Kleztival 2012: Klezmer in Brazil!
Canadian writer Richard Simas travels to Brazil for Kleztival, Brazil's Great Jewish Music Event, 2012, written November 2012. Participants came from Brazil, Latin America, North America, and Europe.
Mix traditional Eastern European Klezmer tunes such as bulgars, freylaks, horas, and nigunim with strains of samba, salsa, and tango, and you have Jewish music, South American style. Add Berber sounds from the deserts, new-jazz inflected original compositions from Israel and Brooklyn, a cumbia style dance-band, and Brazilian choirs and you are hearing Kleztival 2012, São Paulo's third annual Klezmer music event. [more]