By Shlomit Kriger
Tribune Correspondent
TORONTO – Singer, songwriter and poet Chana Rothman got the
audience dancing and singing during a performance at the Gladstone
Hotel recently at the CD release party for her debut album, We Can
Rise, presented by the Koffler Centre of the Arts.

Initially released in the United States last October, the album, produced under indie label Oyhoo Records, features Rothman’s soul-ful voice fused with folk, reggae, hip hop and rock rhythms. The songs convey powerful messages of hope and unity and are sung in a mix of English and Hebrew. Based in Brooklyn, Rothman, 32, was born and raised in Toronto, where she first performed at such venues as Hugh’s Room, Reverb and Free Times Cafe. “I felt really supported by the communities and my friends in Toronto,” said Rothman.

Rothman’s brothers are also musicians. Her older brother, Reuven, is a classical bass player in Montreal. Jonathan, her younger brother, leads Toronto-based eclectic Afro-Brazilian fusion percussion group Samba Elégua, which energized the crowd as it
opened the evening for Rothman’s local CD release party.
Rothman decided to travel around the world a bit before continuing to work on her music. She then ended up settling in New York, because she found it had a very central hip hop community with many artists that were producing the same kind of music. When performing, she tries to harness the energy in the room.
“My goal as a performer is to bring people together through music and my message. Something that I learned as an educator and former song leader is that it’s not
about me throwing my music at people, but rather about having a dialogue. When that happens, I feel like everything is right with the world.”

Various hip hop and reggae artists and activists have influenced Rothman’s career, including singers Bob Marley and Ani DiFranco and writer Audre Lorde.
“I’ve been inspired by trailblazers, people who go out and make their own path,” she says. Rothman is also a social activist, and her messages of unity are spread through her music and personal life. “My music comes from a strong sense of cultural pride and love for social justice,” she said. “Justice is a value that I was raised with, par-
ticularly as a Jew. Social justice is a way of evening out power and voices that aren’t
represented that need to be and creating a world that’s more just. Sometimes my songs seem angry, but you can’t really disagree with the fact that the world is broken
right now. I feel that it’s our responsibility to look at the world in a real way through a real lens that acknowledges the challenges and the problems that exist and to
fix them.”
Rothman has had the privilege of sharing the stage with some other well-known artists that she admires over the years such as Chasidic reggae star Matisyahu,
Israeli soul and reggae group HaBanot Nechama and hip hop group Hadag Nachash.

Despite the pressure many musi cians feel to meet others’ expectations and act a certain way, Rothman remains true to herself. “I think people really appreciate
when you do something that reflects who you are,” she said. “I think we all want to be someone but I think I do much better when I maximize what my strengths are.
“I try to be the best musician I can and give the best shows I can. I feel that’s what people respond to anyway, and that makes people think you’re real.”
Remaining authentic is also echoed in her advice for other aspiring singers.
“It’s really important to believe in yourself and your message and to create the best music that you can that says who you are, the way you see the world, and what you feel is most important. Put it out there and believe.”
This summer, Rothman and her band will be touring Israel. She also hopes to collaborate with other female performers in the coming year.
For more on Chana Rothman
visit www.chanarothman.com or
www.myspace.com/chanarothman.

- The Jewish Tribune, Toronto, ON, Canada, April 24, 2008