Canadian-raised, world traveled, Brooklyn-based Chana Rothman uniquely fuses singer/songwriter folk mentality with progressive worldbeat in two languages. Live performances feature a tight rhythm section, commanding stage presence and spontaneous rhymes tailor-made to vibe with the audience. Chana Rothman uniquely fuses Lilith-esque singer/songwriter folk mentality with progressive worldbeat in two languages. Like an eclectic ’07 Rickie Lee/Joni, her politics, her obvious bohemianism and her delicate vocal phrasing push her sound into a delicious left-of-center mix that also incorporates reggae and hip hop. The 10/24/07 release of We Can Rise (on Oyhoo Records, owned by Michael Dorf, founder of The Knitting Factory) is a likely addition to Dorf’s revered sensibility of avant-garde experimentation. This is a strong young woman—a classically-trained Canadian living in Brooklyn—who trekked around America, Italy, Israel and Nepal with a guitar strapped to her backpack… a Pied Piper of the Himalayas making friends along the way from Kathmandu to the Lower East Side. The message is unity through music. Her poetry demands thought, and is provocatively accentuated with her genre crossing style. Clearly, Chana Rothman is an important new voice who cannot be ignored.