New York – Thirty eight years after the release of his first album, Mordechai Ben David Sings Original Chasidic Niggunim, the man who has been called the undisputed king of Jewish music has announced the release of what will be his final album.
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The album, titled Kisufim, is slated to be released on Tuesday by Aderet Music and will contain fourteen songs, including ten new compositions and four old niggunim, two of which date back a century or more and features significant vocal contributions by the Shira Choir.
Werdyger, who composed several of the songs on Kisufim, described this album as having a very different flavor than his most recent hit album, Kulam Ahuvim, whose songs have proven to be a mainstay on the wedding circuit.
“This particular album is a very warm, chasidishe album, something I have wanted to do for many, many years, and I plan to sign off with it. It is a mix of new material and old nigunim, with original material by Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz, Yitzchak Fuchs and myself. I am madly in love with it.”
In an exclusive interview with VIN News, MBD spoke about his decision and the current state of Jewish music.
VIN: Is this really your last album?
MBD: That is the current plan.
VIN: Does this announcement mean you are leaving the Jewish music scene entirely?
MBD: I am only retiring from albums.
VIN: What made you take this step?
MBD: Putting together an album is too much work. People don’t realize how much goes into an album. Unfortunately, electronic media has destroyed the CD business and even the biggest secular companies are going under because people just download music they find online.
The way it is right now, it really doesn’t pay to do an album.
VIN: In that case, what does the future hold for Jewish music?
MBD: Moshiach will come and we will have the music of the Leviyim in the Beis Hamikdash.
VIN: What are your thoughts on current Jewish music?
MBD: Unfortunately I really have no time to listen and don’t really know what is going on in Jewish music. I do know that it has taken a completely different direction and Chasidic music is no longer Chasidic music.
VIN: What do you think is missing in today’s Jewish music?
MBD: Hartz, which has to be the main ingredient in any album. If music doesn’t come from the heart it is nothing.
VIN: What do you think is the reason you are still around and popular so many years later? MBD: Siyata d’ishmaya.
VIN: Thank you for your time.
A member of one of Jewish music’s most heralded families, Mordechai Ben David’s musical career began when his father, the legendary Chazan Dovid Werdyger, overheard him playing original musical compositions and suggested he record an album of his own, which was released in 1973. Kisufim will be MBD’s thirty sixth full length solo album, in addition to four singles and having appeared on over thirty five other albums in his very lengthy career. MBD has become a fixture on the concert circuit with numerous appearances in the HASC concert series and the annual Chabad Telethon. Many of his classic songs remain as popular today as they were when they were first released years ago.
he will surely be missed!!!!
smart move. While I like his music, his last few albums have seems to be repetitive and lacked the freshness of his earlier releases. Better to retire while at your peak. There are too many “old rockers” from the 60s and 70s still doing tours and trying to relive the “old days”. The good news is that we have such wonderful new singers like Lippa and Matisyahu who carry on the MBD tradition.
As some one who has he same name as him (my name is Mordechai Ben Dovid) i will surly miss him, i wish him much Hatzlacha.
Reply to #2 : in no way should Lipa be compared to MBD, MBDs songs are outright beautiful and deep, lipa’s however- unfortunately- are too often too goyish and not ‘toichndig’
Long Live The King!!
in response to Anonymous, are you kidding me?? if MBD would be releasing albums in twenty years from now I’ll still listen to him over ANYBODY. “like Lippa and Matisyahu who carry on the MBD tradition”.realllly?????
To Nos. 5 and 6: I didn’t intend for this to become one of those “how can you compare sholime to yankel” postings. My only point is that we have great new artists like Lipa, Matisyahu and several others who will continue the tradition of yiddeshe music but with a contemporary flair. If you are one of those who think MBD was “the king” than you are entitled to your tin ear.
IYH, MBD – Moshiach ben Dovid, will come and we will all sing in the beis Hamikdosh this year! Tehai Shnas Ayin BeAyin!
All of you hating on Lipa are also asidim litein es hadin.
I play/compose music myself, having done so since I was eight years old. My point is I know music. Love good music, my ears hurt when I hear bad music. I think Lipa’s music is beautiful, hartzig and inspirational. And its also cool. I dont care for Matisyahu’s music but I don’t hate him for it.
MBD YOU spoiled us for so many years the neshameh and hartz that you put into a song MBD, YOSSELE, SHLOMO, AND FREID are gona go down in history as the greatest singers . yes there could always be another talented singer but like the third yossele told somone claiming to be the second yossele there could be a third but never a second same goes to MBD thanks Mordechai we will miss you.
Many ‘jewish ‘ niggunim come from peasant songs in Russia / Ukraine and the like . When someone takes music from a ‘goyish’ song and puts jewish thgoughts/words to it , it becomes jewish. Lipa is great , but MBD ,Avraham Fried and Jo Amar r classics. Mattisyahu was what u call ‘alternative music ‘ and was good at the beg.
