Russian Jews and their Festival

[Ashkenazim <ashkenaz...>]

Who are they, Russian Jewish musicians that knew almost nothing about their
culture 10 years ago?
My name is Paulina Achkinazi, and I am just one of them.

22-25, April, 2002
Kazan, Russia
The Second All-Russian Festival of Jewish Culture
The 2 All-Russian Festival of Jewish Culture will take place in Kazan in
2002, April 22-25. Kazan is a well-known center of Russian Jewish musical
culture. The Festival is valuable first of all because of combination of
competitiveness and the spirit of cultural community. Young amateur actors
and groups will be able to compare themselves with others and at the same
time to watch the performance of professional actors and to train during
master-classes. Besides, the Yiddish and Jewish languages, European song and
klezmer culture and modern Israeli rhythms live side by side easily on the
Kazan stage.

The 2 All-Russian Competition will last for three days in the following
nominations: dancing groups, vocal ensembles and vocalists, instrumental
ensembles and soloists. About 140 participants from more then 20 cities of
Russia and CIS have been invited to take part in the contest.

During the Festival people will be able to watch the performance of famous
Kazan groups and very interesting guests.  The St. Petersburg cantor Baruh
Finkelshtein who is the head jury will be on the stage together with the
klezmer ensemble from Briansk.
 The concert program of the 2 day is unique: the Kazan audience will hear
the Israeli pop-star Galy Atary for the first time in the second part. And
the first part of the concert is given to the Kazan Vocal Quartet
"Ashkenazim" (former "Lehaim") which will show their new program "Di
Yiddishe Gas". It is not just a concert but also a musical story narrated by
the quartet soloists. It's a folk program with theatre performances.
Approximately half of the songs are author's compositions by Paulina
Achkinazi.



The klezmer culture is presented by splendid klezmer ensemble from Ukraine
named "Kharkov Klezmer Band". The band has played in Hungary, Great Britain,
made tours in Ukraine and Russia. The head of the band , a marvelous violin
player Stas Raiko is trying to preserve a peculiar klezmer intonation  and
at the same time bring in something new and advanced. The "Kharkov Klezmer
Band" will perform in Kazan for the 1-st  time. Besides, citizens of Kazan
will have a wonderful possibility to compare two approaches to klezmer
music. They will hear the musicians from Kharkov and their favorite ensemble
"Simha" (Kazan) in one concert.

Prize winners of the contest in the name of  L. Sonts and marvelous guests
will perform in the gala concert. Except for "Simha", the quartet
"Ashkenazim" and "Kharkov Klezmer Band", the citizen of Kazan will be able
to hear their favorite ensemble "Alya" from Samara. The Festival will end
with a grand klezmer concert of all participants.

Jewish music will sound in Kazan for four days practically without stopping.
And more then that - during the next year till the next Festival.




P. Achkinazi


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