The Shloime Dachs Official Website

How many times does an eagerly awaited sequel to an album fail to meet expectations? The product is too of-ten `thrown together without much thought as to context, style or theme. Well, not so with Shloime Dachs. His second release, almost two years in the making, is well worth the wait.
"Acheinu" personifies who Shloime Dachs is as a performer, a person, and a friend. In the tradition of Shloime's blockbuster hit "Hamalach," Yisroel Baruchov astounds us once again with a smashing opening song, "Al Tiro," as well as "Acheinu," the title track, whose theme creates a symmetry between song and singer. It is still up to Shloime to bridge the gap between performer and audience, and he does, embracing us with his magic.

This theme strikes a resonant chord with Shloime's English song "Welcome Home," composed by Yitzy Waldner, with lyrics by Yechiel Zagelbaum. It tells the story of a Jew seemingly lost in the secular world, but whose neshama is reignited by the flicker of the Shabbos candles. Yossi Green, a legend in Jewish music, comments on Shloime's intimate bond with an audience. "His warm personality, charisma, and rapport with people distinguishes him from the rest." And Yossi has distinguished "Acheinu" by contributing four compositions to this album. "Sof Dovor" resounds with classic hora
rhythms and will certainly be enthusiastically added to the repertoire of wedding music. Many Yossi Green contributions carry with them the potential to become those
songs you call on again and again at the Shabbos table. In "Ein Lecho Ahava K'ahavas HaTorah," he creates a masterpiece with rarefied lyrics that transmit the majestic aura of Yerushalayim in sound and song. With "Kol Hamekayeim Nefesh Achas M'Yisroel..." Yossi elucidates the ultimate contribution of Hatzolah members in every community. They have secured the survival of thousands, and he has secured their legacy and nobility in song. Rounding out the four-some is "Shema Yisroel," a breath-taking ballad destined to become a classic. Yossi Green's signature style contributes immeasurably to this al-bum in every composition and vocal arrangement in this quartet of powerhouse songs.

An album of this stature could not be a reality without the input of music's greatest talents including: Yisroel Lamm, whose arrangements speak eloquently to the intent of each composition; Gideon Levine whose mark is evident in the tone, texture, and the overall development of the album's unique sound; and then there is Yochi Briskman, who has put it all together from the first note to the last orchestration, as only he can do as a talented musician, creative producer, and close friend. In the company of such illustrious personalities, we would presume that Shloime would be some-what unapproachable, yet his performances tell us otherwise. Shloime has the rare ability to combine the talents of a superstar with the personality and humility of your favorite uncle. At many of his concerts, he has shared the stage with both the most professional names in the industry and audience members whom he has invited to share a chorus or two. Once he called up a young child to sing an impromptu solo during a rendition of Shloime's famous "Hamalach." When the child began singing Dveykus' "Hamalach," without missing a beat, he finished the child's selection and then continued with his own. Shloime has that unique ability to share himself and the spot-light with his audience and what develops are those memorable moments that create lasting impressions. When you see Shloime Dachs in concert, you appreciate his popularity. And unless you've fallen off the face off the earth for the last year-and-a-half you probably have caught a glimpse of him at the Shearit Israel concert at Avery Fisher Hall with Dudu Fisher and Avraham Fried, at Yerachmiel Begun's Yachad concert for an audience of over 10,000 people at Nassau Coliseum, at Queens College for a sold-out performance with Dedi, at the outdoor concert in Central Park with Avraham Fried, or on his summer tour at a host of hotels, camps and bungalow colonies where Shloime has enchanted the audiences with his music. "One Day at Time," Shloime's first album, has made great waves in the Jewish music industry with record-breaking sales. That quantifies this incredible multi-faceted talent, but ultimately what qualifies true talent in Jewish music is a second album that has the same intent as the first. Essentially, Shloime's first album proclaimed his identity as a Jewish music phenom. Now his second album, "Acheinu," breaks through the limitations of sequels with even greater expectations. The music has taken him from New York to Los Angeles, from Israel to Russia and around the world and his musical magic takes us beyond.

"Jewish music has an impact on Jewish people more than ever be-fore, regardless of where and how observant an audience is," Shloime relates. At a concert in Columbus, Ohio, Shloime was visibly moved by how immersed the audience was in the music. "I looked out at a sea of people holding ArtScroll siddurim, because they desperately wanted to know the precise definition of every word I was singing."

This past year-and-a-half had Shloime flying from state to state. He had just completed a second successful appearance for the Bais Yaakov Annual Chanukah Concert in Chicago with Dedi on Motzei Shabbos. Sunday morning he hopped on a plane to Baltimore for an NCSY concert. Dedi and Shloime shared a plane, but not seating assignments. Dedi was seated in First Class, and Shloime took his seat in Coach. After a short interval, Shloime was approached by a flight attendant who asked him to join "his brother" in first class. Shloime was somewhat hesitant, but Dedi cleared up everything as soon as Shloime took the seat beside him. Dedi, noticing the seat next to him was empty, explained that their "father" could only afford one First Class ticket and had given it to Dedi, the robust and well-fed of the two "brothers," so that he would be more comfortable. Unfortunately this meant that he and his "brother," Shloime, would be separated for the duration of the flight. The flight attendant was visibly moved by his "brotherly" concern and reunited them in First Class, where both could share all of the niceties of First Class, since "Acheinu Kol Bais Yisroel," as Jews we're all brothers.

Shloime has shared center stage with some of the most recognizable names in Jewish music, and some not so recognizable, like Chaim, Dovid, Shmuel and Moshe, children from Hasc and Camp Simcha. These children are very intuitive, instinctively they'll know whether emotion is genuine or contrived. As always, Shloime's involvement is authentic, and the children feel it and know it.

"Every summer when Hasc calls me to sing in their camp, they're al-ways so gracious about it," says Shloime. They ask me so apologetically, as if they are imposing on me when in reality they're the ones doing me the favor. There's so much to take in at Hasc and Camp Simcha: the laughter, the tears, the struggles, and the pain. But before I leave I want them to under-stand that "Acheinu," - we're all in this together, and together we will make a difference."

What makes Dachs' fans so loyal and devoted? It's Shloime's star status without the hype, without the aloofness and with-out the attitude. Shloime is as much at ease off stage as he is on stage. But a performer with exceptional music that resonates with a contemporary sound and meaning and appeals to several generations is a rare find indeed. One and a half years ago he found his purpose in Jewish mu-sic, and we found him with a breadth and depth of talent that has made his popularity instantly identifiable.

Whether it's davening Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in the Great Neck Synagogue, or on tour in Israel this Sukkos, it's no surprise that he is constantly being put in the limelight. Shloime and his music create a positive momentum that ignites the audiences with a feeling of unity, purpose, and appreciation and brings them closer together with every single note. That's what will certainly make "Acheinu" the sequel with no equal.