Mordechai Ben David
| Mordechai Ben David | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mordechai Werdyger |
| Also known as | MBD, The King of Jewish Music |
| Born | April 16, 1951 |
| Origin | Sea Gate, Brooklyn, New York |
| Genres | Contemporary Jewish religious music |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, composer |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | MBD |
Mordechai Werdyger (born April 16, 1951) is an American Hasidic Jewish singer and songwriter popular in the Orthodox Jewish community. As the son of famous Cantor David Werdyger he is known by his stage name Mordechai Ben David (Hebrew: מרדכי בן דוד, lit. Mordechai, son of David) or its acronym MBD. He is known as the "King of Jewish Music" and has released over 30 albums while performing worldwide. He has headlined the popular HASC and Ohel charity concerts for almost two decades.
Mordechai Ben David may be considered a pioneer of contemporary Hasidic song. He started his musical career in the early 1970s, a time when Hazzanut was the main source of recorded music in Jewish Orthodox circles, with very few solo singer performers. One notable singer who preceded Werdyger was Shlomo Carlebach, who had started a genre rooted in Hasidic and American folk song in the early 1960s.
Mordechai Ben David based his career on his father David's acclaim, choosing Mordechai Ben David (Mordechai the Son of David) as his stage name. In contrast to his father, who recorded classic Hasidic niggunim(songs) with cantorial vocals and classical instruments, Ben David blended traditional Hasidic singing with modern and popular music techniques. He was encouraged in this endeavor by Rabbi Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz, the Ribnitzer Rebbe. He soon became known as an innovator and rose quickly to become a musical superstar to Orthodox Jews worldwide.
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