In what can only be described as a feast of Klezmer music designed to bring to the forefront a genre of music traditionally associated with Jewish weddings and other important celebrations, Klezmorimalta Nights left the audience captivated as we tapped our feet in time to the soulful blend of music which filled the Valletta air over two nights.
Envisaged over the space of more than a year by The Klezmorimalta Foundation, a newly formed NGO that aims to safeguard the traditional ways of making music, Klezmorimalta Nights is the brainchild of Dutch founders Birgit and Ralph Albrecht.
The couple moved to Malta and started the foundation, which aims at both preserving as well as rejoicing in music and life.
Their instruments leave the public breathless
Held in Pjazza Teatru Rjal, the venue was the ideal setting for the marriage of old and new which was showcased by the Amsterdam Klezmer Band and the Yxalag Klezmer Band.
These paved the way for the headliner of the nights, the young, award-winning Démira whose EP Indigo was launched earlier this year to great public reception.
Each night was split into two with the Amsterdam Klezmer Band and Démira playing on the first night, followed by the Yxalag Klezmar Band and Démira playing on the second and final night.
It was the sheer range of Klezmori artists that was the highlight, as both the Amsterdam Klezmer Band and the Yxalag Klezmer Band are renowned for capturing different emotional expressions of this music genre.
They showcased the traditional standards along with more modern interpretations of this music in their own ways.
Joining forces in 1997, the Amsterdam Klezmer Band has performed over a thousand times and released eleven albums since they started out.
Although the saxophonist and bandleader Job Chajes calls the Amsterdam Klezmer Band a “mini brass band”, the band’s lead singer Alex Kopyt lends it a voice that makes it so much more than that.
Indeed, it is not hard to see why the Amsterdam Klezmer Band was successful long before the Balkan hype became a worldwide phenomenon.
The Yxalag Klezmer Band which brings together their own compositions and integrates other influences into it (including Balkan, Gypsy, Tango, Bossa Nova, and Russian melodies) has been active for six years.
The band brought to the evening an almost nostalgic air which had people running to the front of the theatre in order to join in the movement and zeal so beautifully embodied by the young band members.
Among the set of songs played by the latter, which included the Romanian Hora, my personal favourite was the Odessa Bulgar, which had everyone on their feet.
Equally upbeat and beautiful was the haunting voice of Dutch singer and songwriter Démira who crowned the evening with her poetic folk pop songs and her warm and dynamic guitar play. Despite her young age – she is only 17 – Démira’s lyrics are full of meaning and have won her a number of competitions.
Her upbeat interpretation of the new single Indigo was met with particular enthusiasm by the audience.
Encouraged by the success of both nights and the energy of the young performers, Birgit and Ralph Albrecht have a long-term plan for the Maltese Islands that is sure to be welcomed by many and will continue to encourage further ideas with regards to Valletta as European Capital of Culture in 2018.