Pomegranates & Figs
Pomegranates & Figs 2009
Featuring:
Alicia Svigals’ Klezmer Fiddle Express
with Nikolai Prisacar, accordion and Daniel Fabricant, double bass
&
Teslim
with Special Guests Shira Kammen and Julian Smedley, fiddles and Faisal Zedan, percussion
About the Artists
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Alicia Svigals |
Teslim - Kaila Flexer, violin Gary Hegedus, oud, saz, lauoto photo: Anne Hamersky |
The Freight & Salvage presents Pomegranates & Figs: A Feast of Jewish Music on December 16 and 17, the sixth and seventh nights of Hanukah. On hand for the festivities will be fiddler Alicia Svigals’ Klezmer Fiddle Express: West Coast Edition and the Bay Area’s own Teslim (Kaila Flexer & Gari Hegedus) with Special guests fiddlers Shira Kammen and Julian Smedley and percussionist Faisal Zedan.
While there’s nothing wrong with The Nutcracker, Santa Claus and the rest of it, maybe you need a little something else? A bisl rockin’ klezmer? Some Sephardic music to tug at your heartstrings? Pomegranates & Figs: A Feast of Jewish Music provides the exuberance of klezmer music and Yiddish folk song combined with the soulful traditions of Sephardic music and the excitement of roots-based original music.
Before the big klezmer bands of New York arose with their brass and clarinets, there were the archetypical Jewish orchestras of the old world, led by the fiddles and born aloft by the basses. Renowned violinist Alicia Svigals, a founder of the Klezmatics and the world's foremost klezmer fiddler, presents a program of those ancient and ecstatic Jewish melodies accompanied by Moldovan accordionist Nicolai Prisacar and Daniel Fabricant on the upright bass. This is an unplugged roots group that sounds like a high-octane Jewish string orchestra.
Hosting the evening is the Bay Area string duo Teslim, featuring violinist Kaila Flexer and multi-instrumentalist Gari Hegedus, “an utterly original pair of players” (San Jose Mercury News). Flexer—who was the force behind Klezmer Mania!—the much-loved Bay Area Jewish music event that occurred annually at Hanukah from 1989 to 2002—created Pomegranates & Figs to celebrate the rich diversity of Jewish music. They are joined tonight by fiddlers Shira Kammen and Julian Smedley and percussionist Faisal Zedan. Klezmer (literally klei zemer meaning “vessel of music,” or by extension, “musician” or “instrumentalist”) is an Ashkenazi Jewish music, which began in 15th–century Europe. As klezmer musicians immigrated to this country, especially in the 1920s, klezmer became tinged with the sounds of Tin Pan Alley and early jazz. Sephardic music originates from the descendants of Jews expelled from Spain in 1492.
To make the evening more heymish (“homey”), audience members can schmooze, kibbitz and nosh (“visit,” “chat” and “snack”) before the concert and at intermission on sweets and savories.
What’s not to like?
Tickets: $22.50 in advance and $23.50 at door.
Half-price tickets for youths 18 years old and under.
Seniors and Freight members get a $1 discount.
For more information on how to buy tickets:
www.freightandsalvage.org/tickets.html
or call 510-644-2020
TESLIM (tes-LEEM)
Teslim (Turkish, meaning “commit” and “surrender”) features violinist Kaila Flexer and multi-instrumentalist Gari Hegedus on oud, Turkish saz, Greek lauto and other stringed instruments. The duo performs original songs as well as Sephardic, Greek and Turkish music. As both performers and composers, Flexer and Hegedus’ work reflects their respect for folk music traditions. Teslim released its self-titled debut album in 2008 which was praised by press including the San Jose Mercury News who declared it “an enthralling body of music; a singular CD by an utterly original pair of players.” The duo performs in classical, early music and folk music venues and holds workshops on a variety of topics.
Kaila Flexer is a violinist, composer and music educator. Flexer founded and produced Klezmer Mania!, a much-loved annual Bay Area musical Hanukah celebration for over 10 years (1989-2002). She has been at the helm of bands such as Third Ear, Next Village and Kaila Flexer’s Fieldharmonik, ensembles that feature her original material. As a composer, her work reflects her deep respect for folk music as well as her ability to forge new musical landscapes fertilized by traditional music. She has performed both nationally internationally with her own ensembles as well as with groups including The Hollis Taylor-Kaila Flexer Duo, The Flexer-Marshall Duo, Club Foot Orchestra and KITKA Women’s Vocal Ensemble. In addition to the Teslim’s 2008 self-released recording, Kaila has recorded two CD’s of original music for Compass Records (Nashville) to critical acclaim.
Gari Hegedus plays violin and viola and variety of stringed instruments from Greece and Turkey including lauoto, oud, saz and hand drums. In addition to playing in the duo Teslim with violinist Kaila Flexer, he performs with world music group Stellamara and Persian vocalist Hamed Nikpay. He has studied with oud master Naseer Shamma and has recorded and performed with Ross Daly. He has toured with the Mevlevi Dervish (Sufi) Order of America and continues to participate in Turkish ceremonial and devotional gatherings around the country as well as playing with Black Olive Babes and The Helladelics.