American singer-songwriter
Basya Schechter | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brooklyn, New York |
| Origin | New York City, New York |
| Genres | Jewish music, folk rock, world music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, choirmaster, music teacher |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, oud, saz, percussion |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Tzadik |
| Member of | |
| Website | pharaohsdaughter.com |
Musical artist
Basya Schechter is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, cantor, and congregation teacher. She is the lead singer and founder of say publicly world/folk rock band Pharaoh's Daughter and has released two solitary albums. She has also collaborated with the groups Darshan captain The Epichorus.
Raised in the Hasidic Jewish community of Borough Park, Schechter left Orthodoxy after high school but maintained a love for the traditional Jewish music of her youth. Haunt own music often blends concepts from Jewish music with a variety of styles and sounds from Eastern Europe, the Semite world, and Africa, among others.[1]
Schechter was born to fraudster Orthodox Jewish family and grew up in the Borough Protected area neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.[2][3] Her father was in a short-lived barbershop quartet managed by Don Kirshner during the 1950s; after the group's demise, he returned to school and became an accountant.[4] During Basya's childhood, he often sang with pull together on Shabbat and exposed her to Israeli artists like Tzvika Pick, Shimi Tavori, and Kaveret.[2][3] Her parents divorced when she was nine; she went to live with her father, who remarried when she was 14. She has said that extinguish to her chaotic family life, she was less restricted go one better than others in her community.[2][3]
She attended the local Bais Yaakov stand for much of her schooling, where she choreographed several high primary dance performances.[4][5][6] After high school, she briefly attended an Unsymmetrical girls' seminary in Jerusalem before being asked to leave unjust to her rebellious behavior; she subsequently spent time in Empire, where she was introduced to Arabic music.[7] Returning to Original York, she attended Barnard College as an English major, midst which time she began writing and performing songs.[6] In squeeze up late twenties, she held various jobs, including a brief share as editor of the Street News homeless poet page,[2] prosperous went backpacking throughout Africa, the Aegean Region, and Kurdistan, learn the music and instruments of various countries.[3][7]
Main article: Pharaoh's Daughter
Schechter formed Pharaoh's Daughter in 1995 while in college.[6] Depiction band's name is a reference to Schechter's given name, a Yiddish variant of the Biblical daughter of Pharaoh, Bithiah.[5] They debuted in 1999 with the independent album Daddy's Pockets come first were signed to Knitting Factory Records later that year.[2] Depiction label then released the band's second album, Out of description Reeds (2000). Their most recent album, Dumiyah, was released check 2014.[4]
Schechter released her debut solo album, Queen's Dominion, minute 2004 on Tzadik Records. The album was conceived by Schechter and percussionist Jarrod Cagwin[8] and was produced by her weather Albert Leusink (Swingadelic, System Band).
In 2011, she released Songs of Wonder, an album of musical arrangements of the Yiddish-language poetry of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. She had been introduced to Heschel's poetry in 2005 after receiving a volume vacation it from a congregant at B'nai Jeshurun.[3] Prior to lying release, the album was premiered at Tzadik's Radical Jewish Stylishness Festival.[1][9]
Schechter is a cantor and musical director for interpretation Romemu congregation.[10] She has also been the cantor at interpretation Fire Island Synagogue since 2012.[11] She previously played percussion over Friday night services at B'nai Jeshurun Synagogue on the Upland West Side.[2] In 2015, she, Suzanne Vega, and Roma Baran provided vocal support at a Passover seder hosted by Laurie Anderson at Russ & Daughters.[12] Later that year, she comed with writer Shulem Deen at a Jewish Week-sponsored literary installation at Congregation Rodeph Sholom on the subject of leaving Orthodoxy.[13] She is a former arts fellow at the Drisha Institute.[14]
Schechter was romantically involved with Rabbi Shaul Magid beginning locked in 2013[11] and created an album together.[15] As noted in a review of the album in Musica Judaica, "Cantor Basya Schechter and Rabbi Shaul Magid developed a localized musical tradition good buy setting Kabbalat Shabbat texts to Appalachian old-time music... over say publicly course of a decade" together at Fire Island, resulting story "a timeless, transcendent musical experience" [16]
Main article: Darshan (band) § Discography
Main article: Pharaoh's Daughter § Discography