No one is more aware of the subtle pleasures of music than those who create it. And no one is more attuned to the melodies that inspire us than Yerachmiel Begun. This bold and ambitious powerhouse of musical talent has consistently been at the forefront of the Jewish music scene. He broke barriers, created genres,and developed a distinctive style that made its mark on Jewish music history.

This year, Y.B. comes to us full of surprises. Never before has so much talent come together to produce such a variety of musical entertainment. Never before have the greatest musical minds of our time merged their expertise to bring the listening public a breathtaking array of dynamic musical productions.And never before has the sound and the melody been so current, so vibrant, and so up to date as it will be this year. So join us for a tour throughout the year with Yerachmiel and get a taste of what's in store for us in the year tuf-shin-nun-zayin, the year of song and melody!

September 3rd - Remember the thrill of Nassau Coliseum? Remember Y.B. andthe M.B.C. live on stage in front of fifteen thousand enthusiastic fans? Remember how we got the chills when all those thousands of people gathered together to witness this extraordinary kiddush Hashem? How could we forget? And so, in response to enormous popular demand, the Nassau Coliseum video, cassette and CD was finally produced.

It took a year and a half but it is certainly worth the wait. The colors are vibrant, the sound is extraordinary and the visual quality is crisp and clear. Watch this video, and the magic of Nassau Coliseum comes alive right before your eyes. Relive the excitement, the thrill, the adventure. According to Yerachmiel, who is proud of this everlasting tribute to the great Nassau Coliseum concert, "This video captures the essence of both the show and the fireworks. The grandeur of fifteen thousand fans in the audience makes it truly awesome." It's like no other video you've ever seen.

If you find that the current selection of Jewish music videos are overpriced, this video is a welcome alternative. A revolutionary new marketing approach will make this new video affordable to just about everyone. It will be released in two separate half hour segments. Pay only an incredibly low $10.99 and receive the first segment of the video. Enjoy the performance until the second part is released a few months later. You can buy either half at your own personal convenience. And, by alternating the two segments, you and your family are guaranteed never to tire of the Miami magical experience.

The Nassau Coliseum cassette and CD are being released simultaneously with the first video. A full 60 minutes of the original concert are recorded.These state-of-the-art audio recordings capture the magnificence of the live production. Once you pop it into your stereo system at home or in the car, it seems as though you're sitting at the actual live performance. It's quite an exhilarating experience!

September 10th - Ever since the first time we heard Yisroel Williger's album, Hu Klal, we can't stop singing his songs. The now legendary release took the Jewish music world by storm. It was heralded as the best selling album by any new artist in Jewish music history.

Considering that everyone already has that entire album committed to memory, what's next? When will the Yisroel Williger sequel be released? Introducing "Sha'alu Sholom L'Yerushalayim", the second release from this promising young artist. Collaborating their efforts on this promising new album are Yerachmiel and Suki and Ding. That's quite an unbeatable team! All those involved predict that this album will be even more popular thanYisroel's first. According to Ding, "This album contains alot of heimishe,yeshivishe music. The songs are diverse, written by several different talented composers. Considering the fact that Yisroel's first album was such a great success, we are hoping for this album to be success plus!

The title song of this album asks Hashem to bestow peace upon the city of Yerushalayim, an appropriate message for our times. Each of the ten songs is spirited and elevating, capturing the pulse beat of contemporary Jewish audiences. A full adult choir is joined by a children's group, enhancing the beauty of the songs. Yisroel himself best personifies what audiencesare clamoring for today. As Yerachmiel describes him, "Yisroel is immensely popular because he has the sound that people want to hear. He carries a yeshivishe style voice with a good gefeel. His voice is perfectly suited for the type of music that is in demand today."

"Shaalu Shalom Yerushalayim" is produced by Yerachmiel Begun and presented to you by Suki and Ding. As Ding points out, "That awesome combination of musical talent and expertise is unbeatable." The result is music that you will treasure for a very long time to come.

October 1st and 2nd - Let's make one thing perfectly clear. There is absolutely nothing in the world quite like a Y.B. and M.B.C. concert. No other performance is as breathtaking and entertaining as when the curtains go up on their show. But next Pesach is a long time away, and most of us would do anything to attend the concert a little sooner than that.

How soon? How about a Chol Hamoed Sukkos? That's when Yerachmiel and the choir are scheduled to perform at Brooklyn College for two action packed evening shows. Why a concert on Chol Hamoed Sukkos? Yerachmiel explains that, "It's to accommodate those thousands of Miami fans who never saw our show because they were out of town on Pesach. And for the benefit of those thousands of fans who were turned away at our sold-out show this past Pesach."

Nuta Weidenbaum, a veteran of successful Jewish music concerts, is the associate producer of the Sukkos performance. Nuta explains that "an M.B.C. concert is that very rare event which can entertain the entire family. It is appropriate for all ages and can be enjoyed by a broad spectrum of Jewish music fans. It has a very special appeal." Most important of all, the concert is a wholesome, kosher show. Time and again, it has won the highest acclaim from every segment of our community. As Nuta explains, "For these two and a half hours, we have thousands of families and children listening and learning from what we have to say. That is an immense responsibility, and we take it very seriously." An M.B.C. concert, Nuta points out, provides the highest level of entertainment combined with the highest level of frumkeit.

