When the King of Morocco Was Moved by the Jewish Pavarotti: An Exciting Interview with Shimon Sibony

"An ancient saying goes, 'If the mountain doesn't come to you, go to the mountain,'" says piyut singer Shimon Sibony. "We, the singers and cantors, have a moral obligation to bring the piyut songs beyond the synagogue walls so that they enter the consciousness and are recognized. The proof of this is the new renditions of piyutim: 'I Will Fly and Be at Rest' or 'Beautiful and Whole,' which have been revived, and suddenly everyone is singing them."

The piyut 'Beautiful and Whole,' which praises the Torah, was composed by Rabbi Shlomo Abitbol z"l from Morocco in the mid-19th century. The song, passed down through Moroccan Jewish tradition, gained revival and popularity with a new rendition initiated by Lior Elmaliah and Michael Peretz.

The song features the singers Shimon Sibony, Lior Elmaliah, Michael Peretz, and Chaim Oliel. 'Beautiful and Whole' is a qasida—a song with a lengthy template, characterized by a complex structure—that praises and lauds the Torah, relying on midrashim. Throughout the piyut, Rabbi Abitbol z"l describes the Torah's beauty, depth, and grace. Throughout its duration, the piyut weaves expressions of love for the Torah and encourages its study. Moroccan Jews traditionally sing the piyut all year round, especially on Shabbat when the portion of Beshalach is read.

Sibony: "The piyut was once hidden away, appreciated only by enthusiasts of bakashot singing, but it never reached the younger generations outside of the synagogue. Today, following the piyut’s success, I encounter people on the street, not necessarily religious, and they are singing the piyut—it excites me. Suddenly, people seemingly unconnected to religion are beginning to sing—these are the days of the Messiah. Who would have believed there would be people who don’t attend synagogue every Friday night, but they sing 'Beautiful and Whole' and find it pleasing. By the way, people on the street show interest and ask what the song is about. I explain that the piyut describes the beauty and sweetness of our holy Torah, thus bringing piyutim into consciousness. I wish they would come to the synagogue to listen, but reality is different, so we must take piyutim to the stage. Through piyut, we expose the youth to appealing melodies, and they want to learn more."

Singing in the Synagogue in Casablanca

Sibony, a father of four, was born 52 years ago in Casablanca, Morocco. Today, he lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh, having made aliyah to Israel from Canada 13 years ago. "My father Yekutiel Avraham z"l was a great and well-known cantor," he says, "My father instilled in us, the children, the practice of cantillation, in the sense that 'every bone shall speak.' Back then, tradition and the synagogue were an inseparable part of our childhood landscape. We, the children, breathed the synagogue."

I absorbed the love for piyut and singing since childhood. I began singing at the age of 6-7. Initially, I sang zmirot in synagogues with my father, particularly during the High Holidays. We sang with the greatest piyut singers, among them Yosef Amar (Joe Amar z"l). My brother and I used to sing zimra sections in the prayer service while my father ensured we knew the rules of grammar, precise intonations, and, of course, the meaning of the text. Our nickname was 'Mr. Sibony's children.' In the synagogue, we received our first platform, in fact.

At the same time, my father z"l taught boys for their bar mitzvah. Each time there was a bar mitzvah party, I would be allowed to sing a song or two with the orchestra. From then on, I loved singing and performing, and from a young age, I got used to singing with music and an orchestra. It's not a given that a cantor is necessarily a singer; in fact, they are two different worlds. Many cantors and piyut singers are not aware of the rhythm issue, even during the prayer, because they are not used to singing with an orchestra, which requires maintaining a certain rhythm. I, thank Hashem, was fortunate to learn from childhood that when leading the prayer or performing a song or piyut, it is important to maintain the musical and rhythmic framework."

Sibony performed with singer Yosef (Joe) Amar z"l who passed away in 2009. Besides being a singer, Amar z"l was a cantor, lyricist, composer, and piyut singer, considered one of the pioneers of Eastern and Mediterranean singing in Israel. "Joe Amar knew my father z"l. I performed with him in Morocco and later we performed together in Canada and New York. We had several collaborations. I had an emotional meeting with Enrico Macias (a French-Algerian Jewish singer) when I was 19. It was when I performed at a gala evening and I didn't know Enrico Macias was in the audience. He came by surprise, and I was embarrassed because all the songs I planned to sing were actually cover versions of his songs. I wanted to flee the place out of embarrassment, but the friend who organized the event stopped me. I performed, and later when introduced to each other, he laughed and hugged me. I asked for his forgiveness that the songs I sang were his, because they were songs I loved since my childhood. He took the microphone and said, 'I don't understand why you brought me, you have a star here that, God willing, you'll hear more about.'

"With Mordechai Ben David, the Chassidic singer I loved from childhood, I was supposed to sing in Canada, but it didn't work out because I was in Morocco on those dates. About two years ago, we sang together at a third meal on a weekend we were at the same hotel. It was very emotional."

