We
wouldn't dream of knocking the Nutcracker, Santa Claus, and the
rest—but maybe you need a little something else this holiday season?
For example, a bisl rockin' klezmer or some soulful Sephardic
music to tug at your heartstrings? To help celebrate the sixth and
seventh nights of Hanukah, the Freight presents Pomegranates & Figs: A Feast of Jewish Music,
featuring Alicia Svigals' Klezmer Fiddle Express: West Coast Edition
and the Bay Area's own Teslim (Kaila Flexer & Gari Hegedus) with
special guests.
Before
the big klezmer bands of New York arose with their brass and clarinets,
there were the archetypical Jewish orchestras of the old world, led by
the fiddles and born aloft by the basses. Renowned New York violinist
Alicia Svigals, a founder of the Klezmatics and the world's foremost
klezmer fiddler, presents a program of those ancient and ecstatic
Jewish melodies, accompanied by Moldovan accordionist Nicolai Prisacar
and Daniel Fabricant on the upright bass. This is an unplugged roots
group that sounds like a high-octane Jewish string orchestra!
Hosting
the evening is the Bay Area string duo Teslim, featuring violinist
Kaila Flexer and multi-instrumentalist Gari Hegedus. Kaila (the force
behind the beloved Bay Area Jewish music event Klezmer Mania!) created Pomegranates & Figs
to celebrate the rich diversity of Jewish music. Kaila and Gari are
joined tonight by fiddlers Shira Kammen and Julian Smedley and
percussionist Faisal Zedan for a vibrant set of Jewish and original
music.
To make the evening even more heymish ("homey"), audience members are invited to schmooze, kibbitz, and nosh on a delectable array of sweets and savories before the concert and at intermission. What's not to like?
Kaila will be teaching the workshop Tab Rehab here at the Freight on Sunday, January 31 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.
Visit Pomegrantes & Figs' website
Visit Alicia's website
Visit Teslim's website
Listen to a track from Alicia Svigals:
[audio]378[/audio]
Listen to a track from Teslim:
[audio]379[/audio]