“We can really live with the tradition. We don’t think it should be mummified”
Frank London of The Klezmatics
Daniel Goldberg
Over the years the name “Klezmer” has come to have a different significance for individuals, just as the Jewish identity itself has come to manifest itself differently within diverse populations and individuals over time.
In the most general sense, Klezmer is the instrumental music of the Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe. The musicians are by tradition called klezmorim and they originally played for weddings and other celebrations. The tale of the first klezmorim is debated, but as it is told, the story takes place in the early 19th century and has to do with a notorious band known as “Di Shikere Kapelye” – “The Inebriated Orchestra” or “The Band of Drunks”. This group of musicians gave birth to the soul of Klezmer and gave Klezmer its funky reputation. The few facts that are known about this band come from oral accounts passed down the generations and from court records of angry townspeople and town councils who pressed charges against the unruly group. The Inebriated Orchestra was often asked to perform but never to stay, perhaps due to their rambunctious attitude and spontaneous musical collaborations on the streets, late, after all bars were closed. Over time, as the band became better known for its rebellious behavior than for musical acumen, its members separated and formed new bands that meshed together aspects of the klezmer music they had been playing along with the music of other cultures and subcultures.
The word klezmer comes from a combination of Hebrew words: “kli” meaning “tool or vessel” and “zemer”, meaning “to make music”. Klezmer is an instrumental music, easily ide...
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...and aesthetic Yiddish/klezmer music that embraces our political values—supporting gay rights, workers’ rights, human rights, universal religious and spiritual values expressed through particular art forms—and eschewing the aspects of Yiddish/Jewish culture that are nostalgic, tacky, kitschy, nationalistic and misogynistic, we have shown a way for people to embrace Yiddish culture on their own terms as a living, breathing part of our world and its political and aesthetic landscape.”
Jewish music and Klezmer music especially has stood the test of time – it has survived not only the mass emigration from Eastern Europe, but also the Holocaust. Klezmer today is still the unique sound of East European Jewishness and it has the power to evoke a feeling of other-worldliness, of being there and then, and here and now, and of nostalgia for a time and place that we never knew.
Though the two differed in many ways, the were both chock full of musicality. A key difference between the two is the style of music they both held. New Orleans was a city of a multitude of musical styles, while Vienna remained a well known city for classical music. New Orleans streets would fill with parades and musical performs all over the city. As the documentary mentioned, after Louisiana became American controlled, an influx of newly freed African Americans began calling New Orleans their home. This brought on new styles of African and Caribbean music in addition to spiritual songs from the south. These new styles were not accepted by with upper class of New Orleans. White descendants of the French and Spanish who lived in New Orleans adopted the term “Creole” in order to distinguish themselves from the influx of new American’s for whom they disdained. Creole’s were classically trained and participated in local orchestras in New Orleans, lending to the multitude of musical styles of the city. Creoles soon became second class citizens along with blacks, and thus a new music was born. The influence of the Creoles classically trained music, along with the multitude of different styles, created a music of freedom and liberty. Together African Americans and creoles transformed music as it was known, creating jazz, a quintessential
Klezmer can be summed as “traditional, instrumental party music of Yiddish-speaking, Eastern European Jews”. (Strom 2) Literally Yiddish for “song vessel”, it is characterized by a festive, celebratory feel and expressive human-like leads. Klezmer is a secular music; it is not typically found within a synagogue or associated with prayer. However it draws strongly from traditional worship music. Though there are records of klezmer as far back as the 15th century, the majority of recognizable klezmer compositions originated in 19th century Eastern Europe. Klezmer has experienced several small-scale revivals in the late 20th century, thanks to groups such as the Klezmer Conservatory Band and the Klezmatics. Many of the newer as well as the older klezmer groups were heavily influenced by regional culture. The New Orleans Klezmer All Stars are perhaps the only establi...
The first such evidence that leads the reader to believe that Mr. Z is a black man is the fact that he "Disclaimed kinship with jazz and spirituals" (4). "Disclaim" literally means to deny connection to or responsibility for something; "kinship" denotes a familial relationship; "jazz" is the term for a unique form of music that was developed by Negro musicians in New Orleans circa 1920; and "spirituals" are defined as Negro religious folk songs. Taken as a whole, this statement tells us that Mr. Z wanted nothing whatsoever to do with Negroes or Negro music.
Jazz is one of the only uniquely American forms of music. Its roots date back all the way to the Atlantic slave trade. Jazz is still alive and well today. This paper will walk you through Jazz’s rich history. We’ll start with the basics of African music and its influences. Then we will take you through the decades leading to modern Jazz.
The Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1866 and could be found in almost every southern state by 1870. In the south, the KKK was turned into a tool for white resistance for the Republican Party’s Reconstruction era policies which were aimed at establishing political and economic equality for black people. Due to the Reconstruction era policies, the members of the KKK waged an underground campaign of violence and intimidation directed at white and black Republican leaders. The KKK saw one way to its primary goal: the reestablishment of white supremacy through Democratic victories in the state legislatures all throughout the south. This was accomplished, causing the gradual increase of white supremacy in the south while the Reconstruction era waned. The KKK ended up disbanding in the waning years of the Reconstruction because of the Ku Klux Klan Act. This act designated certain crimes committed by Klan individuals to be federal offenses, including conspiracies to deprive citizens of the right to hold office, serve on juries and enjoy the equal protection of the law. The act also authorized
There are many examples of which European religious music have been borrowed by black Americans, the key characteristics of their African-heritage were never forgotten such as improvisation, vocal slides and shouts, call-and-response style singing can all be found even in modern day gospel. Many of the lyrics and texts are performed in a half sung, half spoken manner which became a signature vocal technique. Vowel sounds like “ah”, “oh”, “yeah” etc. are mixed within the melodies as prolongations and or ornamentations to the music. Some words could form an entire melody with such elongations on its own. (Roach 24) Musicians can often alter the melodies and improvised vocal riffs in addition to the main melody which is an extension of the purpose
Despite the restrictions imposed by slavery, African Americans have made significant contributions to American culture in music, literature, and cuisine.
Richard Wagner’s essays, “Judaism in Music” and “What is German” does not just cast aside the ideology of Jewish emancipation as stated by Christian Wilhelm von Dohm in “On the Civic Improvement of the Jews”. Instead, Richard Wagner’s essays outline the struggles with the legacy of the Enlightenment and lead him to promote theories of culture and regeneration that would rewrite those of prior Enlightenment visionaries, making those people of Jewish descent seen as humans before Jews.
Wadiru, Stella. “Sounding the War: Acholi Popular Music in the Peace Process in Northern Uganda.” Ethnomusicology in East Africa: Perspectives from Uganda and Beyond, (n.d.): 177-187. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.
... people. Either that, or he’s talking about music having the precise meaning to one people or culture as it does to another. If this is what he is trying to convey, his belief may be accurate. Otherwise, I feel that his writing is impartial and unbiased.
No group in American history has been more subjugated than the African American people. The most common thread in our history is the mistreatment and hardship of African Americans. There is a tendency for the sorrow and strife this injustice causes to be woven into the music of this resilient group. They utilize the medium of song to tell their story, either to help them cope with their reality or educate those around them. Throughout American history the struggle of the African American people is echoed all over.
Music played a very important role in the lives of people is diaspora communities. It served as a reminder for the immigrants of their homeland, which allowed them to proudly express their national and cultural identities. Diaspora refers to an international network of communities linked together by the identification of a common ancestral homeland and culture. People in these communities are no longer living in their homelands, with no guarantee of a return either. (Bakan, 19). Music played a large role in African diaspora communities. This was first started by the slave trades many years ago when slave traders traveled to the coast of West Africa to capture Africans and brought them back to the United States to be slaves on plantations. Slaves were more prone to loose a sense of their own culture because every new aspect of their lives was forced upon them, therefore they were undoubtedly forced to abandon their n...
1- Wagner wrote that Jewish music is bereft of all expression, characterized by coldness and indifference, triviality and nonsense. The Jew, he claimed, has no true passion to impel him to artistic creation. The Jewish composer, according to Wagner, makes a confused heap of the forms and styles of all ages and masters. To admit a Jew into the world of art results in pernicious consequences. In Deutsche Kunst und Deutsche Politik, Wagner spoke of the "harmful influence of Jewry on the morality of the nation," adding that the subversive power of Jewry stands in contrast to the German psyche.
Swing music – and its predecessor, jazz – is, as famed swing artist Benny Goodman put it, “folk music special to the United States” (Erenberg 65). It is perhaps one of the most “American” genres of music. The very characteristics that define swing music are uniquely “American”; it is lively, promotes freedom of expression (through improvisation), and bursts with seemingly endless optimism. It is energetic, youthful, and most importantly, unifying. As it is formed from a mix of elements from African American, European and American folk music, swing played a crucial part in bringing the issue racial integration to the forefront of the American psyche, especially among the younger population. It is no surprise that swing was so wildly popular – it promised “personal freedom, hope for a better life, and a measure. . . of racial acceptance” (Erenberg 70), which seems an apt remedy for a society suffering from not only widespread unemployment and hardship, but also rampant racism and classism.
Music has played a role in society since the dawn of man. Said to be the beginning of communication in early civilization, music and dance have influenced how we think, act and treat members of our own society. Song and dance is used in rites of passage ceremonies such as births, weddings and funerals throughout the world. Jamaican and Yoruba cultures have made many contributions to our society. The uses of this music as a vehicle for political issues, values, and beliefs have been used by many musicians from different cultures. I intend to discuss the Contribution of these two contemporary cultures music and their effect on society.