In his youth, Sibony studied in yeshivas in Canada and England. At age 18, he already served as a cantor in the city of Lyon, France. "My parents z"l made aliyah from Morocco to Canada, and I lived in Toronto and Montreal for over 22 years and served as a cantor in the community. We used to visit Israel often until 13 years ago when we decided to make aliyah. It was a childhood dream: to come home—to the Holy Land."

Cooks for Shabbat and Listens to Mordechai Ben David

"At home, we listened to varied music," Sibony recalls, "Flamenco music alongside the first records of Mordechai Ben David that my sisters, who studied in seminaries in France, brought to Morocco. Of course, we also listened to Enrico Macias. We actually didn’t listen to Arabic or Middle Eastern music."

Sibony shares a special encounter with royalty: "In Morocco, there is a festival called 'Mawazine.' Great artists from around the world come to perform at the festival, and the king organizes it. About seven years ago, I performed at a Simchat Beit HaShoeva event organized by the Jewish community. During the performance, a dear Jew played the performance on his mobile phone to someone on the other end of the line. At the end of the performance, he approached me and suggested I meet a representative of the royal court. At the meeting, he invited me to perform at the festival representing the international Moroccan Jewish community. I performed before senior government officials, and the king watched the performance live. It was certainly a great honor to perform before the king. The audience was small, and I opened with the prayer 'He Who gives triumph to kings,' to bless the dignitaries, and then I sang in Spanish-French. The king's representative told me the king thanks me, noting that I was the only artist at the festival to begin the concert with a blessing for the king, and the king was very moved by this gesture.

"During the week-long festival, Elton John and Julio Iglesias also performed—some of the world's greatest singers. After the performance, when interviewed by the Moroccan media, I said that I live outside Morocco. The interviewer asked me, 'If you love your homeland so much, why don't you live here?' I answered that despite my love for the country where I was born, I must be a good ambassador, showing the world how Jews live in peace and tranquility in Morocco, alongside the local residents. This is still the case today."

Do you think Eastern piyut is getting the recognition it deserves today?

"Definitely. There is progress in the matter. Thank Hashem, the Andalusian orchestras contributed to increasing awareness, and many piyut singers have brought piyutim to the public consciousness. After all, piyutim were not performed publicly but only in synagogues, in a closed circle. Now, when I perform at events and Shabbat Chatan, people ask me to sing piyutim. I love to mix in many styles not directly related to piyut, because today's youth are not really into piyutim. Therefore, I take a song with a familiar melody, even foreign songs, and sing it with piyut or prayer lyrics. For example, I perform 'Od Yishama' with the melody of 'The Godfather.' I also brought in opera pieces and flamenco songs that speak to the hearts of many people who immigrated to Israel."

Recently, I began working in collaboration with the public relations office run by Lior Michael. These days, we are working on several projects to be revealed soon," shares Sibony.

Lior Michael says: "Shimon is a special personality and a great singer; there are many things on the agenda."

Shimon Sibony and Michael Lior

Sibony dreams of a day when children will learn about the Moroccan heritage within the educational curriculum. "It's on the agenda," he emphasizes, "through various projects I am currently working on. I want this learning to enter the education system through the Ministry of Education to bring it to the public's consciousness. Children do not necessarily know the Moroccan biblical cantillation. True, we are in the Land of Israel, but what about the heritage? What about everything we brought from Morocco? We need to introduce this more into consciousness, so young people know how to sing a Haftarah in the Moroccan style and recognize piyutim, grammar, and biblical cantillation.

Young people should care not only that their grandfather was born in Morocco but also about the cultural heritage. There are customs that are being instilled, but it is not enough. We are in a melting pot of different cultures. Just as we learn history, so we need to learn and teach heritage. There are many Moroccans in Israeli society. The heritage of Moroccan Judaism is not just at Passover when we make Maimuna and Muffleta—it’s beautiful, but what happens all year? We need to delve into it."

When preparing for Shabbat, Sibony listens to opera and flamenco songs, which he incorporates into Shabbat prayers. "Of course, I listen to piyutim, and when I need to study, I listen to my teacher and rabbi, Rabbi Chaim Look shlit"a. I connect greatly with Luciano Pavarotti (an Italian tenor), who left his mark on the world of opera, and I learn a lot from him. Some even say we look very similar," Sibony laughs and adds, "I incorporate what people love in prayer while maintaining, of course, the Moroccan piyut tradition."

Sibony recently returned from a tour in South America. For Shavuot, he is expected to release a new project—a recording of the entire Book of Psalms in the Tangier style. "My father z"l was a Psalms expert. He taught my brother and me the tunes. We worked on the project for two years, with guitar artist Eli Zaruya, who is also a creator and composer. We did the entire book accompanied by a real harp and guitars. Unfortunately, this authentic melody is being forgotten, and I try to restore it." Sibony says that when the Rishon LeZion, Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar shlit"a heard about the project, he blessed it for success. Indeed, the Psalms were recorded over 11 and a half hours of listening to 150 psalms. Sibony: "I hope to share this important project with all of Israel."