Posted to Chabad News on

BDE: R. Shalom Levine OBM – the Other Half of Megama

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of our good friend Rabbi Shalom Levine a”h better known as the surviving half of the duo known as MEGAMA—his partner Moshe Yess was niftar about two years ago. As thousands of fans worldwide will attest, the signature chemistry that defined Shalom and Moshe can only be expressed as magic.

The two met in Yeshiva D’var Yerushalayim in Israel where Levine—a classically trained viola player, became Yess’s mentor in halacha and eventually his musical partner in the groundbreaking group Megama. Their vision was to communicate the beauty and timeless values of Judaism with a musical style that was a blend of decidedly contemporary Amercian idioms including folk, R&B, Blues & Rock.

Because this was decades before promotional/marketing ‘tools” like email, viral videos, social media etc Yess & Levine had to rely on something way more visceral to get their ‘brand’ out there… their talent. Their easygoing performance style and warm friendly charm translated well on stage and resulted in over 3 1/2 years of almost constant touring & recording. One whirlwind tour included 32 shows in 29 cities in 42 days. Shalom told us in an interview just two weeks ago that what made Megama the success it was, was the amazing degree of synchronicity these two stellar talents shared. Yess used to compose the songs himself without Shalom. He then brought the song to Shalom and played it for him. Shalom would listen intently then play it back to Moshe on his viola usually with one or two changes or tweaks, to which Moshe replied PERFECT!

Gershon Veroba posted on Facebook “ I was so lucky to have known Shalom in my lifetime and I’m devastated that our reunion was cut so short. We spent time together in the studio just 3 weeks ago for the upcoming YESS TRIBUTE Double-Album and I’m glad he had a chance to hear it and perform on it. A, a great musician a greater man…I’ll miss him.” While Levine is unfortunately gone, his music will live on thanks to the aforementioned Tribute album which brought the much sought after Levine out of “retirement” to record a performance in memory of his student, partner and friend May his neshama have an a aliyah and may we be zoche to the coming of Moshiach –-accompanied by the music and founders of MEGAMA.

In the video below The Megama Duo explore Jewish music as they journey through the ages during a show in the 80′s

Related Articles

14 Comments

  • Aliza

    the first paragraph says that Moshe Yess passed away ‘about’ two years ago. i find it amazing that it was almost two years to the day. i believe Moshe’s Yartzeit is the fourth of Shvat.
    i am very excited about the release of the album.
    i kind of see the two of them getting together in Shamaim and rocking the house. lol.
    Go Megama!

  • Big loss

    R’ Moshe Yess was a temimusdiker ibergegebener chosid and I’m sure, R’ Shalom Levine, who i didn’t know, was a great man.

  • Minnesotan

    I remember this concert well!! This video is from the annual “Chanukah Concert” that Rabbi Feller used to put on each year.

    They were an exceptional show.

  • Baruch Dayan Hoemes

    He left a special and positive impact on this world
    I love his and Moshe Yess’s a”h song: “I don’t wanna change my name, I’ve got nothin’ to be ashamed of, got no secrets from you, I came in the world this way and I’m goin’ out the same, I’m gonna LIVE MY LIFE AND DIE AS A JEW…”
    My he have a lichtige Gan Eden and be a gute beter for us all

  • so sublime!

    They were great! I remember my parents took me to see them in concert at Brooklyn College, I think. Folks from CH didn’t always get their lyrics though. When Megama sang, “Zaidy used to teach us wrong from right”, the audience would yell out, “right from wrong!”. It was hilarious although I didn’t understand that until years later….

    What a loss for the industry, they were so much more talented than many of the shrill high pitched singing voices or slow mournful dirges with no creativity you hear theses days…

  • Guitarist

    Moshe Yess was a true guitarist and musician. He was an encyclopedia of Chord Theory. Moshe was a power trio; a rhythm guitarist, a bass guitarist and a percussionist all in one.

    Jewish music has lost a real guitarist. I miss him dearly and can’t wait for Techias Hamaisim, to hear and feel his aw some guitar playing again.

    There are none like him. Jewish music today is commercialized, corrected by digital pitch correction, automatic presampled loops, and do-it-yourself arrangements, that anyone with minimal musical ability can manipulate. Todays “groups” that include a guitarist (I’m talking strictly the FFB guys, those who try to portray themselves as “hip and cool”) have their guitarist hold a guitar strumming simple triads every couple of bars. But its a RED guitar… all about showmanship.

    Moshe Yess was one of a kind. I wish Jewish music would include more like him. To me the current compositions and arrangements are immature and lack musical depth. Tongue twisting, catchy sounding non-sensual words that do no appear in any dictionary do not impress me.

    I agree with commenter # 1. Musicians of his (R’ Sholom Levine’s) caliber have enough self confidence, that they do not feel it necessary to include histrionics in their stage attire. When I see a CD of a musician, singer, or group in which the “artist” fells it necessary to draw attention to himself by wearing “unconventional” clothing, I do not purchase it. This does not include musicians who grew up in an exotic or mohavish environment, which accounts for their style of dress. I am referring to musicians who come from a Frum or even Chabad background but must project their individuality by wearing an obnoxious hat, weird glasses, etc. rather than working on their musicianship.

    There is a beautiful word in Hebrew slang that describes these histrionic musicians – “Faltzanim”.

    Moshe Yess and Sholom Levine were real, sincere, humble and unpretentious. Moshe composed lyrics with a message. Each song was a lesson in how to be a devoted Jew, undaunted by American culture. Juxtaposition his lyrics with those the Frum youths list en to today – shallow, un-demanding, and messageless. But they sure come up with catchy “words”!

    OY! Oibershter please send the Geuloh at least so we can hear real music again LIVE!

  • Fan

    They were my first introduction to Jewish modern music. Who knows how many people are frum today because of their initial exposure to Yiddishkeit through Megama. What a zchus! BDE.

  • Niece

    I am Shalom Levine’s niece, to me he was Uncle Shalom. As someone who is his family member and became involved in Jewish music later in my life, it is a rare gem to see how he affected the Jewish music scene, years before I was even born. Thank you so much for sharing this piece about him, I found it very moving.