Rewind to December 5th, 1979, when identical twins Ryan and Dan were born in a Cincinnati, Ohio hospital (Dan first into the world by a short three minutes). The only kids in the family born on North American soil (the parents and Ryan and Dan's 3 older siblings left their South African home in the late 1970s), Ryan and Dan were the youngest additions to a very musical family. Dad is a world-renowned professional cantor and concert artist, and all three older siblings are musically gifted as well. Not quite the Van Trapps, maybe, but Ryan remembers the twins' first public appearance on stage vividly as a family affair.
"Dan and I were four years old, and we joined my sister and brother on stage at a local community centre," Ryan remembers. "We sang 'You Are My Sunshine'. My parents taped it - and it's one of our favourite home movies. In fact, we still love to perform that song live!"
Dan and Ryan - who describe themselves as "inseparable . . . the best of friends" - remember singing constantly as kids. After a move to Toronto as infants, they grew up in a household filled with music, encouraged by their musically-minded parents to explore singing, writing lyrics and melodies, and performing. "Since I can remember, my mom has been compiling baby books, scrapbooks, tapes of our early performances, the works," Dan shares. "She's a social worker, but she should really be a journalist!"
Meanwhile, across the ocean, Ohad was born on March 13, 1982 in Jerusalem, the middle of three sons of a businessman father and a mother who is a popular Israeli singer. He remembers watching his mother perform at concerts when he was just a toddler; his own "public" debut was in kindergarten. "We used to have this 20 minute singalong every morning in class," he recalls, "and I remember one of the first mornings in September I didn't quite 'get' the concept. I told all the other kids to shut up, and I stood on my chair and insisted on singing a solo." He laughs. "I remember getting in trouble for that one."
Ohad and his family moved to Toronto when he was 11, and he quickly adjusted to his new home and a new language, English. He met his future bandmates Ryan and Dan at a mutual friend's house when the twins were fourteen and he was just 12 years old.
The chemistry was immediate. "Our parents used to say to us: 'what do you see in Ohad? He's not in your age group,'" recounts Ryan with a smile. "And his parents would say to him: 'what are you hanging around with those older kids for?' But the age difference never mattered to us. We would spend tons of time listening to the radio - The Jackson 5, Boyz II Men, and Stevie Wonder - and I'd take the top parts, Dan would do the middle harmonies, and Ohad would take the bass. We'd memorize all the pop songs on the radio and work on the harmonies for days."
We've been best friends for about seven years...
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Through a friend of the twins' father, the trio got hooked up with a sequencing professional and some studio time, and managed to put together a 2-song demo. Through another family friend, a little luck put that demo in the hands of SRO Management's Steve Hoffman, who liked what he heard and signed on with the group.
One morning, we woke up and said, we've got to do something...
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And then, one fateful day in 1999, the guys were driving around, itchy for fame or maybe just something to do. "We were on our way down to MuchMusic's 'Speakers' Corner' to sing, because we wanted to get noticed," remembers Ohad, "and out of the blue I said as a joke, 'Let's walk into Sony.' So we rolled down our car window, asked some taxi driver where to find Sony's office, and within minutes we were standing in the lobby trying to sweet-talk the receptionist into letting us go in the building to sing for someone, anyone who could help us!
We like to joke around, so we said, 'fine . . .'
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Next thing we knew, two guys walked out into the lobby on their way out to lunch, overheard us, and said 'hey, why don't you sing for us?' So we did, a cappella, not knowing who we were singing to and thinking we had nothing to lose!"
It was a stroke of pure luck that those two strangers just happened to be the head of Sony Music Canada's A&R department and the chief engineer for Sony's Oasis recording studios. That impromptu audition was the beginning of a relationship that resulted in the debut album 'b4-4', 12 distinctly modern pop songs anchored by an old-school harmonic sweetness.
They offered us a deal...
