The Boy Who...Became a Mizrachi Singer
Sasson Potter has taken TikTok by storm - a fusion of the worlds of Harry Potter and Israeli music
After seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway, I didn’t think that my post-books and movies experience of Harry Potter could be topped.
Boy (who lived) was I wrong in the best possible way.
The vibrant magical world of my childhood and teenage years has somehow found a way to pair with one of my other passions - Israeli music.
I heard my brother-in-law telling my nephew about something called Sasson Potter. I didn’t think much of it at the time and I had no idea that it would change the game in a big way.
This beautiful production called “Sasson Potter” (only searchable in Hebrew: ששון פוטר) is the spectacular marriage of Harry Potter and mizrachi music. How did they manage such a thing? Well, with AI of course.
A TikTok channel called YomSheni (Monday), which releases a video every Monday, created a series of AI videos in the world of Harry Potter. The familiar faces of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, etc. are replaced by beloved superstars of mizrachi music - Sasson Shaulov, Eden Hasson, Odeya, and Shlomi Shabat, respectively.
Platform 9 and 3 Shekels
What could get better than that? I wasn’t sure, but then some more characters appeared and I was elated. Draco Malfoy played by Omer Adam saying ייאי לי - why-lee (whoa is me) over and over again, spells being cast in the form of songs, and the spectacular resemblance of the characters to their real-world selves.
Snape, or rather SnaPeer Tasi, played by … you guessed it… Peer Tasi.
And He Who Must Not Be Named - Voldy himself - played by Eyal Golan.
I’m not sure why each character is played by their respective Israeli music maven, but it is beyond entertaining. The case could be made that Sasson Shaulov is the up and coming face of mizrachi music at the moment, but I don’t see Omer Adam as a bad guy. Even if you don’t understand Hebrew, merely seeing how realistic they look and the silly nicknames they give each other can be endlessly entertaining.
There are some digs and inside jokes at play about Israeli music. Eyal Golan as the wonderboy-turned-dark lord seems to criticize him in some way possibly because of the tabloids. Shlomi Shabat sees himself as a rock star, which he is in the traditional sense of his focus on rock. He turns to the rising star Sasson and tells him that it is in his hands to get mizrachi music back on track. I will do some digging to get the bottom of this insider scoop on Israeli music for a later post.
Sasson is currently known for his chart-topping תמיד אוהב אותי (he always loves me). The song is known for its chorus - ועוד יותר טוב..ועוד יותר טוב (v’ode yo-tare tov, v’ode yo-tare tov) - and even better, and even better.
"There used to be music here that we all loved, but everything has changed. You, Sasson, can get it back on track. I believe in you." - Shlomi Shabat / Dumbledore
Not just you, Shlomi Dumbledore, but many of us.
Maybe the prophesy will come true and Mizrachi music will be saved. The only hole in this plot is that mizrachi music is alive and well. And it keeps getting better.
Here is the only video that is currently available on YouTube:
The moral of the story is that we are living in a golden age of entertainment. What will they think of next?
Last week, I was a guest on a podcast called Jews on Film where I participated in a discussion about the smash hit, “You Don’t Miss With The Zohan” starring Adam Sandler and Emmanuelle Chriqui.
The conversation tackles such issues as:
What makes something Israeli vs. Jewish?
How can the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be solved?
Where does Zohan’s love of Mariah Carey come from?
Song of the Week
Idan Amedi is a real life superman. He was injured in battle in Gaza towards the beginning of the war and went through rehab for months to heal. He couldn’t play guitar during this time due to the burns on his fingers. He merged out of this as a symbol of strength and resilience. You might recognize him from Fauda and he pretty much that BA in real life. This is the single off of his upcoming album of the same name.
Slang of the Week
על האש
All huh-eish
On the fire
This refers to a BBQ, which is a big part of Israeli holiday, camping, and celebration culture. It’s hard to miss a BBQ happening in parks and beaches. It’s easy to pick up a portable grill and to get started on those pargiyot and kebabs.
Thank you kindly for reading this week’s post. I hope that you will continue to read and enjoy.
To sponsor a falafel if you like what you read: www.buymeacoffee.com/sababoosh
Wishing you a Shabbat shalom and a quiet and safe weekend!