Mood Mix with Yo Aisenstark   

From the time his “Tov Lehodos”became a classic almost 30 years ago, Montreal-based YO AISENSTARK has been an active player on the Jewish music scene as a singer, composer, and bandleader. His first album of original compositions, Shalheves Boys Choir’s Precious Tears (1995), produced together with his brother Binyomin, paved the way for a second Shalheves album, the 2006 Shearim album, and several more recent singles. He’s the longtime owner and musical director of Shearim Orchestra.

MY FAVORITE GIGS

I do everything, from kumzitzes and dinners to bar mitzvahs, but my favorite will always be a wedding. It’s a place of great simchah, with great vibes and everyone in a good mood, and as a bandleader, I get to have a chelek in that. When I have a wedding coming up, whether it’s for a one-man band or a full orchestra, I can’t wait.

THE SONG I CAN’T STOP SINGING THESE DAYS

Say it with me — “Tamid Ohev Oti.” I play it if there seems to be a lull in the dancing, and the room immediately goes back to high energy.

SOME CHERISHED FEEDBACK

One freezing winter evening I arrived for an event, but something felt off. There was going to be dancing, but there was no mechitzah. When I told the family that I wouldn’t be able to play under these circumstances, the young people got upset while the grandparents tried to make it work by putting up a makeshift curtain, but I had a feeling it would come down when the music started. I brought my instrument and sound equipment into the hall, but when I tried to turn on the keyboard, it didn’t work. I realized that the freezing temperatures had affected the wiring. “What can I do? My keyboard is broken. You can use all the rest of my equipment, but we need to find a replacement keyboard player,” I told them. That was the first and last time my keyboard suddenly went kaput from the cold.