Channukah Day 4: Ocho Kandelikas

Ok, I was re-reading yesterday's post last night and realized I'd left Ocho Kandelikas off of my list of popular Channukah songs. Ocho Kndelikas is the quintessential Sephardic Channukah song and has become increasingly popular in the US. My favorite recording of it is Flory Jagoda's, off of Craig N' Co's "Celebrate Hanukkah" recording (click for song sample), but there have been a wave of other interesting recordings lately.

Here's a video of jazz singer Kenny Ellis giving it a swing treatment:

Kenny Ellis Ocho Kandelikas


And here's the Hip Hop Hoodios giving it an LA Hip Hop treatment:

Hip Hop Hoodios Ocho Kandelikas


You can also check out performances by the Israeli Sepharidic group Daddo & The Ladino Voice, the indie pop band The Leevees, The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band, and a cute kid.


Ok, ignorant in public time again. After posting this I got a nice email from Jewish music performer Carol Boyd Leon pointing out that, despite how it might sound, that Ocho Kandelikas isn't a traditional (e.g. old) song. It's actually a Flory Jagoda composition. So the Jagoda 'version' that I love is the original version. You can hear an interview with Jagoda about her music and Ocho Kandelikas at NextBook.

I also goofed up about Kenny Ellis. I should have noted that Ellis not a professional Jazz singer, but a professional cantor been the cantor at Temple Beth Haverim in Agoura Hills, CA for the past ten years as well as the M.C. for the L.A. Jewish Festival for over ten years and he has been the M.C. for the national CAJE (Conference for Alternatives in Jewish Education) conferences since 1992. You can hear an interview with him at the Klezmer Podcast.

Hat tip to Tusembe2 and Sketchcomedy2 for posting the videos.

Related Posts: "Channukah Day 3: Peter Yarrow's controversial "Don't Let the Lights Go Out," "Chanukah Day 2: Sam Glaser performs "I Remember Judah Macabee," & Eight Nights, Eight Lights: the latest from Billy Ray Sheet