Shwekey
Yaakov Shwekey, known as Shwekey is a singer.
Musical career
As a child, he sang in the Ateret Yosef Choir in Mexico City and he and his brother Yisroel Meir sang with the Miami Boys Choir for a short period of time.[1] As a young man, Shwekey learned in Rabbi Menachem Davidowitz's yeshiva (TIUNY) in Rochester, NY.[2] He launched his professional career as a singer after his marriage.[3]
Shwekey is a singer and his music and songs are composed by others. His albums until late 2015 were produced by Yochi Briskman, and distributed in the US by Aderet Music, and in Israel by JMI. Going forward, he has produced his own albums with Yitzy Waldner. His current musical director is Rafi Greidi. Many different arrangers have arranged his albums in the past including Moshe Laufer, Mona Rosenblum, Yanky Briskman, Leib Yaakov Rigler, and Yisroel Lamm. Until 2006 Shwekey's primary studio was "Studio X" (run by Yochi Briskman, engineered by AJ Greenwald), today, some of his recording is done in his private home studio.[4]
One of his best-known songs is "Racheim" (Have compassion), composed by Pinky Weber.[3] The lyrics are from the Grace after meals, asking God to have mercy on the Jewish nation and the city of Jerusalem. As Shwekey describes this song, "It's a prayer. It's not just a song. We connect with G-d and ask Him to have mercy". In 2008/2009 Vehi She'omdah, composed by Yonatan Razel and debuted on his Live in Caesaria concert DVD, and later rerecorded on Ad Bli Dai became a major hit. Many of his songs, including "Shomati" (from the Talmud) composed by Yossi Green and "Im Eshkacheich", from Psalms 137, have found considerable popularity as Jewish wedding songs. His latest hits are: "Cry No More", "Ra'u Banim", "Bo'ee Be'shalom", "Lo Ya'avod", "Am Yisrael", and "Et Rekod", among others. From his latest album We are a Miracle, "inshalla" is making some waves. He sang a song for the Israeli soldiers in the Nokia Stadium, Tel Aviv in 2013.
Concert controversy
In August 2007, Shwekey and Avraham Fried were slated to headline a major concert in Jerusalem at Teddy Stadium. Leading Haredi rabbis, including Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the Gerrer Rebbe, the Belzer Rabbe, Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, Rabbi Shmuel Wosner, and Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg signed a ban which appeared in the Haredi press forbidding participation or attendance of this event or others performed in front of both men and women, even if there was separate seating.[5]
Shwekey issued a response that he had already posed the question to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef when an earlier concert featuring him, along with Mordechai Ben David, was also banned. Rabbi Yosef had responded that there is absolutely no prohibition as long as the event had completely separate seating.[6] Neither Shwekey nor Fried pulled out of the concert.
Personal life
Shwekey, his wife Jenine and their five children live in Deal, New Jersey.[3] Jenine is the co-founder of the Special Children's Center in Lakewood, New Jersey, a respite and support program for special needs children, and Shwekey also volunteers much time and energy to this philanthropic endeavor.[3] In an interview with Yated Ne'eman, Shwekey said, "I'm convinced that the success I've experienced in my music career is all because of our work with these special children".[7]
Discography
| Album Name | Year Released | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Shomati | 2001 | |
| Shwekey 2 | 2002 | |
| Besimcha | 2003 | Collection of popular Jewish wedding songs |
| Yedid | 2004 | |
| Behisorerus | 2005 | Collection of popular Kumzits songs |
| Live in Paris | 2006 | Also released on DVD |
| Leshem Shomayim (Shwekey 4) | 2007 | |
| Live in Caesaria | 2008 | Also released on DVD. Includes duets with Yonatan Razel and Yossi Green |
| Ad Bli Dai (Shwekey V) | 2009 | |
| The Shwekey Collection | 2010 | Triple album compilation of songs from previous albums |
| Libi Bamizrach | 2010 | |
| Live in Caesaria 2 | 2010 | Also released on DVD. Includes duets with Chaim Yisrael, Baruch Levine, Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, and Acheinu |
| Cry No More | 2012 | |
| Yaakov Shwekey - Live in Nokia Stadium, Israel 5773 | 2013 | Also released on DVD. Includes duets with Shai Abramson and Shlomi Shabat |
| Kolot | 2014 | Includes duets with Shlomi Shabat and Aharon Razel |
| I Can Be (Single) | 2015 | Single |
| We Are A Miracle | 2016 | |
| Those Were The Days: My Favorite Collection | 2017 | Double album |
In addition, Shwekey appears on the following albums:
- Vishuvu El Hashem (Rav Shmuel Brazil), 2000 ("Kechu", "Kerasicha", "Im Eshkachech", "Shuvi Nafshi", and "Yerushalayim")
- Dance With Neginah 5 (Neginah), 2001 ("Zoche")
- Dance With the Stars, 2002 ("Zoche")
- The Best of The Best 2 (Gideon Levine), 2002 ("Al Tiktzof")
- Miami 25 (Miami Boys Choir), 2002 ("Racheim")
- Journeys 4 (Abie Rotenberg), 2002 ("Mama Rachel")
- HASC 18 (HASC), 2005 ("Ben Bag Bag", "Mama Rachel", "Ki Hatov", "Rebono", and "Finale")
- Vezakeni (Baruch Levine), 2006 ("Vehu Keili")
- Eternity (Oorah), 2006 ("Eternity")
- Highlights - HASC 19 (HASC), 2006 ("Yedid" and "Finale") - DVD only
- Harei Yehuda (Yehuda Gilden), 2008 ("Yehi Shalom")
- Hasc 22 (HASC), 2009
References
- ↑ Shwekey Hebrew Bio
- ↑ interview Cool Jew Show 2009
- 1 2 3 4 Nadler, Ari. "A Tough Balancing Act: An exclusive interview with Yaakov Shwekey". Ami, September 24, 2015, pp. 202-212.
- ↑ Lesheim Shomayim album booklet
- ↑ Rabbinical "Ban" on Hassidic Music Concerts. Hillel Fendel, IsraelNN.com August 7, 2007
- ↑ Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's responsa regarding the Tel-Aviv Shwekey-MBD concert
- ↑ Yated Ne'eman week of Feb. 18, 2009, interview with Yaakov Shwekey
