Vocolot

Vocolot is a contemporary Jewish women's a cappella ensemble based in California consisting of Elizabeth Stuart, Julia Bordenaro, Shana Levy, and director Linda Hirschhorn, founded in 1988. The group performs original compositions and arrangements of traditional Jewish, folk, and world-music songs in English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, and Arabic. Mixing folk, classical, cantorial and jazz idioms in a polyphonic style of intricately interwoven voices, the women perform "a cappella" with occasional use of hand drums and body percussion. The ensemble has been compared to Sweet Honey in the Rock [ [http://www.sfbayguardian.com/37/09/x_8days.html|San Francisco Bay Guardian, December 1, 2002|accessdate=2008-06-14] ] . Vocolot has won several awards, including CARA awards for best album and best song [ [http://www.casa.org/index.php?option=com_casaawards&Itemid=155&showyear=2003 The Contemporary A Cappella Society CARA Winners for 2003|accessdate=2008-06-14] ] , and most recently they were the only American group to make it to the finals at the 2008 International Jewish Music Competition in Amsterdam [ [http://www.ijmf.org/EN/Competition.html International Jewish Music Festival Amsterdam 2008 Competition|accessdate=2008-06-14] ] .

Many of Vocolot's songs share themes of peace and justice, and Vocolot has sung at numerous rallies and fundraisers on behalf of El Salvador, Nicaragua, the homeless, women's shelters, Darfur [ [http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/05/29/18422364.php|Indybay: Hearts & Minds for Darfur|accessdate=2008-06-14] ] , Israel and Palestine [ [http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2005-10-25/article/22613?headline=Arts-Calendar Berkeley Daily Planet Arts Calendar, October 25, 2005|accessdate=2008-06-14] ] , and at many anti-war demonstrations. In addition, they commonly perform at festivals, conferences and conventions, folk music clubs, Jewish community centers and federations, colleges and universities, and synagogues throughout the U.S.A.

History

Vocolot began in 1988, when singer-songwriter Linda Hirschhorn informally assembled a group of musicians to record some of the songs she had written for four- and five-part vocal harmonies. When they had finished recording those, for the "Gather Round" album, she asked the singers to join her in an on-going group. The founding members were Rosalind Glazer, Max Ventura, Tay Holden and Linda Hirschhorn.

Vocolot has gone through many incarnations as new members joined and prior members left to start families and pursue other careers. Besides the current members and the founders, there were Kirsten Zerger, Alisa Peres, Helen Cohen, Ellen Robinson, Gale Kissin, Judy Larson, Sharon Preves, Abbe Lyons, Naomi Hannah, Judith-Kate Friedman, Fran Avni, Jennifer Karno, Alison Lewis, and Felicia Sloin.

Although Vocolot performs mostly a cappella, in the early 1990s they began incorporating percussion into some of their songs, with Helen Cohen, Gale Kissin, Ellen Robinson and Liz Stuart on doumbek and frame drums, and one of their more recent songs, "These Hands", integrates body percussion.

Name

The name 'Vocolot' IPA|/vokoˈlot/ is a bilingual pun on the English word 'vocal', meaning "vocal", and the Hebrew word קולות "qolot" IPA|/qoˈlot/ , meaning "voices", chosen by the founding members in November 1988, at a time when the politically active group was encouraging electoral participation with the slogan was "Get out the local vote with Vocolot!" at their performances.

Current Members

* Linda Hirschhorn
* Elizabeth Stuart
* Julia Bordenaro
* Shana Levy

Former Members

* Rosalind Glazer (1988–1996)
* Max Ventura (1988–1989)
* Tay Holden (1988–1989)
* Kirsten Zerger (1989-1992)
* Alisa Peres (1989)
* Helen Cohen (1992)
* Ellen Robinson (1989–2005)
* Gale Kissin (1991–1992)
* Judy Larson (1990–1991)
* Sharon Preves (1991–1992)
* Abbe Lyons (1992–1995)
* Naomi Hannah (1992)
* Judith-Kate Friedman (1995–2003)
* Fran Avni (1996)
* Jennifer Karno (1997–2006)
* Alison Lewis (1998–2003)
* Felicia Sloin (2003–2005)

