Heard and seen: Tango & Klezmer Quartett at Kanapee
Tango and klezmer - how may that suit to each other? To be honest, I´ve been kinda sceptical when reading the concert announcement. Nevertheless - at least I decided to visit the concert. And coming to the point: I didn´t regret!The Tango & Klezmer Quartett has been founded in Cologne/Germany in 1994, and, as the name may tell, the musical focal points are tango and klezmer music. The repertoir comprises traditional pieces, own compositions as well as specially arranged compositions of Argentinean tango composer Astor Piazolla.
The evening began with klezmer standards and traditionals, like "Di Mame ist gegangen", "Warshawer Freilach" and others. TKQ presented them in their own arrangements, being really wholesome to the pieces. The last two songs, "Glik", a composition of Alexander Oishanezky from the twenties, and well known "Der Rebbe in Palestina" lead over to tango related part of the evening, and one could notice tango and klezmer music being not so very far apart from each other. The hora rhythm is quite similar to tango rhythm, and why on earth did Dimitry´s violin solo remind me on the tango standard "Jalousie"?
Tango related part of the concert began with acoustical impressions from Buenos Aires harbour, where it all began. We heard the wind, the waves, the crying gulls, the ships´ horns. Using own tango compositions, the group made accessible to us what they themselves use to call "rheinischer Tango": Music, influenced by "tango nuevo" and other styles (klezmer, f.e.), with sometimes bizarre titles like "The doctor´s case". The explanation: when walking through Cologne carrying a bandoneon case, people sometimes may consider you being a doctor ...
Back to the opening question, how will tango and klezmer suit to each other? Well, they both are "folk music" in the best and the true sense of the word. They both reveal every day´s life: joy and festivity, but also mourning. It´s a good combination.
Frenzied applause by the audience for a wonderful evening.
The musicians
eMail: info@klezcetera.de Homepage: Tango & Klezmer-Quartett