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Klezmer Makes Me Nostalgic By
Arnie Greenberg (Klezmer is enjoyed the world over, even in Paris, one of Arnie Greenberg's favorite destinations, above). An item recently came to my attention about a musical festival held just north of Montreal in the Laurentian Mountains at Camp B'nai B'rith in Lantier, Quebec. As a one-time camper and counselor at camp, I was drawn to the announcement and as a lover of Klezmer music, I was nostalgic for many reasons. Developed in the late 19th century, this unique form of Eastern European music brought back the traditions of violin and dulcimer. The revival spread to Western Europe, England and North America. It is even enjoyed by non-Jews, especially in Germany. In Italy the Klezmer CD is called "Hot Azoi". So why not in Canada? The birth of KlezCanada's annual Klez-fest was a natural almost nine years ago. The happenings at the camp are an attempt to bridge the present with the past. The man behind the event is the camp's co-program director, Michael Alpert, who believes that music is a link to the past and innovative musicians are constantly discovered. With the dwindling Jewish population in Montreal, the younger generation looks for a connection to the past. The Klezmer movement is moving forward. It is adopting new forms of expression such as hip-hop. This becomes controversial. People like change, but others want the purities of the past. Nevertheless, Klezmer music lives in the Montreal area. I recently heard a local band at a celebration in the park near my home. The music was lively and infectious. In this community, made up of people from Jamaica, Great Britain, Italy, France and countless other countries with different traditions, I saw people in a long line buying CDs which contained songs like, "Shein vi di levune," "Bai mir bistue shein," "Yidl mitten fiddle," "Hey Dhzankhoya" and "Lomir alle zingen." It was an hour-long happening, so you can imagine a weekend festival in the mountains of French Quebec, where the Jewish soul music, made up of gypsy and jazz forms, Cantorial and Hassidic, filled the air. The word Klezmer comes from the Hebrew "kley-zemer," meaning musical instrument. It can be heard around the world, expressing the joy and mourning of life. This universal language of the soul will hopefully contribute to a peaceful understanding of all human beings. For more information about Klezmer music, visit www.klezmer.co.uk (Click below for more travel).
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