The Klezmatics are world-renowned and Grammy-winning superstars of the klezmer world. They formed in New York City’s East Village in 1986 and revitalized klezmer for the new century with music that is steeped in Eastern European Jewish tradition and spirituality, while incorporating contemporary themes such as human rights and anti-fundamentalism with eclectic musical influences including Arabic, African, Latin and Balkan rhythms, jazz and punk. In the course of over twenty years they have released nine albums.
Josh Dolgin, known as Socalled, is a rapper and producer, known for his mix of hip-hop, klezmer and other types of folk music. A pianist, accordion player, producer, composer, rapper, singer, journalist, photographer, filmmaker, magician, cartoonist and puppet maker, he has been making records and touring the world for over a decade with his unique mash-up of traditional Jewish meets urban hip-hop sound. Artist Website: http://www.socalledmusic.com
Detroit-born, Berlin-based Daniel Kahn is an integral part of the international Yiddish and klezmer scene. He sings old and original songs in Yiddish, English, and German that are poetically dark, tragically humorous and politically subversive. His band, The Painted Bird concocts a mixture of klezmer, radical Yiddish song, and political cabaret, kept together by Kahn’s abilities as a songwriter, translator and performer. Their newest album Lost Causes, winner of 2011 Record of the Year by the German Record Critics’ Association, challenges the borders between radical/ traditional, lyrical/political, east/west and folk/punk.
To get more information visit: SummerStage.org and http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central
