New York, NY – Y-Studs A Cappella (Yeshiva Students)
Y-Studs A Cappella, the elite all-male a cappella group from Upper Manhattan, has once again produced the Hanukkah video you can’t miss. This season, we pivot from parody videos towards a moving, dramatic, and heartfelt rendition of Andra Day’s Grammy-nominated anthem “Rise Up.”
In collaboration with Ed Boyer of Pitch Perfect and Shams Ahmed of the famed a cappella group the Nor’easters, the Y-Studs have crafted another one of their ambitious ‘pivoted’ covers. The group maintains the lyrics of the popular radio hit but reinterprets them by highlighting contemporary and religious themes in its rendition.
This time, the Y-Studs address the shocking uptick in anti-Semitic incidents worldwide, and specifically in the US, which saw an 86% surge in 2017 (ADL). They interpret this as the modern day Hanukkah story—faced with threats to their religious identity and freedom, how will the Jewish people respond?
As the Hebrew Maccabees stood bravely against their Greek aggressors, the modern day Maccabees are those who resist hatred and fear by proclaiming and defending their religion with pride. The video’s heroes are two college-aged students who are shaken by the anti-Semitism that has confronted them directly. Together, they find strength and hope in the celebration of Hanukkah to uplift them.
Y-Studs have fused “Rise Up” with the oldest and most renowned Hanukkah hymn, Maoz Tzur, which dates as far back as the 1700s. The songs tie together past and present, sharing an emotional and inspiring story about the perseverance of the Jewish people, and reminding us of the need for all people to rise up strongly against any form of hatred.
About Y-Studs A Cappella
Y- Studs A Cappella received international attention in 2015 with their release of an a capella cover video of Gad Elbaz’s “Hashem Melech” (based on Khaled’s “C’est la vie”). They have since traveled the world, from Europe to South America and beyond, spreading their music at concerts, weddings, and various other family and communal events. They followed up their first music video with “Seder,” a Passover-inspired parody of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which received over a million hits and was covered by CBS, TIME, and more.
This past Hanukkah, the group covered The Chainsmokers’ “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Closer,” reflecting the holiday’s themes of community and renewal. The following Passover, the group released “La La Passover,” a cover of the Oscar winning film La La Land’s opening number, “Another Day of Sun,” where the group shocked audiences with its elaborate dance number in a local supermarket, and was featured on Z100’s, “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show” and Newsweek, among others. Most recently, for the High Holidays, the Y-Studs produced “Evolution of Jewish Music,” a mega-medley filled with iconic songs spanning centuries of the religion’s vibrant music culture, which received 1 million views.
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