Pharaoh's Daughter - World beat meets Jewish music

"Pharaoh's Daughter is one of the most original and exciting groups to have emerged from the new Jewish Music Movement." - Ben Frandzel, Rhythm

Blending a psychedelic sensibility and a Pan-Mediterranean sensuality, Basya Schechter leads her band, Pharaoh's Daughter, through swirling Hasidic chants, Mizrachi and Sephardi folk-rock, and spiritual stylings filtered through percussion, flute, strings and electronica. Their sound has been cultivated by Basya's Hasidic music background and a series of trips to the Middle East, Africa, Israel, Egypt, Central Africa, Turkey, Kurdistan and Greece. She began retuning her guitar to sound like a cross between an Arabic oud and a Turkish saz, with harmonic minor melodies, and odd time signatures.

Pharaohs' Daughter debuted last summer on Central Park's Summerstage, and in the past has toured extensively through America, Eastern and Western Europe, as well as Greece, South America and the UK. They have also performed on such prestigious stages as Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park, and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, National Geographic, and Symphony Space. Over the past two years, Basya was the recipient of numerous compositional and project grants from NYSCA (New York State Council of the Arts), American Composers Forum and the American Music Center. Pharaoh's Daughter has recently released their fifth album, Hagar.

At the 2nd Annual Jewish Music Awards, Pharaoh's Daughter walked away with Best Ensemble honors in two of the most competitive categories: Best Middle Eastern Ensemble, and Best World Music Ensemble. The band, led by the charismatic singer-songwriter Basya Schechter, is preparing its next album due to be released in the coming months. Call us to book this great band and bring the unique and exciting sounds of Pharaoh's Daughter to your community - it's about time!!!

In Recognition of Outstanding Musical Achievement
hereby presents this award in the

for the Best CD of 2007 to Pharaoh's Daughter for their CD "Haran"
Produced and released by Oyhoo Records

On behalf of those who appreciate excellence in music, we thank you.
Jon Sirkis, Artistic Director, IAP

Have you ever wondered what would happen if Pink Floyd and PJ Harvey crossed paths in a cafe in Israel and subsequently took a road trip to South Africa? What if they met up with Radiohead in Morocco along the way? The result would be close to what you'll find in Haran , the latest achievement of the Jewish folk group, Pharaoh's Daughter. Infusing an eclectic instrumental blend of traditional Judaic tunes with Arabic rhythm and African beats, Haran is an infectiously beautiful album full of haunting joy.. (Katherine Heller)

PD is the magical child of once-Orthodox multi-instrumentalist Basya Schecter. Tonight's the record release for Haran , which sounds even more layered and complex in its Middle Eastern instrumentation and world-beat fusion than her previous (and equally excellent) releases. (Bosler)

Haran was the starting place for the journey of Abraham, and this sumptuous album of Hasidic psychedelic rock ranges just as widely. Pharaoh's Daughter deploy a rich range of musical colours: Ray-Manzarek-style keyboards on "By Way Of Haran", a frenetic hammered santur solo on "Ka Ribon", kora on "Askinu", spike fiddles and ney flutes elsewhere. Basya Schechter's vocals range from wordless nigun to Biblical, Ladino and Kabbalistic texts. Haran is intricately detailed, inventive and endlessly surprising. (David Honigmann)

Turkish hash bars meet Hasidic Brooklyn juke joints with '70's era psych rock well in tow. That is the perfect description of what's in store for a listener of the magical journey subtly titled "Haran". Raised among a religious upbringing, the bandleader and vocalist Basya Schechter evokes images of rebellion with her love of Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and the Rolling Stones. But its those rock heroes who've graciously lent their wisdom to her willing ears and lead her to help fashion one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring worldbeat albums of the year... (J-Sin)

PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER/Haran: The spiritual kid sister of Ofra Haza checks in with something that's Jewish but sure ain't Klezmer. World beat with roots in Aramaic and Kabbalah bases, this is a spirited set that gleefully mixmasters lessons learned as Basya Schechter moved across the world and picked and chose elements she wanted to assemble her identity from. Certainly a spirited set that reflects the youthful, progressive side of world beat, this can be as at home in clubs as anywhere else. Wild stuff that plays with abandon and is sure to grab your ears.

On their fifth album, the ancient, worldly Judaica that's inspired the NYC-based Pharaoh's Daughter blends better than ever with the secular modernism of the indie world. Crisp, pinpoint rhythms, rumbling, insistent bass, and Fillmore-era organ lines flirt with Eastern oud, santur, and kamanche as the reverent gets along famously with the edgy. Front and center is Basya Schechter, the group's beguiling, much-traveled vocalist, whose malleable, often multi-tracked vocals take flight amid the airtight, shape-shifting ensemble playing. (Jeff Tamarkin)

Setting the Yiddish poetry of the revered Civil Rights advocate Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel to music, Basya Schechter has created a rich new colection of Yiddish songs. This video offers a small sample of this program.

For more information, please check also www.pharaohsdaughter.com