Re: KLEZMER FESTIVAL

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

Moshe,

>> There, they see themselves as "preserving"
>> (at least, according to the Tzfat festival promo people). Here, the
>> revival is over and klezmer has grandkids, even.
>
>    So, why not to be opened to the Israeli klezmer grandkids, too?

I hope it is clear that I am not opposed--I am reflecting the festival
as it was described to me by the organizers. People who were sufficiently
steeped in Jewish tradition as to suggest that I be in Tzfat to celebrate
"our" millenium (if they were referring to the next Jewish millenium, of
course, there are a few hundred years to go), and who specifically spoke
of =preserving= klezmer, rather than demonstrating its diversity.

I am glad to hear that the festival is more than was explained to me.

On the other hand, if you are pointing to recent work by Andy Statman
as being more in the direction of Israeli klezmer, then, as much as
I value Statman's work musically, I think we are talking about two
very different streams, both grounded in very different approaches
to living Jewishly. I have to share the late Yeshayahu Leibowitz'
scepticism that Israel has an exclusive hold on the "living Jewishly"
franchise.

ari


Ari Davidow
ari (at) ivritype(dot)com
list owner, jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
the klezmer shack: http://www.klezmershack.com/

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