Yerachmiel Begun’s Miami Boys Choir – favorites of many Matzav.com readers – has transformed over the last two weeks from a singing group popular among Jewish insiders to a viral sensation. On TikTok and Twitter, users have shared clips of the group’s concerts, overlaid its music with other scenes and inserted themselves into split-screen duets. New fans of the Miami Boys Choir, have chosen their favorite singers through their stage presence or their vocals.
JTA reports on the now-viral video of a 2008 performance of “Yerushalayim.” Some of the TikTokers have released lip sync videos of “Yerushalayim.”
Miami Boys Choir TikTok account is run by Yerachmiel and Shoshana Begun’s son Chananya Begun, leader of the Young Talent Initiative, a creative arts organization to support young Orthodox musicians. JTA reports that he presented his father with the idea of creating a TikTok account several months ago, citing the group’s more than 40 years of content. “I just think something crazy might happen,” the younger Begun recalled telling his father.
And something crazy did happen.
When he first started posting the videos two months ago, engagement was moderate. But six weeks ago, the “Yerushalayim” video started blowing up. Since then, web traffic has increased, people have been buying albums and subscriptions to MBC’s music, and Spotify listens have tripled, Chananya Begun said. Even TV studios and documentary producers have been reaching out to the Beguns.
“We’ve seen incredible reactions and it’s been absolutely wild to watch,” Chananya said. “Absolutely crazy.”
JTA says that Chananya has been impressed by the group resonating with non-Jews and people who haven’t identified much with Judaism in recent years.
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{Matzav.com}
