Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Hava Nagila by Charan-Po-Rantan in Japan

Charan-Po-Rantan is a Japanese sister duo that has an "exuberant, alternative-cabaret-meets-circus vibe"  comprised of Momo Matsunaga on vocals, and her older sister, Koharu on the accordion.

As Susan Delson wrote in the Wall Street Journal,

Speaking through an interpreter in a video interview from Tokyo, Koharu said that klezmer, a Jewish music of Eastern Europe, is the bedrock of her style. She started listening to it in middle school, when their mother brought home a CD. Hearing Hava Nagila, she said, was a musical turning point.

Other influences from Eastern Europe include the No Smoking Orchestra, a Balkan beat band that includes the noted film director Emir Kusturica, and a traditional Romanian group called Taraf de Haïdouks. Contemporary groups like the indie-rock Yeah Yeah Yeahs also make the list, along with blues and rap music.

Enjoy!

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