Klezmer Wanderings

Roby Lakatos – Klezmer Karma (Avanti Classic, 2006)

Budowitz – Budowitz Live (Golden Horn, 2007)

Klezmer music has grown in popularity in Central Europe and parts of the United States, like New York. With the number of new players, the styles vary as in these recent releases.

Virtuoso violinist Roby Lakatos is well known for his Hungarian Gypsy music recordings and signature Dalí-style moustache. With Klezmer Karma he pays a tribute to Jewish music. "Many music lovers know that both Jewish and Gypsy music are closely related," says Lakatos in the liner notes. "Both culturally and geographically, the two people have a lot in common. Many sufferings, many wanderings…"

For this project, Lakatos collaborates with the best known Yiddish singer, Myriam Fuks. On the instrumental pieces, Lakatos shows his rapid fire virtuosity, providing spectacular solos. The vocal songs have a more relaxed feel.

Hungarian band Budowitz has released a double live album, Budowitz Live, where they play lively Jewish songs from various parts of Central and Eastern Europe: Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Ukraine.

 

Budowitz plays in an ensemble format, where Klezmer meets classical. The clarinet and violins play an important role, but what differentiates Budowitz from many other Klezmer bands is the use of the cimbalom, which is know as tsimbl in Jewish music.

The double CD is packaged in an 8-fold digipack with a hand painted watercolor by Emily Lubanko on the front and a 12-page booklet with notes about each track.

Buy Klezmer Karma and Budowitz Live as well as Budowitz’ earlier CDs: Wedding Without a Bride and Mother Tongue.