Most people know “Misirlou” as Dick Dale’s signature piece, which became a global hit when first issued in 1962. Later is was rediscovered by a new generation through Quentin Tarantino´s „Pulp Fiction“ in 1994. But few know that this song is far older than its surf-rock incarnation. It actually has deep, multicultural roots. Long before Dick Dale (whose father migrated to the US from Lebanon) electrified it for Western audiences, the melody was already circulating widely across the Eastern Mediterranean, beloved by Turkish, Greek, Arab, and Jewish communities of Asia Minor in the 1920s.

Within Jewish musical tradition, “Misirlou” holds a special place, particularly among Sephardic Jews whose ancestors lived in the Ottoman Empire. Sung in Judeo-Spanish (Ladino) or adapted instrumentally, the tune traveled from port cities and wedding celebrations into café culture, constantly reshaped by local styles and instruments. Its very name, „Misirlou“, derived from the Arabic word for “Egyptian girl”, reflects the fluid exchange of cultures, languages, and melodies in the region, where Jewish musicians played a key role as carriers and interpreters of shared musical heritage.

Now this is the glorious return of this timeless tune, revamped by the mysterious disco outfit Jewryhtmics. Teaming up with Jewish Monkeys front man and Greedy For Best Music impressario Joe Fleisch, they transform „Misirlou“ into a bold Italo disco version. Respectful of its rich Jewish and Mediterranean lineage, yet firmly aimed at the dancefloor, in the Jewrhythmics and Joe Fleisch version history, groove, and reinvention meet under the mirrorball.