Chava Alberstein “End of the Holiday” Rounder, 2003
All lyrics by Nadav Levitan, music by Chava. These are modern, mostly dark poems
expressing ‘slices of life’ in today’s Israel (exc. for the last, which is set in NY).
Chava accompanying her singing on acoustic guit and backing vocals. Most tracks
are trio, w. drums, bass, and guit. Additional instruments incl woodwinds, accordion,
synths, and vox. Alberstein is rightfully a ‘superstar’ in Israel, musically adventurous
with a wonderful alto voice, sings in all genres to great effect. I loved this album!
Faves: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 11 (Dr D 07-04)

(All track titles and times on back of case)
1.Slow, measured pace, observing the holiday-makers packing up and leaving the beach, back to reality
2.Med, upbeat, essentially about overcrowding and conversions of every available space to housing or
to popular business such as cellular phone stores
3. Med, loping, tale of displaced worker from Bucharest working as a caregiver, knows nothing about
where she lives, no Hebrew, no friends, no going out, even, until her patient dies.
4.Med, swaying, a bit of a Latin beat. Tale of a housecleaner and his efforts to make a video for sending
back to S America with a camcorder given by his employer.
5. Med, measured pace, of how one cannot escape one’s own shadow
6. Med, serious, A young women is converted to conservative ways, selling Psalm books for charity
7. Med slow, a lone parishioner waits for a Minyan to begin evening prayer
8. Med slow, a love song. Simple act of rising from sleep and mingling in the kitchen
9. Med, Sabbath observed from the streets, the outcasts and dispossessed drinking to forget
10. Slow, sad, a lament to a polluted creek that is a metaphor for killing and destruction in the name
of progress
11. Slow, a dirge, homage to Federico Fellini whom the poet (visiting NY) finds out has just died