Singing by the Book

But when she began recreating the female voices from the holy texts in her songs,Magan found herself in the eye of a storm. “In the Jewish oral tradition like Talmud and Kabbalah,men sang all parts,including those of women,so people were shocked when I began singing. But I persevered and gradually,my music was accepted,” says Magan. In 1987,she founded the Theatre Company Jerusalem to bring music limited to the synagogue to the stage. “Hebrew is a language geared towards holiness,” she explains,calling her work a “holy performance”.

“My style of singing comes close to Sufi music and has now become a genre by itself,” says Magan,who learnt Dhrupad music in Varanasi . This is her fourth trip to India,her first was in 1999 when she performed at the Festival of Sacred Music in Bangalore.

Critics have called Magan’s performances “haunting,moving,and sometimes scary.” She attempts to create a feeling of being in a medieval monastery. “That is because of the depth in the music and poetry presented along with theatrical movements to tell a story. The sound of the letter ‘Aleph’ has the power of ‘Om’ in it,” she explains. She has released three albums and her performance in Delhi will include a song from her latest,called Kadayil Shabbaso.

Her eclecticism extends to the range of rare languages like Aramaekh that she sings. Her accompanists are Mark Elyahu,on an ancient Turkish instrument called the kamanche,and Daniel Yakobson on the clarinet and percussion. “It is a unique musical fusion representing the cultural melting pot that is modern Jerusalem,” says Magan.