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"Recording this album was like a dream," describes Ohad with enthusiasm. "I'd wake up at 4 a.m. some mornings and just wait for the moment when I could leave the house and go to the recording studio. Ryan and Dan would sometimes sleep over, and we rented a bunch of gear - microphones, amps, basic stuff - just so we could go home to my basement at night after a day in the studio and practice, practice, practice, so that each day in the studio would be the best it could be."
The trio teamed up with a group of writers to collaborate and craft the 12 songs that would eventually become their debut record. Many of the songs - including the infectious, uptempo first single "Get Down" - were written with Jason Levine and James McCollum, the creative forces behind the multiplatinum act Prozzäk. "Jay and James came up with such original ideas in the studio," praises Dan, "and it's amazing the different kinds of songs those two guys are capable of writing - from pop to dance to techno. Although so much of Prozzäk's material is brilliant, it's ironic that the songs they brought to us were so sincere, so appealing because they were written from the heart."
The resulting album ranges from the playfully sexy "Get Down" and "Go Go," to the soulful "Everyday" and the sweet wistfulness of "Smile," which was the first song b4-4 recorded for the album.
"We went home that night and worked on the harmonies and lead lines for hours," Ryan recalls. "We went in and did the song during our very first day recording, and that vocal take made the album. That song is so special to me because of the great memories I have of that time."
The three members of b4-4 unanimously agree that the process of signing a deal, recording an album, and getting ready to take their music to a stage for a live audience has been the ride of their life - and a whole lot of work. It's the message of the anthemic song, "Really Gotta Want It": an inspiration to work hard to achieve their dreams is at the heart of this friendship and musical partnership. So what's it like to share the stage with identical twins?
"They're like family," says Ohad. "Actually, a lot of the time we get mistaken for triplets. But musically, Ryan and Dan are two totally distinct voices and they have these unique, amazing singing styles." As for the twins, Ryan sums it up: "We're so close," he smiles. "It's hard to explain to people, because . . . it's as though he's me. It explains a lot about how well we get along - because how can you fight with yourself?"
On twin harmonies
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Dan agrees. "I can't even imagine not working with my brother! I'm so proud of this record, and every day we're trying out something new. When Ryan and I were younger, we insisted on working at the same part-time jobs: fast-food restaurants, theme parks, pet stores, factories, you name it. These days, I think Ryan, Ohad and I just scored the best job in the world."
"Jewish boy band is go going to the top"
By Viva Sarah Press
(November 23) - Once upon a time there were three best friends, Ryan, Daniel and Ohad. These three nice Jewish boys loved to sing. For seven years they would get together and practice harmonizing in their families' basements.
Then, one day, the boys decided to prove to the public that they could sing.
So, they set off to their local TV station, where for a dollar, they could sing to the camera. On their way there, however, the youngest boy, Ohad, suggested that rather than settle for a 60-second spot on TV, they go try their luck at a real recording studio.
When they got to the record label's head office, a very stubborn receptionist met them. Despite their attempts at sweet-talking her into letting them sing for an executive, the three boys seemed to be going nowhere. Then, just as they were about to give up, two men identifying themselves as "couriers" passed through the lobby in which they were loitering. The "couriers" offered to listen to the boys.
So, the three lookalikes broke into song - a-cappella style - and so impressed the men that they were invited into the building. The "couriers" turned out to be head of Sony Music Canada's A&R department and the chief engineer for Sony's Oasis recording studios.
With a belief in themselves and some hutzpa for good measure, these young lads - two of them sons of a cantor, the other's mother is an Israeli singer - walked in off the street to Sony Canada's head office and walked out with a record deal.
Sound like a fairy tale? It should be. But this is the true story of b4-4 (Before Four), Canada's newest boy band.
"This has been a dream of ours since...," begins 20-year-old Dan Kowarsky.
"...since we were little kids," finishes his twin Ryan.
Eighteen-year old Ohad Einbinder, their friend, nods in agreement.
A YEAR after their introduction - albeit without an invitation - to Sony's staff, Ryan, Dan and Ohad are pampered and made to feel at home at the studio in Toronto.
