Joshua Dolgin (born December 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Socalled, is a Canadian rapper and record producer, known for his eclectic mix of hip hop, klezmer, and other styles such as drum & bass and folk music. A pianist and accordion player, he has taught the latter at Klezfest London, where he has also run workshops in "hiphopkele".[1] He has played with clarinetist David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness!, Michael Winograd and has also worked with artists such as rappers C-Rayz Walz, Chilly Gonzales, funk trombonist Fred Wesley, and Sophie Solomon. Dolgin has Ukrainian, Romanian and Russian roots.[2]
Socalled | |
|---|---|
 Socalled performing in Montreal, October 2005 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joshua Dolgin |
| Born | December 28, 1976 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Jewish hip hop, klezmer |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, record producer |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, accordion |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Piranha Musik, Label Bleu, Dare to Care Records |
| Website | socalledmusic.com |
Life and career
editDolgin's Socalled collective and guests celebrated the Jewish Festival of Lights with the seasonal concert "Hip Hop Hanukkah" in 2007.[3] He is the subject of The "Socalled" Movie, a documentary released in 2010 by Garry Beitel for the National Film Board of Canada, which also features Krakauer and Wesley. The documentary includes footage of the first "Klezmer Cruise", in which a boatload of klezmer fans sailed down the Dnieper River in Ukraine.[4]
In 2013, his remix of Moe Koffman's "Curried Soul" became the new theme music for CBC Radio One's As It Happens.[5]
His 2011 recording "Work With What You Got" was co-written by and features vocals by calypso musician The Mighty Sparrow.[6]
Discography
editAlbums
edit- HiphopKhasene (with Solomon) (2003)
- Consensus: Live in Concert (with Beyond the Pale) (2005)
- The So Called Seder: A Hip Hop Haggadah (2005)
- Ghettoblaster (2007)
- SleepOver (2011)
- The Season (A musical presented during the Pop Montreal festival with Yves Lambert, Katie Moore, Rich Ly, Josh Goldman, Yassin "The Narcicyst" and Josh Dolgin) (2013)
- Peoplewatching (2015)
- Isaac Babel's Tales From Odessa: A Socalled Yiddish Musical (2017)
- Di Frosh (with Kaiser Quartett) (2018)
- The 2nd Season (2019)
Singles
edit- "(These Are The) Good Old Days" (2007)
- "You Are Never Alone" (2007)
- "(Rock The) Belz" (2007)
Self
edit- The Socalled Movie (2010)
References
edit- ^ "Who's Who in KlezFest, Ot Azoy! and the Jewish Song School 2005". Jewish Music Institutes. University of London. March 25, 2005. Archived from the original on March 11, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2008.
- ^ Viatteau, Michel (June 23, 2011). "Canada's 'Jewish cowboy' combines Klezmer with electro". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
- ^ Roberts, Rob (December 7, 2007). "If you do just five things this week". National Post. CanWest Global Communications. Retrieved January 3, 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ C, Scott (May 24, 2007). "My Socalled column". Montreal Mirror. Quebecor. Retrieved January 3, 2008.
- ^ "As It Happens 'Curried Soul' theme remixer Socalled on how to remix a classic". CBC Music, September 4, 2013.
- ^ "SoCalled 'Work with What You Got' (video)". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
External links
edit- Socalled, official site
- Socalled at IMDb
- The "Socalled" Movie at NFB.ca
- Exclaim.ca September 2007 Interview with Socalled