Country : Canada (Quebec) Label : Independant Genres and styles : Jazz / Jewish Traditional / Musiques du Monde Year : 2024

Kleyn Kabaret – De mémoire

· by Frédéric Cardin

At one time, there were between 10 and 15 million speakers of Yiddish, the language of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe. Some 90% were erased from history after the Holocaust. Today, a number of artists are working hard to revive this language, which was born somewhere in the 9th century from the meeting of ancient German, Hebrew and Slavic dialects. In North America, Montreal is one of the most vibrant scenes for Yiddish expression. It makes sense, after all, the city was shaped in part by Leonard Cohen, Mordecai Richler, Schwartz, Moishes and the first bagel makers, all of whom spoke Yiddish. A vanished world whose flavour can be reintroduced, just a little, with the music of the Kleyn Kabaret ensemble, which expresses a whole batch of old songs (revolutionary, lullabies, musicals, ghetto songs, etc.) in this language. Many of these songs have catchy melodies. They are ‘classics’ of the genre, and understandably so. Above all, they should not be confused with religious songs, which they are not at all. They’re generally about very everyday, prosaic things. 

Interview by my colleague Alain Brunet with Kleyn Kabaret :

The performances, meanwhile, are deliciously idiomatic thanks to an array of top musicians from Montreal’s world, classical and jazz scenes: Antonia Hayward on vocals, Damian Nisenson on vocals and saxophones, Luzio Altobelli on accordion and marimba, accompanied by Chantal Bergeron and Miranda Nisenson on violins, Sheila Hannigan on cello, Guillaume Martineau on keyboards, Julie Houle on tuba and Marton Maderspach on drums and percussion.

A beautiful album with a distinguished Bar Mitzvah feel, but authentically festive.

Latest 360 Content

FIRE! Orchestra at FIMAV: Power Trio Meets Canadian Community of Avant-Garde Players

FIRE! Orchestra at FIMAV: Power Trio Meets Canadian Community of Avant-Garde Players

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

LMNL – Rainbow

LMNL – Rainbow

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Galan Trio – Embrace

Galan Trio – Embrace

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Hypercube – The Force for Good

Hypercube – The Force for Good

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

Duo AYA – Cycles

Duo AYA – Cycles

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Subscribe to our newsletter