Lisa Fishman - "Dona Dona"

SONG INFO BELOW... BUT FIRST:

If you would like to be on my MAILING LIST for performances, please send an email to:
OyItsFish@aol.com,
and include your city, state, and country!

THANKS,
lisa

www.Myspace.com/LisaFishmanJewishMusic
www.Myspace.com/LisaFishmanMusic
www.Myspace.com/LisaFishmanTheaterAndCabaret

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A performance of the Yiddish classic, "Dona Dona," on the 'Jewish Entertainment Hour,' a cable show broadcast out of New York City, in 2001.

I grew up singing the ENGLISH version made popular by Joan Baez at summer camp. It wasn't until I was an adult and discovered Eastern European Jewish Music (= often referred to as "Klezmer" music) and started studying Yiddish that I learned that the song was actually originally written in Yiddish for the Yiddish Theatre.

Accompanying me on piano is New York's AMAZING pianist, arranger, composer, and musical director, Alex Rybeck.

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More from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

"Donna Donna" (דאָנאַ דאָנאַ "Dana Dana", דאָס קעלבל "Dos Kelbl") was a very popular song in America, and also in a number of other countries, for example, in Japan it has long been sung in schools.

History

The song was written as "Dana Dana" in Yiddish, for the musical play "Esterke" (1940-1941); words written by Aaron Zeitlin, music written by Sholom Secunda. Both of them were Jews, and the song was written in days of Nazism. The song was prohibited in South Korea as a communist song [1].

The first translation into English was made by Secunda himself but did not become popular. The song in English became well known as "Donna Donna" when it was translated approximately in 1956 by Arthur Kevess and Teddi Schwartz. The song became especially popular after the performance of Joan Baez in 1960 and Donovan in 1965, and was even featured on "More Chad & Jeremy", a Capitol Records compilation of standards sung by the British duo.

The song has been translated into many other languages including German, French, Japanese, Hebrew, and Russian.

The song has been sung by many singers including André Zweig, Joan Baez, Donovan, Chava Alberstein, Esther Ofarim, Theodore Bikel, Karsten Troyke, Hélène Rollès in duet with Dorothée, Claude François, and Russian ensemble of the Jewish songs on Yiddish "Dona".
Lisa Fishman also commands an amazing opera version aired on the Jewish Entertainment Hour, which is a cable show broadcast out of New York City, in 2001. It can also be found on the soundtrack to the anime "Revolutionary Girl Utena".

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PS: To all Yiddish speakers: I am aware of my lyric flub in verse 2 -- It was a live performance and I momentarily blanked!

PPS: I didn't know until just now when I copied and pasted the 'Wikipedia' article that my performance is actually mentioned in their piece -- wow!

PPPS: THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has posted their sweet and informative comments here! -- I SO appreciate it!

warmly,
lisa

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Jewish
• Lisa
• Fishman
• Yiddish
• Dona
• Klezmer
• Alex
• Rybeck
• Joan
• Baez

[daisymaescragg]

I have been singing the English translation since Donovan recorded it "back in the day." I knew it was originally Yiddish, but never had the opportunity to hear it in its original language until now.

Thank you, Lisa Fishman, for a beautiful and powerful rendition--even with the "flub in verse 2," as you so humbly put it. I love hearing you sing this song. Thank you for sharing your beautiful talent in this beautiful song.

[LisaFishman]

Thank you so much for your sweet words -- it is so appreciated! :>) lisa

[susantrubey]

I have just listened to a dozen versions of this song and it is the best.

[TheJosslove]

Thank you. So touching. Where can I find the jiddish lyrics, please?

[Rivi1952]

Very emotional version. I have never heard it in Yiddish. I learned the Joan Biaz version as a teenager & the Hebrew version as an adult. Thank you for sharing this original version. Rivi

[mendozajanrae]

The best, original and meaningful version. Hate the american crappy version.

[AshkenazFestival]

Bikel ( Captain Von Trapp) is coming to Toronto on August 21st at Beth Emeth synagogue! It's Ashkenaz Foundation's greatest Yiddish concert of the year. See you there!

[sillypuppetdude]

crazy good!

[hilaorni]

Lisa, I linked your rendition on my FB page on Israeli Holocaust Remembrance day this week. I was moved by your emotional singing and beautiful voice. Your song touched the hearts of listeners, who were moved to hear that it is a Yiddish song, and learned of its context and meaning.

Shalom, Hila

[hilaorni]

@KameaMedia The Holocaust had not yet started but the deadly persecution had, and Zeitlin, who had just come from Europe, apparently sensed it. His entire family perished in the Holocaust soon after. The song was prophetic, and that is why it has come to symbolize the Holocaust. At the same time, we need to remember that the persecution of Jews in Pogroms and massacres did not begin in the Holocaust, the Holocaust was its culmination. This is the power of the song.

[hilaorni]

@KameaMedia Folk songs are a genre. Many of the folk songs we sing today were written in the twentieth century, and their authors are known. It is a combination of style, context and prevalence that makes a song a "folk song", and I think "Dona Dona" definitely qualifies...  BTW it would be interesting to research though if it has its roots in a more ancient song, or was newly invented in 1940.

[MsEnitram]

Superbe interprétation,chantée avec le coeur. Même si je ne comprend pas la langue, l'émotion passe, froissons et poils redressés,voire larmes à l'oeil.

Merci, de tout coeur, merci.

[SaliaChan]

This song is so very beautiful and sad, but when you sing, it sounds totally dramatic and full of emotions. When I heard this song the first time I almost was moved to tears. And even today I still get goose bumps. Wonderful cover!