Harry Belafonte describes Hava Nagila's universal appeal.
The Story
The Story
"When you find a song that says 'Let us rejoice,' there's no better song to leave an evening with than that statement. - Harry Belafonte, December 2009
Songs can take on a life on their own and carry with them an entire constellation of history, values and hopes for the future. We believe this is true for Hava Nagila.
The song originated in the Ukraine as a wordless Hasidic melody. It traveled with Hasidic immigrants to Jerusalem at the turn of the 20th century and acquired Hebrew lyrics and a circle dance based on the Romanian hora. From there, Hava Nagila journeyed to America, where it sped up, lost its connotations as a song of Palestine and exploded in popularity. Today, it is, arguably, the most recognizable Jewish thing around the world – adored by some, reviled by others and understood as musical shorthand for "Jewishness" by all.
Hava Nagila, What Is It? will follow the song from the shtetls of Eastern Europe to the cul-de-sacs of America. It will be a weave of interviews, original footage, archival footage and photographs. Scholars will trace the song through the decades and reflect on the power of music in every culture to transmit lessons, stories and messages across the generations. We will supplement their insights with celebrity interviews. Each celebrity will provide his or her own take on Hava Nagila – and entertain us with their renditions.
The resulting film will not only entertain us and make us laugh; but through its examination of our complex, ever-evolving, at times tongue-in-cheek, relationship with this fascinating song, Hava Nagila, What Is It? will remind us of the power of music to go deep, to bring a celebration to life and to connect us on specific cultural and broader universal levels.