Bas Sheva

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About Bas Sheva
Bernice Kanefsky

DOB: July 25, 1925

Place of birth: Philadelphia, USA

Currently resides in: ---

Education: ---

Family: ---
Father: Cantor Joseph Kanefsky
Trademark look: ---

Stage name(s): Bas Sheva

Charities/causes:

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Biography

Vocalist Bas Sheva was born Bernice Kanefsky to a prominent Jewish family in Philadelphia. When Bernice decided to go into show business she adopted the name "Bas Sheva" (i.e., the Biblical "Bathsheba"). She formally studied the voice and developed an extremely powerful instrument with extraordinary dexterity, and probably got her start singing in the so-called "Borscht Belt" of Catskill Mountains resorts. Her recording career began around 1950 with a small number of obscure singles of standards, none of which sparked much interest. In 1953 Bas Sheva was engaged by bandleader Hal Mooney as the principal voice on Soul of a People, a collection of traditional Jewish songs issued by Capitol. This was a very successful disc in the Jewish market, and Bas Sheva's brassy, no holds barred delivery of this familiar material was an important element in making Soul of a People appealing. Nonetheless, Bas Sheva did not record again for another five years, and she may have felt somewhat typecast as a primarily Jewish entertainer. Composer and Capitol Records producer Les Baxter came to her rescue by offering Bas Sheva the role of star vocalist on his suite The Passions. Bas Sheva's performance on The Passions is quite amazing even 50 years on; she screams, wails, whimpers, howls, grunts, and even acts a little to the pulsating rhythms of Baxter's dark, gritty, and complex musical score. While The Passions was the very embodiment of innovation in an era that encouraged musicians to stretch out, it was considered far too edgy, obscure, and over the top in its time and was not a success. Despite this great showcase of all the astounding things Bas Sheva could do with her voice, she was never to record again. In 1960 Bas Sheva died at age 34 from a diabetic reaction suffered while entertaining on board a cruise ship.

Career Highlights
Background in music: Born into a Jewish family and grew up practising Jewish liturgical singing. Instruments: Voice How she got her start: --- Big break: Bas Sheva collaborated with Harold Mooney in 1953 on Soul of a People, a collection of Hebraic chants backed by Mooney's orchestral arrangements. Musical icons/influences:	Best known for: Her haunting and emotional voice in The Passions Awards: --- Current projects: None.

Cultural Impact
With the haunting instrument of her voice, Bas Sheva surpasses the music of her time. She follows the spirit of human emotion and expresses each of these from despair to anger, from ecstacy to sheer lust in The Passions, using her liturgy-trained voice to remind generations to come what the human heart is capable of. ---	The Passions

Trivia

Quotes

Bas Sheva was born as Bernice Kanefsky. .She sang at concerts and weddings etc. with her father Cantor joseph kanefsky since childhood..She
was billed as bas Sheva Kanefsky for bas Sheva was her Hebrew name.
When she married Al hausman( Pianist ,Music arranger) she started
her professional singing carreer.The vocal arraingements for the
six cantorial chants was taught to her by her father.Her husband Al
did the music araingements,Mr harold Mooney did the Orchestral
arangements based on Al Hausmans music concepts.
Cantor Joseph(yosele) Kanefsky recorded for Folkways records
these recordings are still available on the internet.
Cantor Ian Kaye (Kanefsky) brother of Bas Sheva.

By Bas Sheva:

About Bas Sheva:

"Rarely has an artist put out such little material that spans the whole spectrum of our existence. In the case of the singer Bas Sheva this is certainly evident." -Mark Hausman

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