Mattisyahu has absolutly nothing to do with MBD. And lets be honest, as much as MBD is the king, lipa has brought a whole new style to Jewish music which MBD has incorporated into his last few albums.
Just think…. In 25 years most of the listeners to Jewish Music will think Schwecky & LIPA are from a bygone era. That being said, with Lipa’s ability or willingness to adapt, he may be a ‘name’ longer. Let’s face it, when I was growing up the generation before me thought Carlbach was king but I couldn’t understand the ‘gadlus’ in someone who played a guitar, whistled, and needed a haircut.
“Mordcha Hatzadik” your albums are amazing and we can never get bored of even one song or Kniench. Your talent has no limits and NO ONE comes close to you. The olem Hanegina considers you as a gift from Heaven. I wish you lots of Hatzlocha and may we still hear you singing at many Simchas to come Ad Biass Goal Tzedek V”ad Bchlal!!
Many ‘jewish ‘ niggunim come from peasant songs in Russia / Ukraine and the like . When someone takes music from a ‘goyish’ song and puts jewish thgoughts/words to it , it becomes jewish. Lipa is great , but MBD ,Avraham Fried and Jo Amar r classics. Mattisyahu was what u call ‘alternative music ‘ and was good at the beg.
mbd have really nice nigunim!
why is this the last album?
Sadly, there is nobody in the contemporary Jewish Music world who even bears a meaningful comparison to MBD (with all due respect to the many other talented singers we are zocheh to). He is simply unparalleled. When you consider the breadth of styles he has covered through the many decades of his illustrious career, it is almost astounding. The man can do it all, and with superb singing and true Yiddishe ta’am. May Hashem bless him with the ability spread joy Ad Bias Goel.
Mordechai ben david obviously appealed to the older generation that liked their nigunim to sound like they were composed for the rebbe’s tisch in the alte heim. I’ve seen the reaction from the younger generation of yeshiva bochurim and BY girls to his music and to them, his sound is like chalk on a blackboard compared to the more contemporary nusach of Lipa et. al.
As a follower of Jewish music for many decades, the only one that gets anywhere near the “hartzig” stuff of the legendary MBD is his nephew Yisroel Werdyger, who just gave out his 2nd disc “ashirah va’zamrah”
what reminds me of MBD is the depth of his voice, notably in the song “hineni heani” which we all heard in shul on RH.
and after all, yisroel is a g-son of chazan david, son of mendy, so “the apple doesnt fall far from the tree”!!
I like MBD but love Reb Avreimel more!
Keep it up both of u!
I grew up listening to MBD on Art Raymond’s “Morning Simcha” and “Afternoon Simcha” on WEVD 35 years ago. I still have two of his early albums, “Neshama” and “I’d Rather Pray and Sing”. He’s brought so much happiness to the frum world over the past 40+ years. I wish him all the best.
MBD is king! He will surely be missed. I seem to remember rumors that “Moshiach” would be his last album. Hopefully he will change his mind again.
And to all of you comparing him unfavorably to other contemporary singers, saying one is great doesn’t take away from the others greatness. Each have their own specialty.
Remember it’s Tzom Gedalya, not every post has to create negative comments
I like some of his songs and some I don’t like.
But to take the words from Unsenah Tokef and put them to a eurotrash trancy tune is surely proof enough that he reached his low. For those of you that are saying that he is now at his peak – I beg to differ.
Yomim al yemai melech toisif…relax people he only said no more CD’s!
Mbd. was mashbak from highly rimmtzer rebbe ztkl.for many years,together with his close freind moshe berkowitz,when werld is gavan werld ..
Exclusive on new cd from the King of Jewish Music he is singig highly nigan hazkiri from rimnitzr rebbe zu”e.
This conversation is deja vu for me!
I remember being fascinated by the Rabbi’s Sons when I was growing up. My parents were LIVID! They thought it was pop-music infiltrating our lives.
By the time MBD came around, my parents were of the mindset that the rock-n-roll culture had taken over and that MBD would cause people to go off the derech.
Now, we hold MBD as the standard bearer and the one we compare all others to.
I remember when Lenny Solomon created Shlock Rock, and people were shouting from rooftops that this rock music would destroy us…. and yet it became a most incredible road TO Judaism for the unaffiliated, not the other way around.
Music styles are a reflection of the times. There is no such thing as a good or bad style. It is about personal taste and what reaches your neshoma. For some, MBD’s voice and soaring melodies stirred their neshamos like never before, for others it did nothing. That’s the MAGIC of music. That’s the ART of music.
Just like some people love the paintings of Amram Ebgi, others love Peter Max, while others love Thomas Kinkade. All masters in their own right, the same is true of music.