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Klezmerquerque, Albuquerque, NM, Feb 16-18

Albuquerque New Mexico's annual Klezmer music and dance festival celebrates its 5th year over Presidents' Day weekend.

Known as "The Southwest’s Celebration of Klezmer Music and Dance", KLEZMERQUERQUE 2007 will present a weekend of concerts, dance parties, classes, and a lunch w/stories featuring world-renowned klezmer artists as well as many local artists. The annual event will take place from February 16-18 (Friday evening through Sunday afternoon) at Albuquerque's Congregation Nahalat Shalom which is located on 3606 Rio Grande Blvd. NW (between Candelaria & Comanche).

www.nahalatshalom.org
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Returning this year by popular demand is Adrianne Greenbaum, scholar and recording artist of the klezmer flute and associate professor of flute and klezmer ensemble teacher at Mount Holyoke College. KLEZMERQUERQUE 2007 also welcomes back the klezmer dance master Steve Weintraub, who teaches and performs klezmer and East European Jewish dance at workshops around the world. Both Adrianne and Steve will perform on Friday and Saturday evenings in addition to teaching two workshops on Saturday and one on Sunday. The Rebbe’s Orkestra, the popular Albuquerque-based klezmer ensemble will also give brief performances on Friday and Saturday evenings and will accompany Ms. Greenbaum on her musical pieces.

On Saturday, February 18th from 12:30-1:45pm come have lunch at KLEZMERQUERQUE and listen to A Classic Yiddish Tale and A Feminist Hasidic Story about SHTRAYMLS-yes, the tall fur hats that religious people wear. Join renowned storyteller Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb for a dynamic reading of I.L. Peretz's story: “Shtraymil” written in 1894, and Pearl Gluck's ”Shtreimel Envy” written in 2005. The art of storytelling is alive and well in these two tales connected by Yiddishkeit wit --and a big hat! Admission is a $5.00-$10.00 donation.

Featured at the concert on Saturday night, Feb. 17th at 7:30pm will be Toronto’s critically-acclaimed and award-winning 5-piece klezmer ensemble Beyond the Pale. Tickets for this concert may be purchased in advance for $15 (for ALL seats/ages) at Bookworks, 4022 Rio Grande Blvd. NW (505)344-8139 and at Natural Sound, 3422 Central Ave. SE (505)255-8295 - both in Albuquerque. Tickets will also be available at the door for $18-general and $15-fixed income/under 18.

The festival will open on Friday, February 16th at 6:30PM with a danced Freylekhe Shabbes “service” to the music of Alavados, Nahalat Shalom’s 5-piece in-house band with dancing led by Rikud—Nahalat Shalom’s Yiddish dance troupe. At 7pm there will be a vegetarian potluck dinner and at 8pm there will be performances by Steve Weintraub, Adrianne Greenbaum and The Rebbe’s Orkestra. The music and dance will continue with Nahalat Shalom’s 20-piece Community Klezmer band and open dancing led by Steve Weintraub and Rikud. Admission for Friday evening’s event is a $10 suggested donation (under 18-free/donation). Admission for the entire weekend of events (2 concerts/dance parties, 4 classes and a lunch w/stories) is $80.00-general, $60-seniors/fixed income/under 18.

For more event details please contact:
Beth Cohen (505) 243-6276 or email her

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