Watch for Yisroel Williger to be performing at this Sukkos extravaganza. If you're a serious follower of Jewish music, and aren't we all, you can't miss this show. During the performance, Yisroel will sing a few selections from both his original album and his new one. Yerachmiel and the choir will also be introducing a few selections from their upcoming album. We can't tell you much about these songs now except to say that they promise to be"hot" songs, lively, upbeat, and thoroughly entertaining. It's a whole new style of music for Miami and you'll be hearing it live for the very first time at the Sukkos Miami concert.

Once again, this concert will be presented by Yeshiva Tiferes Miriam, a long-time sponsor of Miami concerts. The yeshiva is a well-known organization known for the tremendous good work that they do for the children in our community. As an added bonus, those who purchase two fifty dollar tickets to the performance will be entitled to a free chinuch lulav and esrog set,available to them at certain designated locations. This special promotion is brought to you by the people at Esrogim Warehouse, the largest importers of Israeli esrogim, who provide thousands of chinuch sets for NCSY. This unusual promotion will add a new dimension to the Miami Boys Choir concert. It will increase the joy of Sukkos for those who participate, and will add greatly to the spirit of the Chag.

November 10th - As those chilly winter days approach, warm up with the hot musical sound of "Miami Gold". This groundbreaking new album, produced by Sheya Mendlowitz, is unlike any Miami album you've ever heard. It combines popular Miami hit songs with an unusual and delightful twist.World famous producer Sheya Mendlowitz explains, "it's an exciting project where we are taking the classic masterpieces and treating them to a whole new musical approach, both arrangement and soundwise. We're finally giving Yerachmiel's great compositions their due and the result is something both young and old, instrumental lovers and vocals aficionados will love. We're bringing back memories of Miami old and turning it into Miami Gold." This is the first time Sheya and Yerachmiel are collaborating together on a major project and the results will combine the best of Miami yesterday, today and tomorrow.

December 15th - Ah... Chanukah is here! The snow is falling, the candles are burning. And you're doing the entertaining at your family Chanukah party.What a perfect time to bring out the Miami Music Book to help entertain your guests. Sit down at the piano or whip out the guitar, and let the fun begin. The musical notes and guitar chords for all the songs in two Miami favorite albums, "One By One", and "Min Hashamayim"are included in this book. According to Avrumi Gurary, who wrote the notes using hi-tech computer equipment, "The music in this book is accessible to all musical instruments. It can used by beginners as well as accomplished musicians. Lyrics and words to the songs are included, as well as chord symbols for guitar. People will enjoy this book immensely and will no doubt use it over and over again."

Also being re-released on Chanukah is the Toronto Boys Choir album. Bring back the memories of those classic beloved songs by listening to this digitally enhanced version of their original production.

March 10th - Can it be? Is it true? A new Miami album to be released so soon after the last one? You hated having to wait several years between albums. You always wished they would come sooner. And now, your dreams have come true. Introducing the latest Y.B. and M.B.C. album, with a refreshing new variety of songs, coming your way this winter on the heels of their latest release, "One By One".

Yisroel Lamm has been instrumental in creating this Miami album and he is very pleased with the results. According to Yisroel, "The music we present here is very upbeat. It's hot. Most of the songs have a fast tempo and a contemporary sound. It is more up to date than any album we've ever done before. Think of it as M.B.C. entering the twenty-first century."The album is filled with a variety of electronic sounds, acoustic effects and unusual sound effects. What does Yisroel think the general reaction will be? "The musicians and the technicians in the studio loved it! They thought it was exciting and electrifying, and different than any Miami album they've ever heard before," Yisroel says. If that's any indication, they've got themselves a runaway hit.

June 1st - It's not his usual forte, but leave it to Yerachmiel Begun to explore yet another avenue of Jewish music. He announces that he is beginning to work on a children's tape. Although the content of the music still remains a mystery, rest assured that it will be of the highest quality. Yerachmiel tells us that, "The tape will reinforce certain hashkofos that parents would like their children to learn. And the music will be so enjoyable, I'm willing to bet that adults will listen to this tape just as much as their kids."

Who will distribute this vast array of musical productions? Introducing Sameach Distributors, the newest distribution company to appear on the Jewish music scene. This tremendous outpouring of talent needs to be handled by a real pro, and Izzy Taubenfeld, the president of Sameach, is just that. According to Izzy, "I plan to distribute all of the Yerachmiel's music as well as the releases of several other Jewish music stars. My love for music goes back a long way. In fact, my wife Gaile, choreographs many current simcha dances. You might say that music just runs in our family!"

The Nassau Coliseum Video...Yisroel Williger's new album...The Sukkos Miami Concert...Miami Gold...The Miami Music Book...A new Miami Boys Choir album...Anew release for children...That's a lot of entertainment coming from just one source. But Yerachmiel characteristically shrugs off any suggestion that he is spearheading the direction of contemporary Jewish music. Just listening to his plans can leave you breathless and exhausted, but Yerachmiel takes it all in stride. With a keen sense of the needs of our community, and an unerring knack to produce just what the people want to hear, he understands that the demand is greater today than ever. And he consistently delivers just the right sound - music that uplifts and inspires us just as surely as it entertains us.

So join us as we make our way through the year. This lineup of entertainment is sure to please and delight us along the way. As we look forward to a year of health and happiness, we can rest assured knowing that the greatest talents in the music industry are working hard to bring us a year overflowing with beautiful music. Yerachmiel joins everyone at Country Yossi Family Magazine in wishing one and all a wonderful New Year. May this year truly be filled with musical joy and songs of gladness!