Discography

Vocolot has produced four albums under the Oyster Albums label by Kehila Productions in Berkeley, California. Their songs are registered with BMI.
* "HeartBeat" (2002)
# Heart Beat
# La Comida
# Zog Maran
# Elokim
# Guide Me
# Who Can You Lean On
# Full Circle
# Yesh Lanu Koach
# For Talia: Born 9/11/85
# These Hands
# Ocho Kandelikas
# Los Bilbilicos
# Eretz Zavat Chalav U'Dvash
# Sarah and Hagar
# Pitchu Li / Effen Oyf: A Chant to Life
* "Behold!" (1998)
# Lo Yisa Goy (Study War No More)
# Hareh Aht / Hashmi'ini (Behold!)
# Bird
# Rosh Hodesh (New Moon) Candlelighting
# Blessed Is The Flame
# May Rue Platz (My Resting Place)
# Sham'a (Hear and Rejoice)
# V'ayrastich Li (Betrothal)
# If You Can Walk
# Imri Na (My Sister)
# Camarada
# Eretz Shiv'at Haminim (The Land of Seven Species)
# Eli, Eli
# Wings Span
* "Roots & Wings" (1992)
# Roots & Wings
# Not by Might
# What Happened to the Dream?
# If Not Now
# Homeless Blues
# Kahrev Yom
# Mizmor Shir
# But Ask Now the Beasts / Trees of the Wild
# Waltzing in the Shadows (In Memoriam - A Yizkor for Tay)
# Stepping Lightly
# Shifchi Ka-Ma'yim
# Marbeh
# Play On
# Blessing for Children
# Circle Chant (New version)
* "Gather Round" (1989)
# Ilu Finu
# Miriam's Slow Snake Dance
# Ki Hem Chayenu
# Blessing After the Meal
# Chanukah / Solstice
# Women Gathering Round
# I Have a Million Nightingales
# Ruth and Naomi
# Yom Shabbaton
# Ufarsu Lara'ev
# The Full Moon Song
# The Berry Song
# Nigun

Awards

* International Jewish Music Festival 2008 Amsterdam Competition Finalist [ [http://www.ijmf.org/EN/Competition.html International Jewish Music Festival Amsterdam 2008 Competition|accessdate=2008-06-14] ]
* Harmony Sweepstakes Bay Area Regional 2nd-Place Winner [ [http://www.harmony-sweepstakes.com/Bay_Area/2007/ Harmony Sweepstakes Bay Area Regional 2007 Winners] ]
* Just Plain Folks 2006 Music Awards Nominee, for "Behold!" [ [http://www.jpfolks.com/MusicAwards/2006/SongNominees.html| Just Plain Folks 2006 Music Awards|accessdate=2008-06-14] ]
* The Contemporary A Cappella Society CARA 2003 Award for Best Album, "HeartBeat" [ [http://www.casa.org/index.php?option=com_casaawards&Itemid=155&showyear=2003 The Contemporary A Cappella Society CARA Winners for 2003|accessdate=2008-06-14] ]
* The Contemporary A Cappella Society CARA 2003 Award for Best Song, "La Comida" [ [http://www.casa.org/index.php?option=com_casaawards&Itemid=155&showyear=2003 The Contemporary A Cappella Society CARA Winners for 2003|accessdate=2008-06-14] ]
* The Contemporary A Cappella Society CARA 1998 Award Runner-up for Best Song, "Eretz Shiv'at Haminim" [ [http://www.casa.org/index.php?option=com_casaawards&Itemid=155&showyear=1998 The Contemporary A Cappella Society CARA Winners for 1998|accessdate=2008-06-14] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.vocolot.com/ Vocolot Website]
* [http://www.lindahirschhorn.com/ Linda Hirschhorn website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/lizstuartmusic Elizabeth Stuart website]
* [http://www.thelevinsmusic.com/ Julia Bordenaro website]
* [http://www.ellenrobinson.com/ Ellen Robinson website]
* [http://www.judithkate.com/ Judith-Kate Friedman website]
* [http://www.franavni.com/ Fran Avni website]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=76137591 Alison Lewis website]