Artist: Avi Piamenta

About The Artist:

In 1976, the legendary saxophone player Stan Getz stumbled upon two brothers in Israel – guitarist Yossi and flautist Avi Piamenta. Yossi Piamenta has since been called “The Sefardic Santana and the Hassidic Hendrix”, while Avi can best be described as Ian Anderson with a yarmulke. Getz brought them back to America, and starting in 1981, the brothers produced a few albums of Chassidic wedding music, as well as Jewish music’s first true rock album. Since then, few bands have had as much influence on the Jewish music world as the Piamentas. Their sound is utterly unique – a brilliant mixture of the sounds of America and the Middle East; rock, blues and Chassidic Niggunim; Jimi Hendrix and Ian Anderson meet Jo Amar and MBD. While Diaspora Yeshiva Band and the Megama Duo came before them, and tens of bands came afterwards, the Piamentas will always be known as the #1 in Jewish rock ‘n roll. (bio courtesy of Elie Estrin)

Song: Alei Giv’a – Avi Piamenta

Contribution to: Kav L’Chaim

Alei Giv’a was composed in the style of a shepherd’s song by Nahum Nardi (1901-1977), one of the first and most important composers of Israeli song in the pre-State era. Nardi made aliyah from Russia at the age of 22. Some of his earliest compositions and arrangements were done for Bracha Zefira, who first acquainted him with the Eastern music that so enchanted the Israeli musicians of the yishuv. Avraham Broides, an immigrant from Vilna, is famous as a poet, and wrote lyrics to several songs that continue to be popular. The one-armed hero mentioned in this song is Joseph Trumpeldor, a Russian war hero who was killed (together with six comrades) in 1920 at Tel Hai in the Galilee, while on guard duty. He was well known before the war for his bravery in the Russian army; he became a legend in death when the story circulated that his last words were “It is good to die for our land.”

About Kav L’Chaim

Kav L’Chaim serves children with cancer, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and other conditions. Today Kav L’Chaim operates in ten branches throughout Israel with about 1,500 volunteers in all of the children’s wards in Israeli hospitals, as well as in schools for the handicapped. There is a very broad range of daily activities that bring the children joy and happiness, that give them the strength to continue and cope with their disease or handicap – and they give the children the new concept that sick and handicapped children can do whatever a regular child can do.