The Legacy of Jo Amar: Moroccan Paytan and Israeli Pop Star

For the month of July, Sephardi Ideas Monthly returns to the world of piyyut: Sephardi liturgical poetry and (soul) music. Recent essays explored Andalusian-Moroccan piyyut in its Moroccan context (read April’s “‘Berber’ Beginnings to Moroccan Piyyut” and May’s “In Search of Matrouz”). Now, we will examine the legacy of Jo Amar, a figure who played a pivotal role in making Andalusian-Moroccan music part of the soundscape of modern Israel.

Jo Amar in 1975 (Photo courtesy of The New York Times)

Jo Amar in 1975 (Photo courtesy of The New York Times) Jo Amar

Jo Amar (1930-2009) was one of the premier Moroccan-Jewish vocalists of the 20th century, and he remains a cultural icon in Israel today. After making aliyah in 1956, Amar became famous for his stunning vocal range and for writing Hebrew-language songs (sacred and secular) in an Andalusian-Moroccan mode, from a new melody to Shlomo Ibn Gabirol’s 11th century piyyut, Shalom La’ven Dodi (“Peace to You, my Beloved”), to more worldly tunes such as Shir HaShikur  (“The Drunkard’s Song”), Lishkat HaAvoda (“The Employment Office”) (sung in both Hebrew and Arabic), and O, Barcelona.  

Amar’s iconic stature, however, isn’t merely a function of his vocal acrobatics. Often referred to as the father of Mizrahi music (a genre of popular Israeli music that combines North African, Arab, and Western elements), Amar also came to represent the initial marginalization of Mizrahi music, and Mizrahim more generally, within Israeli society. Only fourteen years after arriving he left the country to pursue a music career in America, and the conventional explanation is that, thanks to being ignored by ‘the establishment,’ Amar could’t make a living in Israel. Amar moved back to the country in the late 1980s.

To answer the first question, Shalev turns to two figures: Rami Danoch, guitarist for Tzlilei HaOud (“Sounds of the Oud”), one of the pioneering Mizrahi bands, and Professor Edwin Seroussi of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Danoch unequivocally sees Amar as the father of Mizrahi music: “People adored every song that Amar performed… there was no one else out there waging that battle. He was the only singer who performed Mediterranean songs.” According to Seroussi, however, “In recent years, a myth developed that Jo Amar was the great pioneer—the founder, if you will—of Mizrahi music. Sorry, I don’t buy it. He was a wonderful singer and he played a significant role in opening Israeli ears to Mizrahi songs. However, he was by no means the only pioneer in that field.” 
 

As for the notion that Amar was a great payytan, Seroussi likewise argues, “It is widely claimed that he was a great payytan… but that is simply untrue… I interviewed him about a year ago and he explicitly told me that he did not see himself that way. He even said: ‘I know piyyutim, but I am no payytan.’” While it is, of course, difficult to argue with Amar’s own words, one needs to remember that Amar made a living as a cantor and that any up-and-coming payytan today needs to have mastered Amar’s work as an essential part of his repertoire.  A more nuanced reading of Amar’s comments would be that his deep respect for the tradition of piyyut, which Amar obviously knew intimately, moved him to assume a (genuinely) humble posture.

And regarding the reason that Amar left the country, Seroussi posits: “Amar did not leave because the establishment had shut him out. Like any artist, he was simply looking for the best possible market, and the market in America was superb. Much better than what the Israeli one was at the time.” In this case, it is Seroussi who is arguing with Amar’s own explanation. As Amar’s close friend and musical compatriot, Yoni Ro’eh, remembers: Amar “was the first Mediterranean singer who explicitly claimed that there is ethnic discrimination against the Mizrahim on the radio… Even though he was a quiet and humble person he had his dignity, and he said, ‘If they don’t want me here, I’ll go where I’m wanted.’”

The second piece was penned by Chris Silver, creator of the “Jewish Maghrib Jukebox,” a delightful blog that is essential reading for anyone interested in 20th-century North African Jewish music. Silver approaches Amar’s work from a different angle. In a post from 2012, “Jo Amar (El Maghribi) Also Sang in Arabic,” Silver argues that Amar’s Arabic-language songs and performances also deserve serious attention: “Most are unaware of the fact that Jo Amar recorded 78s in Arabic before moving to Israel and that he continued to not only record Arabic Andalusian music in Israel and elsewhere… He wrote his own songs in Arabic and he sang the great songs of others.” Silver’s post includes a wonderful recording of Amar’s Arabic performance of Goulouli Fin (“Oh Tell Me Where”). 
 

Amar clearly means different things to different people─a payytan, the father of Mizrahi music, a representative Mizrahi figure, and an important link in the Judeo-Arabic chain─and all of these images also have their critics. But the fact that informed people are arguing about the meaning of Amar’s legacy testifies to the vitality of the legacy itself. In order to begin to appreciate the different dimensions of that rich legacy, Sephardi Ideas Monthly is pleased to introduce our readers to two articles that celebrate, each in its own way, Jo Amar’s music and career: Ben Shalev’s, “He Opened Israeli Ears to Mizrahi Songs,” and Chris Silver’s, “Jo Amar (El Maghribi) Also Sang in Arabic.”

Screening: The Last Jews Of Baghdad: End of an Exile, Beginning of a Journey

Southhampton Jewish Film Festival
7:30PM on August 9th
Southampton Arts Center
25 Jobs Lane 
Southampton, NY 11968

The Last Jews Of Baghdad provides a historical and personal view of the persecution, torture, escape, and flight of over 160,000 Jews from Iraq between the years 1940 and 2003. Carole Basri, born to Iraqi Jewish parents and a Vice President of the American Sephardi Federation, presents an amazing account of Jewish life in Iraq based on first hand accounts. Ms. Basri will be on hand to discuss her film and the history of Iraqi Jews. This will be a very special evening and a rare opportunity to meet the filmmaker. The Last Jews Of Baghdad  premièred at ASF’s NY Sephardic Jewish Film Festival.
 

Please click here to purchase tickets
(General Admission $15; Students under 21 $7.50)
Reservations Suggested

Portugal, The Last Hope: Sousa Mendes’ Visas for Freedom

April 7th through September 9th
Center for Jewish History 
15 West 16th Street, New York City

The American Sephardi Federation, Portuguese Consulate of New York, the Sousa Mendes Foundation, and the Municipality of Almeida, Portugal proudly present a new exhibition in the Leon Levy Gallery honoring Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the courageous and creative Portuguese diplomat who saved Salvador Dali, the authors of Curious George, and thousands of other Holocaust refugees.
 

Please click here for viewing hours

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