METROPOLITAN KLEZMER and ISLE OF KLEZBOS November 4, 2012

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College launches its 2012-2013 season with a double billing of Metropolitan Klezmer & Isle of Klezbos on Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 2pm. Drummer/band leader Eve Sicular leads these two internationally acclaimed New York City based ensembles, which represent two sides of the same musical coin, interpreting Yiddish favorites with a mixture of tradition and irreverence.

Klezmer has a long history, dating back to medieval Eastern Europe where itinerant Jewish troubadours played at joyful community events. It became a concrete musical style in the 19th century, and in the early 20th century new rhythms and instruments found in America were adapted to the Jewish traditional melodies. The tradition faded in the 1940’s in the wake of Nazism and Stalinism, and as immigrant Jews strove to appear more “American”. Klezmer enjoyed a comeback in the 1970’s and has since grown in popularity. With its artistic copiousness and distinctive sound, Klezmer music is unique, easily recognizable and widely appreciated by “ethnic insiders” and music enthusiasts around the world.

Formed in 1994, Metropolitan Klezmer performs an exhilarating range of musical treasure with astonishing agility and refreshing depth. This collaborative adventure of eight exceptional New York musicians bring together stylistic backgrounds from Latin jazz to funk and folk, zydeco and reggae to baroque, complete with panoramic instrumental array and multi-lingual vocals. The ensemble also explores such lesser-known gems as Soviet Yiddish theater melodies and drinking songs, gorgeous overlooked soundtrack tunes in addition to bringing unexpected musical elements together to transform familiar yet surprising favorites.

Isle of Klezbos approaches tradition with irreverence and respect. This soulful, fun-loving powerhouse all-women’s klezmer sextet has toured from Vienna to Vancouver since 1998. Band repertoire ranges from rambunctious to entrancing: neo-traditional folk dance, mystical melodies, Yiddish swing and retro tango, late Soviet-era Jewish drinking song, re-grooved standards, and genre-defying originals. Isle of Klezbos features alumnae of Juilliard, Eastman and Manhattan Schools of Music as well as Harvard, and has been honored with multiple awards by The New York State Council on the Arts, Outmusic, and Sparkplug Foundation.

Metropolitan Klezmer & Isle of Klezbos
Sunday, November 4, 2012 at 2pm
Tickets: $30

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College
2 train to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue

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