Ezra Aharon ('Azuri') (Bhagdad, 1903 – 1995, immigrated to Israel in 1935) was an outstanding composer, ‘ud player, singer, conductor, and performer of Arab art music. He was student of Tanburi Ibrahim Bey in Iraq and was recording both Iraqi and Egyptian styles by 1929. He was the prizewinner for the ‘ud at the 1932 International Congress of Oriental Music, Cairo.
Aharon immigrated from
Written and sources by Ronit Seter and Esther Warkov.
More biographies:
Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World
Zemereshet (Hebrew)
In this 45-minute sound interview Aharon shares three of his 78 rpm historic recordings with Esther Warkov. Aharon and wife, Shulamit Aharon, discuss the musical styles that inform these compositions. (Hebrew, Iraqi Arabic, and English) (The recording continues with Yaqub al-‘Amari, nay, at minute 45:50. See description under al-‘Amari, below.)
Aharon’s historic recordings with photos and documentation on Esther Warkov’s Music for Peace in the Middle East YouTube channel:
Sound recordings at National Library of Israel (catalogue in Hebrew):
Selected recordings:
Hanita (חניתה. מילים: ש. שלום, לחן: עזרא אהרן)
Adon Haselichot (אדון הסליחות בביצוע המלחין והמוסיקאי עזרא אהרון ז'ל)
lo bayom veloo balyla/Bialik (לא ביום ולא בלילה, ביצוע נדיר בסגנון המזרח, עזרא אהרון)
עזרא אהרון (עזורי) - רח א-שבאב
Ki Eshmera Shabbat (עזרא אהרון כי אשמרה שבת 1952)
Achot Ketana (אחות קטנה ראסט לחן: עזרא אהרון)
Articles:
The Urban Arabic Repertoire of Jewish Professional Musicians in Iraq and Israel: Instrumental Improvisation and Culture Change Ph.D. dissertation by Esther Warkov.
Hirshberg, Jehoash. “Performers Between East and West – Ideology and Reality in the Yishuv.” In Musical Performance, an International Journal, Vol. 1 issue 2 (no year) The Performance of Jewish and Arab Music in Israel Today, Basil Tschaikov and Amnon Shiloah, eds.
Lachman, Robert. 2013. The Oriental Music Broadcasts, 1936-1937: A Musical Ethnography of Mandatory Palestine. Ruth F. David, ed. pp. 85-87. Middleton, WI: A-R Editions, Inc.
Cohen, Brigid. 2012. Stefan Wolpe and the Avant-Garde Diaspora. Cambridge University Press.
(in Hebrew) אמנון שילוח, 'עזרא אהרון ו'הזמר העברי המזרחי' בתקופת היישוב' בתוך ירושלים בתקופת המנדט: העשייה והמורשת, עורך: יהושע אריה (ירושלים: הוצאת יד בן צבי, 2003) 450- 472.