Hecht Sings in East Village

By COLlive reporter

“When words are simply not enough, we Jews turn to song and poetry. When the pain is unbearable, we Jews turn to actions. When the night is dark, we bring in light.”

So chanted Mendel Jacobson to background violin and keyboards in an extrordinary musical tribute to the Mumbai victims that was held Tuesday night, November 24, in New York City’s East Village.

The evening, titled ‘Remember Mumbai: A Musical Tribute,’ was held at MLC@ 6th in downtown Manhattan — the home of the Meaningful Life Center, headed by Rabbi Simon Jacobson.

The evening, as part of MLC’s Emerging Artists’ series, began with master blues player, Philip Namanworth, who stirred the crowd of over 100 people with his melodies, filled with insightful and witty lyrics.

Namanworth, a singer/songwriter and musical mystic, is a teacher at the MLC and has touched thousands of people with his blend of spirtuality and music.

Also performing was rising star singer/songwriter Moshe Hecht who deeply touched the audience with his eclectic mix of folk-rock-reggae and inspirational tales.

Highlighting Hecht’s musical program was his hit song “Lamplighters,” a musical tribute to Rabbi Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg and all the victims of the Mumbai tragedy.

What made this event especially unique was its original mix between the spoken word and the songs.

Special guest Mendel Jacobson of Crown Heights – a poet and lyrical master – wove a powerful series of rythmic existential lyrics about the evening’s theme and its personal implications, to the background of haunting violin and mystical keyboard.

Coined “An original spoken word experience, mixing, remixing and transfixing rhyme and reason,” Jacobson’s reading punctuated Hecht’s musical offerings, which seamlessly flowed into each other.

The evening also featured Moshe Kravitzky, singing “Fallen Angels,” a trembling musical tribute to the victims.

The power of the evening was captured in its finale, when Hecht roused the crowd to its feet, with his strong and soulful tunes. “The place was rocking. It was so energizing,” said Rochelle Lenchner.