconnection with their Jewish roots led brothers Yossi and flutist brother Avi Piamenta to settle in Brooklyn NY, focusing the Piamenta Band’s energies towards to a traditional Jewish audience. Yossi is joined by his brother Avi on flute and vocals; Greg Wall, soprano sax; Dave Richards,bass; Nir Zidkyahu, drums.

Song: Shedemati

Contribution to: Chai Lifeline – Camp Simcha

Yedidyah Admon (1894 – 1985) was born in Russia, but arrived in the Yishuv at the age of 12. He was a member of the first graduating class of the Jerusalem Teacher’s Seminary (1913), where he studied with the great Jewish ethnomusicologist, Abraham Zevi Idelsohn. Admon was much influenced by his teacher, and by his exposure to the Arab and Bedouin songs he heard around him. Much of Admon’s music bears the exotic flavor of these Eastern communities. Shedemati, written in 1927, also bears the exotic, and somewhat esoteric poetry of Yitzchak Shenhar. Interestingly, the correct Hebrew pronunciation of the song’s title (and first word) should have been “shad’mati,” but the song became popular despite this grammatical error, and in spite of the rhythmic and melodic irregularity that make it difficult to learn, but equally difficult to forget.

About Chai Lifeline – Camp Simcha

In 1986, Chai Lifeline began with its pilot program, a summer camp for children suffering from cancer, known as Camp Simcha. The camp provided resources, staff and an environment exactly tailored to suit the special needs of these sick kids. Today, Chai Lifeline addresses the full spectrum of needs, from logistical to social, recreational to psychological. Chai Lifeline reaches out not only to patients, but also to parents, siblings, classmates, school faculty, and the community as well. When families feel alone and overwhelmed, Chai Lifeline extends a helping hand, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on – fighting illness with love.