Grammy-winning Klezmatics to appear at Orcas Center

As part of a season of performances that includes world music and dance from Scotland, Mexico, Japan and the Aleutian Islands, Orcas Center will present one performance only of the Grammy-winning Klezmatics on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

February 16, 2009 6:18 pm
The Klezmatics will perform their flavor of world music on Feb. 25 at Orcas Center.
The Klezmatics will perform their flavor of world music on Feb. 25 at Orcas Center.

As part of a season of performances that includes world music and dance from Scotland, Mexico, Japan and the Aleutian Islands, Orcas Center will present one performance only of the Grammy-winning Klezmatics on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

The Klezmatics are globally renowned world music superstars, emerging out of the vibrant cultural scene of New York City’s East Village in 1986 with klezmer steeped in Eastern European Jewish tradition and spirituality. They incorporate contemporary themes such as human rights and anti-fundamentalism and eclectic musical influences including Arab, African, Latin and Balkan rhythms, jazz and punk. In the course of more than 20 years and nine albums they have continued making music that is wild, mystical, provocative, reflective and ecstatically danceable.

Klezmer, meaning “musician” in Yiddish, developed in the 15th-16th centuries in Eastern Europe as a secular Jewish musical form. Klezmer music has influences from the traditions of Baltic, Meditteranean and Roma (gypsy) cultures, French café music and early jazz. With much other Jewish culture, klezmer music was almost decimated during the Holocaust but during the latter half of the 20th century there has been a resurgence of interest. The sound has traditionally been made with violin, flute, clarinet, cimbalom (hammered dulcimer), accordion and cello.

Over the years the Klezmatics have had the privilege of working with many musical luminaries, including American folksingers Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, classical virtuoso Itzhak Perlman, Israeli pop icons Chava Alberstein and Ehud Banai, singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant and Beat poet legend Allen Ginsberg. The Klezmatics have performed on Late Night with David Letterman, PBS’ Great Performances, BBC’s Rhythms of the World, and A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. The Klezmatics have topped the Billboard world music charts on numerous occasions and have garnered numerous awards and accolades throughout their career, including the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album for their cd Wonder Wheel: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert are $24, $16 for Orcas Center members, and $10 for students. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.orcascenter.org or call 376-2281 ext. 1 during box office hours, Thursday to Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.