Sitting comfortably in their chairs, the boys have agreed to meet with this reporter despite having had a full day of practice for a live show they will perform after the interview.
Dressed uncannily alike, and sporting similar spiky hairdos, the twins and Ohad are thanking me for coming to interview them. It is obvious that these three young men are new to the entertainment business: they are overly polite, they think it is my time they are using up, and they answer every question thrown at them.
There is nothing pompous about these three heartthrobs - who look more like triplets than twins and a best friend. Though they are all terribly fashion conscious, and make sure their hair is always in place, superficiality is not the name of their game.
"We don't look at ourselves as being famous," says Ryan, in all honesty. "We're still normal guys."
While the three Jewish boys may think they're "normal," their story of success is anything but. Their first single, "Get Down," sailed into the Top Five in Canada upon its release in April.
In its first week in stores seven months ago, b4-4's self-titled album debuted on the sales chart as the second-best-selling Canadian album in the country. The album, which ranges from their two sexy singles - "Get Down" and "Go Go" - to the soulful and sweeter tunes, "Smile" and "Ball and Chain," has sold more than 50,000 copies in Canada, certifying it gold.
"It's incredible hearing ourselves," says Dan, lazily slumped in his chair.
Though still relatively new to the concert circuit, b4-4 has already shared the stage with acts such as Destiny's Child and LFO. They were also presenters at the 2000 MuchMusic Video Awards (Canada's MTV equivalent).
The first time they heard themselves on the radio, they were "flipping out," says Ryan, who is sitting on the edge of his seat, seemingly excited to be being interviewed.
"...Jumping up and down," Dan interjects.
"We were literally crying," Ryan says, finishing the sentence.
WHILE SOME musicians - like controversial rapper Eminem, who has explicitly stated his dislike for manufactured teen-oriented music - might be shedding tears that there is another boy band on the scene, the young teenybopper crowd is more than happy to welcome b4-4.
Though this group was not artificially constructed like other boy bands - such as the Backstreet Boys, 5ive, or 'NSync - they still share the trait of not writing the songs they sing.
"Obviously we're young and we're growing as artists and writers," says Ryan, who - as the interview progresses - turns out to be the group's unofficial spokesman. "On the next album there will be a lot more with which we're involved, and a lot more of what we write. We're learning as we go."
Actually, the boys don't identify themselves as a boy band. "We weren't put together. We've been together all along," points out Ryan, who stresses that the group has total control over its image.
Born in Cincinnati in 1979, Ryan and Dan became the youngest additions to their musical family. Their father, Paul, is the cantor of Toronto's Beth Tzedec Synagogue, the largest Conservative synagogue in North America. The twins were still infants when they moved with their parents and three older siblings to Canada.
Meantime, here at Jerusalem's Hadassah-University Hospital, Ein Kerem, Ohad was born in 1982 to Shelly Ovdat, a singer. Ohad and his family moved to Toronto when he was 11. There he met Ryan and Dan, and the three became best friends almost immediately.
They spent much of their time listening to the radio and harmonizing pop and rock songs. From the time the twins were 14 and Ohad 12, the boys toiled away at perfecting their melodiousness. Ryan sings the high notes, Dan sings the middle harmonies, and Ohad takes the bass lines.
Of the 12 songs on their disc, they collaborated on just one: "Go Go."
Not having written their own lyrics, the boys found themselves in hot water after the release of their first single, "Get Down." With lyrics such as: "If you get down on me / I'll get down on you / I will do anything / That you want me to," the boys had to explain to their young fans (and their parents) that the song was not suggestive nor promoting sex.
"The song is about give and take in a relationship," says Dan, sounding fully prepped for the question. "That's pretty much what it's about."
"'Get down' is an expression," Ohad says, trying to sound persuasive. "It's just a party song."
"As long as people like the song we're fine with however you want to look at it," sums up Ryan. "If you don't like the song that's a problem."
