The Miami Boys Choir (MBC) is a boys' choir specializing in Orthodox pop since 1977.
History In the early 1970s while studying in yeshivah in Toronto, Canada, Yerachmiel Begun created, directed, and recorded three successful albums with the Toronto (Pirchei) Boys Choir. However, in 1976 formed by Yerachmiel Begun as well, the Miami Boys Choir was part of a larger surge in popularity of Orthodox Jewish choral music. The use of an all-boy choir is related to a common interpretation of Orthodox Jewish law (halachah) of kol isha which they hold prohibits males above the age of majority from listening to non-familial females singing even on audio recordings.
While the group was formed in Miami Beach, Florida, after releasing the first few albums, Begun moved the choir to New York. Although he retained the "Miami" in the name of the group, subsequent albums were released with boys primarily from the New York/New Jersey area.
Yerachmiel Begun was the composer for almost all of the songs featured on his Toronto and Miami albums. In addition, he had composed many songs for a number of other Jewish music singers and groups including Simchatone, Kol Salonika (with Rabbi Boruch Chait), Kol Hakavod, Camp S'dei Chemed International, Mordechai Ben David, and Ira Heller. Yerachmiel conducted the boys choir on the NCSY record from 1979. In 1981, Yerachmiel composed the songs for the group and hit album titled "Judaea". At the 6th annual HASC A Time For Music concert in 1993, paying tribute to Jewish composers, Begun was listed and mentioned as one of the Top Ten Composers of Jewish Music. Yerachmiel has worked side by side with a number of arrangers for his compositions, including Yisroel Lamm (the Neginah Orchestra), Suki Berry, Moshe Laufer, Mona Rosenblum, Hershel Lebovits, Vladimir Grinberg, and others.
Over the years, the choir's imaging has changed with the times. Originally called the "Miami Choir Boys," its name has alternated between "Miami Boys Choir" and "Yerachmiel Begun and the Miami Boys Choir." In addition, the album titles have slowly changed over time from just Hebrew/Aramaic titles (i.e., B'syata D'shamaya) to English and Hebrew together (e.g., Torah Today) and finally to the present format, which places "Miami" before the title (i.e., Miami Moshiach).
Compared to mainstream artists, the choir has not had spectacular results in terms of sales. However, in the Jewish music world, they are recognized as a success story. An example is their album released in 2005, Miami Revach, which reportedly sold over 15,000 copies in the first few weeks alone.Miami Revach DVD. Chapter 1.
Viral resurgence The Miami Boys Choir experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2022, after Yerachmiel Begun's son established a TikTok account and posted clips of the group performing. One clip, a recording of 4 soloists (Yoshi Bender, Akiva Abramowitz, David Herskowitz, and Binyamin Abramowitz) performing an arrangement of Psalms 125:2 ('Yerushalayim') became a viral sensation. It has accrued over 10.8 million views as of May 5 that year. Users have been known to 'duet' the video offering glowing assessments of the soloists' performances, proclaiming their 'biases' (favorite members) within the group, in the same vein as fans of Korean idol groups.
Prominent soloists and alumni
Ari Goldwag Shloime Dachs Shmuel Boteach Nachman Seltzer 25 January 2016. Mordechai Shapiro Yaakov ShwekeyYaakov Shwekey Hebrew Bio
Discography
TitleMostly Music Store Listing of MBC albumsYear releasedCommentsVictory Entebbe1977In 1977, Yerachmiel Begun released his first album, called "Victory Entebbe", against the background of the Entebbe operation that happened a year before. Yerachmiel composed all the songs, while the arrangements were entrusted to Yisrael Lamm, who had already arranged the Toronto Boys Choir albums. Among the songs that became hits you can find 'Moshe’ and ‘Bamorom'.Miami Meets Toronto1978Prior to starting the Miami Boys Choir, Yerachmiel Begun lived and directed a choir in Toronto, Ontario. This album features a collaboration between the Miami Choir Boys, (as they were then called), and the Toronto Boys Choir. One song on this album, entitled 'Mr Carter', was about the president Jimmy Carter.Miami Live1979In the first live Miami show, many songs became hits. One of these being the now classic slowly sung "Baruch Hagever" which was originally recorded and featured on Kol Hakavod (circa 1976-'77), Toronto Boys Choir 3 (1979), The Chevra (1982) and later more famously sung solo by Ari Goldwag at Miami Experience 2 (1992).B'Siyata Dishmaya1984In 1980, Yerachmiel moved to New York, where he founded a new choir with children from Brooklyn and the surrounding area. The choir in Miami was such a great success that the name "Miami Boys Choir" remained, even though the choir is based in New York today. In 1984, the fourth album "B’siyata D’shmaya" was released. This album, arranged by Moshe Laufer, is considered one of the greatest successes of the choir, with most of the songs on the album becoming hits: 'Kail', 'L’murunun', 'Achas', 'B’siyata D’shmaya', 'Ono B’koach', 'Ez Tzemach' and 'Kol Yisroel'. The title song is performed by soloist Jonathan Paley, the first star among the choir's vocalists. In one performance where he lost his voice, he was replaced by Mendy Wald from the Tzlil V’zemer Choir.Klal Yisroel - Together1987The next album, released in 1987, was called "Klal Yisroel Together" and was also arranged by Moshe Laufer. One of the songs on the album, 'Menucha', is from an ancient folk tune, a song Yerachmiel particularly liked and decided to include in the choir's album. This is the only song of all the choir's songs that was not composed by Yerachmiel Begun. Another song on the album, 'The Gedolei Hador', was written with lyrics in Yiddish, and performed by Yisroel Williger, who was not an official member of the choir. Some successful songs from this album were: 'Oshira', 'Mehairah' and 'Klal Yisroel Together'. At that time, the singers Eli Lewenstein, Avraham Willig and Ophie Nat starred.Shabbos Yerushalayim1988In 1988, the album "Shabbos Yerushalayim" was released, against the background of the choir's concert tour around the world, which ended in Jerusalem. The title song talks about the special atmosphere in Jerusalem and the need to preserve its sanctity. The second hit, in English, was the song ‘We Need You’, which talks about the problem of talking in the synagogue during prayer. Other hits from the album include: 'Asher Bara', 'Devai Haser' and 'Refa’einu'. The album was arranged by Yisroel Lamm, and stars the vocalists Avraham Willig and Stuie Bienenstock.Torah Today1990In 1990, the album "Torah Today" was released, arranged by Moshe Laufer and starring the vocalists Nochum Stark, Jonathan Morgenstern and Avraham Solomon. This album was particularly successful, and many of its songs became hits: 'Ohr Chadash', 'Basru', 'Baruch Habah', 'Od Yishama', 'Torah T’hi', and 'Torah Today'. Among the children of the choir who participated in this album (but did not get a single solo) you can find the singer Yaakov Shwekey and the producer Danny Finkelman.Miami Experience 11991In the early 1990s, the 'golden age' of the choir began, with a series of "Experience" concerts. This was a series of huge shows, held every year on Passover, usually at Brooklyn College under the direction of Yisroel Lamm. Each show included new songs, guest artists and production of the most innovative level. Also, for the first time, albums were released for people to watch these performances.