At this year’s Jewish Music Festival, fans can expect more bang for their buck — not to mention more pluck, fiddle and wail.
Among the acts making a joyful noise this year is the East West Ensemble, Israel’s pioneering multiethnic band. They were one of the first to fuse disparate elements of the Jewish music world (East West will play on their own and on opening night in tandem with Sufi master Omar Faruk Tekbilek in a one-night-only Jewish-Muslim musical alliance).
Not surprisingly, the line-up for the 2005 festival is among the most diverse in recent years, covering the wide world of Jewish music. Whether from the shtetls of Eastern Europe, the deserts of North Africa, the plains of Spain or the sidewalks of New York, Jews across time and space have created a mighty musical legacy, and much of it will be evidenced at the festival.
The Jewish Music Festival takes place at venues around the Bay Area from Saturday, March 19, through Sunday, April 3.
The Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center event draws top talent from around the world: Artists such as Theodore Bikel, the Klezmatics and Yair Dalal will headline concerts.
One thing festival fans look forward to each year is seeing what happens when diverse artists team up on stage. In a kind of artistic alchemy, these pairings bring into being new shapes and twists to Jewish music.
This year, there are mixes and matches to spare. African American Jewish singer Joshua Nelson will take the stage with the Klezmatics, blending gospel with Yiddishkeit. Israeli countertenor Emil Zrihan will fuse his North African style with the more stately approach with the Kronos Quartet.
These artists are accustomed to touring the world, and many live in distant lands.
But what about homegrown musical talent? As in years past, the 2005 Jewish Music Festival will showcase Bay Area performers in a variety of settings with a string of events, from a hip-hop Torah study to a dance party.
On Sunday, March 27, the Berkeley Richmond JCC will host Community Music Day, with workshops, performances and an instrument petting zoo. Local artists include Fran Avni, Tim Barsky, Kid Beyond, Achi Ben Shalom, Julie Egger, Judy Frankel, Linda Hirschhorn, Hyim and Gerry Tenney. A concert by the Klez-X (formerly the San Francisco Klezmer Experience) is also on tap at Berkeley’s Freight and Salvage Coffee House the night before.
Gen-Y music fans seeking a more hip-hop flavor can find it at DJ Socalled’s Hip-Hop Purim Party or a Hip-Hop Parshanut presented by Rabbi Scott Slarsky.
Events take place throughout the Bay Area — from Pt. Reyes Station to San Leandro. General information is available by calling the ticket box office at (415) 276-1511 or www.brjcc.org.
JEWISH MUSIC FESTIVAL
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