In spite of the mini controversy over the lyrics, the song proved to be just that: a party song. It was a summer smash hit. And it didn't seem to tarnish the boys' wholesome image, either.
DESPITE looking somewhat tough, the boys seem to be one of the best-behaved groups in the music industry today.
In fact, just how proper the boys are can be off-putting. They have what looks like a wild side to them: A lot of earrings, piercing eyes, and a number of tattoos. But, upon closer inspection, Ryan and Ohad's tattoos are all done by henna.
"I wouldn't get a real tattoo," says Ryan. "I want to be buried in a Jewish cemetery."
Identifying with their Judaism, though they are not religious, is very important to them. "We are Jewish," Ryan says, pointedly.
"We're Jewish for life," adds Dan.
The boys, who say they came up with their name because "b4-4 sounds cool, and 'just the three of us' sounds too simple," admit that their recording career "is a dream come true."
Careful not to turn a fan away, the boys relate that it was tough not to sign autographs during the High Holy Days.
"On Yom Kippur people asked for autographs, but we didn't give them," says Ohad.
"Not to be rude, but it's Yom Kippur and we have to have a little respect for Hashem [God]," adds Ryan.
Ohad Einbinder 
Name: Ohad Einbinder
Birthday: March 13, 1982
Height: 6'0"
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown with red highlights{sometimes blonde}
Favorite Food: junk food
Favorite Color: baby blue
Place of Birth: Jerusalem, Israel
Current Residence: Toronto, Ontario{Thornhill}
Elementary School: Westminister Public School
High School: Vaughan Secondary School(he dropped out, but had a tutor}
sign: pisces
family status: middle of three brothers
what he loves: singing, moonwalking, dancing, his fans, performing, his car, his family, basketball, plain chips, That's How I Know and Go Go, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, BoysIIMen
what would he bring to a deserted island: : Fans, Fans, fans
who does he want to perform with: Michael Jackson
poor OHAD: ryan and dan locked him out of the hotel room once. He was completely naked and had to walk to the front desk and go ask the clerk for a key.
ohad on get down: "basically the song is about give and take in a relationship. You know you can't take without giving in a relationship so...i mean, get down is an expression and it can mean alot of things so..."
on making the video: "my feet were like, going to break in half"
*QUOTES*
"It squishes it and then it dries it and then this comes out"
"Okay, Ryan is probably the most annoying person you'll ever meet. Ever."
"Actually, a lot of the time we get mistaken for triplets. But musically, Ryan and Dan are two totally distinct voices and they have these unique, amazing singing styles"
Isn't Ohad so *sexy*? :*)
Dan Kowarsky 
Name: Daniel Kowarsky
Birthday: December 5th, 1979
Height: 5'8"
sign- sagitarius
family: has 3 older siblings, and identical twin Ryan
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown with blond highlights
Place of Birth: Cincinnati, Ohio
Current Residence: Toronto, Ontario
*Quotes*
"Don't eat chocolate when you're wearing
white stuff"
"It still hasn't clicked. Sometimes when I'm
lying in my bed at night and I'm just thinking
about everything, I realize how lucky we
are.We're living a dream right now"
"We didn't know how hard it would be. We didn't know how much time could an album take? We literally thought you could do an album in a month."
Ryan Kowarsky Name: Ryan Kowarsky
Birthday: December 5th, 1979
Height: 5'8"
Eye Color: Blue, and wears purple contacts.
Hair Color: Brown with blond highlights
Favorite Animal: Poodles
Place of Birth: Cincinnati, Ohio
Current Residence: Toronto, Ontario
*QUOTES*
"I have always wanted to be a poodle trainer and my room is full with stuffed animal poodles.
":) I think poodles are going to rule the world one day and everyone should strive to be a poodle!"
"You want to stay away from the mirror - it's hard"
"Sometimes when I'm lying in my bed at night and I'm just thinking about everything, I just realize how lucky we are. We're living a dream right now."
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