A radio program from the European Institute of Jewish Music, hosted by Hervé Roten.
MUSIQUES JUIVES D’HIER ET D’AUJOURD’HUI – TUESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2016, JUDAÏQUES FM (94.8), 21H05. Radio program in French
Since now almost 45 years, klezmer music has become a specific genre that speaks to all audiences. Sometimes associated to jazz (with for example the band Gefilte Swing), to Gypsy music (Astrid Ruff), or to the classical music world (Sirba Octet), klezmer – which was originally a music for weddings – goes along today with many other styles.
This is the case for the bands Yerushe and Los Cigarillos en el Shtruddle, with their CD’s that have just been released in the Discovery collection from the EIJM.
Accompanied by several musicians (Stephen Harrison, Piotr Odrekhivskyy, Michel Schick…), the singer and fiddler Eléonore Biezunski brings us into the universe of European and American music archives, with the goal of resurrecting the Yiddish songs that illustrated the day to day life of East European Jews. If misery is always present, the sense of humor is also there. This CD offers us a lively performance of a world in transition that pushes the Ashkenazi Jews to leave Europe for Golden America, where everything is not that nice, as illustrated in some of the songs (Fin mayn mamelyu).
As for Cigarillos en el Shtruddle, they give us an explosive experience of mixing salsa and klezmer. Playing on the similarities of various African rhythms of salsa, and klezmer, David el Shatràn, director, arranger and pianist of the band, brings us into “ Shtetlito Cubanele “ dance where South American Gefilte Fish is cooked into hot salsa with horseradish!
A wonderful show, with Eleonore Biezunski and David el Shatràn…
Listen to excerpts from the CD Yerushe]
Listen to excerpts from the CD Somos los Cigarillos]
Listen to previous radio programs dedicated to klezmer music:
Klezmer music from yesterday and from today
Klezmer, Gypsy, Romani, a mutual musical story
The routes of klezmer: Sirba Octet and the Classical world.
Officer of the Ordre of Arts and letters, PhD in musicology at Paris University Sorbonne, prize-winning graduate from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Hervé Roten is the director of the European Institute of Jewish Music since its creation in 2006.
Ethnomusicologist, he quickly developed an interest in the safeguard and digitization of archives, subjects he taught for several years in Reims and Marne-La-Vallée universities.
Author of many articles, books and recordings related to Jewish music, producer of radio programs, Hervé Roten is recognized today as one of the best specialists of Jewish music in the world.
