FOR A MINUTE I THOUGHT I WAS DEAF

Nearly six years ago, Israel hosted her first 'A Star is Born'...our version of American Idol. The winner was a nineteen year old girl named Ninet Tayib. She was in the army at the time and they let her out to compete. She was wonderful and she won.

Something about her touched me and I have been following her career ever since. Five years on the Israeli soap 'Our Song'...don't ask. You watch it once you are stuck till the end. Don't know how they got me but they did. Year after year.

In the meantime Ninet fell in love. And then she fell in love again (the second time was sorta sticky as the girlfriend of the second fellow was a member of the cast and well never mind...the tongues of the gossipers are still wagging).

When Rena and I went to the Ma'abada (Labratory) to see Shalom Hanoch two weeks ago there was a poster on the wall saying Ninet was coming in two weeks. NINET? MY Ninet? In Jerusalem? Singing?

Boy can she sing. My oh my can she sing. So, I asked Rena if she would come with me and, being the sport that she is, she said 'Sure'.

We got tickets and Thursday night we went. Let me put it to you this way. Of the hundreds of people who showed up, maybe ten were our age. The rest were all in their teens.

We waited in line till they opened the doors and then ran to get a good seat. The teenagers ran to stand near the stage. We were happy to be sitting. Sigh.

The show was supposed to start at ten, but from the Hanoch concert we knew that was wishful thinking. At about ten-thirty they started. A drummer, a 'cellist, a guitarist, a man with a double set of piano keys, and NINET.

She is some singer. They are some players. And the rest I don't remember because it was so loud. No, make that LOUD!!!

The amps were pounding, the mikes were throbbing, the lights were flashing. I was afraid someone would have a heart attack and Rena feared that with all the flashing lights someone would have a seizure!!!

I can't blame Ninet. She was wonderful. But it just wasn't my kinda music any more. Oh sure I gew up with kids in the house and listened to MTV...loud. But there is something about being in a small theatre, in the dark, with lots of big music that you can't adjust by turning a dial.

So, good luck Ninet. I still love you. But from now on it will have to be from afar.

Have a great day...stay safe...and thanks for dropping in.