Niggun R' Zalman Zatapolski • Various

"Rabbi Tuvia Bolton is a fascinating person; not your typical artist, by any means."

So begins the completely absorbing interview between JewishMusicReport.com writer "Hislahavus" and Rabbi Tuvia Bolton. In it, R' Tuvia delivers a raw peek into his soul-journey and the niggun that hooked him.

Album cover photo for "Gaaguim" by Miri Davidovitz 

Eventually, in 1971, I met up with a chassid named R’ Itche Meir Kagan. And he took me to the Rebbe. I lived in Detroit, and we drove 12 hours to New York. I went into the farbrengen, that Shabbos. I heard them sing a niggun when I went in, called the Niggun of R’ Zalman Zlatopolsky...

I heard this nigun, and it knocked me out. READ MUCH MORE

It truly is a knock-out niggun. And to think "they didn't used to sing this niggun at Farbregens." But a young Jew was itching to be knocked out.

With a humble request to R' CK to please share what you can about this story from the Detroit end.

Full niggun sung by R' Dovid Horowitz (two complete versions with Yiddish explanation before each). 

Ein Kelokeinu - Tuvia Bolton

Mamash ein.

Adon Olam - Tuvia Bolton

Down on the Farm came on again. I felt like posting it again. Last time I overposted something (Lashir), Jo Amar died. I'm not sayin' anything. I'm juss sayin'. Some things are better left undead.

Toovya Bawltin, layduzz n jennelmin!

Down on the Farm - Tuvia Bolton

He makes some good points, ya know? Some very good points he makes, this one.

Beit Hamikdash - Tuvia Bolton

It's been a few posts since I needed to post a track, so here's a track I really needa post.



Every single element of this song rocks: the reggae-over-gospel groove; the simply-spoken lyrics; the kazoo (prompted by "play-that-thing"); and the endless parade of spectacular interludes at the end (afterlude is not a word and postlude is just unpretty. Which is not a word).

Whoooaaaaa, it will really be Sababa!
Much, much better than Olam Habba, aaaaah,
Yeeeahhhhh! The whole world will be biseider!
Can there be anything grea-ter,
Than to rejoice with our Cre-a-ta-a-a-a!?