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Beer Besade Frevo Los Bilbilicos

Award winning instrumentalists Juancho Herrera of Caracas Venezuela and Mattan Klein of Jerusalem, Israel were born over 6000 miles apart. Their roads, however, have crossed in the U.S.A. and their musical and cultural backgrounds created the foundation for one of the most exquisite world-music collaborations in North America. Juancho and Mattan’s love and admiration for each other’s musical tradition and rich religious culture brought together two of New York’s busiest composers and performers to create a true world-music cross-over project, which involves Latin, Jewish, Brazilian, Ladino, Jazz and Funk elements, but all the while preserves the innovative voices they both carry as representatives of their nations.

Ben Zwerin, bass, was born in Paris, France. His incredible knowledge of music from South America, Africa and the Middle East, in addition to his experience as a leading Jazz artist on the New York scene make him a unique addition to the ensemble’s sound. Being the son of Jazz legend Mike Zwerin (played with Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy and many more), Ben has absorbed a wide range of influences into his performance. Mathias Kunzli, percussion, is one of the busiest drummers/percussionists in New York. He is a recording artist with the John Zorn Tzadik label, and performed with figures such as Yo Yo Ma Silk Road Project, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Randy Brecker, Oscar Castro-Neves, John Zorn’s Electric Masada, Bob Berg, Bobby Watson, Paul Winter Consort, Dave Samuel and many more. Mathias specializes in music from South America and the Middle East.

7:30pm doors, Thursday 11.10.05

1638 W. Belmont, Chicago (MapQuest)
In Lakeview @ Ashland and Lincoln
2 blocks from Paulina ‘L’ stop
Ample street parking and Belmont Bus access

presented as part of

Balkan Beat Box performs an inspired madness that crosses multi-cultural circus with non-stop dance party. Israeli bandmates Ori Kaplan (Gogol Bordello) and Tamir Muskat (Jewish Ukrainian Freundschaft) lead fellow expatriates Itamar Zieglar, Dana Leong and Vocalist Tomer Yosef through an infectious mish-mosh of hip hop, reggae and Slavic sounds, infused with Mediterraneam, Balkan, and Jewish influences. The band is part of the NYC musical underground that includes the bands Big Lazy, Pink Nose, Firewater, JUF, Gogl Bordello and Shotnez. Its full horn section, dj beats, percussion and video projections come together for a surreal atmosphre that’s part Gypsy caravan, part performance-art collective, Balkan Beat Box is a south European cross-cultural experience that has evolved into a non-stop dance party.

Bulgarian Chix

Golem’s raw material lies in Yiddish theater songbooks, shtetls and bandleader Annette Ezekiel’s field recordings from Lower East Side locales like bagel shops staffed by Turkmen Jews. She reconstructs these songs much the same as the 16th-century legend of the MAHARAL of Prague. who fashioned a golem monster out of clay.

Greine Kusine

presented as part of

appearing with

As its name implies, Heedoosh is something of a musical revelation. Its soul-searching themes are unafraid to question foundations of faith, nor long for redemption. Influenced by Stone Temple Pilots, Oasis and Radiohead, Heedoosh reaches out to the unknown for answers with sacred songs combined with contemporary Hebrew verse and gilded with true rock edge. Their style is a new discovery on an ancient text: a Heedoosh. Sound Sample: Lev Tahor


Presented as part of KFAR’s concert series

The fourth installment of Tzitzit: Voices from the Jewish Fringe, KFAR’s contemporary Jewish music concert series is our most ambitious series to date. Eight concerts in all, we’re presenting a string of world-class Jewish Rock, Jazz, Sepharidc music and hip hop. We hope you’ll join us as a season subscriber and save up to 20% in the process.

08.20.05:
Blue Fringe and Heedoosh

MP3 Sample: Kacha Lo    MP3 Sample: Lev Tahor

Blue Fringe is one of the hottest Jewish rock bands around, having just released their second album, 70 Faces. Their style incorporates influences such as the Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay and John Mayer, and their popularity has seen them tour all across North America and in Israel and Australia, regularly performing for sellout crowds of 1,000 and up. Influenced by Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead, Coldplay and Oasis, Heedoosh plays a mix of brit-rock and Hebrew lyrics that doesn’t compromise on either front.@ Martyrs Live, 3855 N. Lincoln 21 + showbuy ticket:

$15 advance tix via ticketweb.com

09.18.05 World Music Festival:
Balkan BeatBox & Golem

MP3 Sample: Bulgarian Chicks      MP3 Sample: Grine Kuzine
Balkan BeatBox is an inspired madness that is a mish-mosh of Jewish, Mediterraneam Southern Slavic, Balkan and Gypsy sounds for an infectious non-stop dance party. Ori Kaplan and Tamir Muskat lead and ensemble of fellow Israeli expats Itamar Zieglar, Dana Leong and Vocalist Tomer Yosef for a magical semi-circus atmosphre that’s part Gypsy caravan, part performance-art collective and all dance party.

Golem’s raw material lies in Yiddish theater songbooks, shtetls and bandleader Annette Ezekiel’s field recordings from Lower East Side locales like bagel shops staffed by Turkmen Jews. She reconstructs these songs much the same as the 16th-century legend of the MAHARAL of Prague. who fashioned a golem monster out of clay.

@ Wild Hare, 3530 N. Clark 21 + show
buy tickets:

$12 advance tix via ticketweb.com

KNISHMAS 2005
Lineup and location TBA

Our X-mas alternative falls during Hanukah this year. Last year sold out, and this year will be bigger and better than ever, featuring a mix of acts that will bring an infectious fusion of musical styles incorporating rock, reggae, hip-hop, and disco with traditional Jewish content. STAY TUNED AND SAVE THE DATE

Do you wish Hanukah wasn’t so early this year?

Not joining in any Reindeer games?

Lonely Jew on Christmas?

Not gettin’ any… gelt?

Fellow Hebrews and Shebrews, have yourself a
Merry Little Knishmas at a rockin’ mini-festival

of contemporary Jewish culture on the
least Jewish night of the year.

$20 door, $18 advance tickets using

Tickets: $15 on secure ticketweb.com

Presented as part of KFAR’s concert series

The ARI BEN MOSES BAND has emerged as a new force in World Rock & Reggae, captivating audiences across the United States. Reggae bass lines, African and Latin beats; Middle Eastern and traditional Jewish scales, punctuated with gritty Funk Rock grooves are masterfully blended by this international ensemble. The band performs a show at Nevin’’s Live on Sunday October 24, presented by KFAR Jewish Arts Center, one of the 3 year-old Evanston music venue’s last shows before it ceases to present music on October 28.

Ari’s music often compared to Carlos Santana and Peter Gabriel, Ari’s compelling lyrics, powerful voice and brilliant piano playing have captivated audiences across the United States. With the release of his CD, “Burning Bush”, his innovative sound has been featured on WLIB-AM, WBAI-FM and WSIA-FM Radio stations in New York City, WNUR-FM in Chicago, as well as on Radio Eshel 106-FM in Israel. Through the Internet, he has successfully reached listeners in Holland, Israel, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Japan; the Pacific Rim and UK.

A native New Yorker, Ari grew up in Westport, Connecticut. After a brief stint in acting (he was the first ‘Jason Voorhees’ in the horror classic “Friday the 13th”), he turned to his passion and trained in classical music and jazz. Recognized at an early age for his musical abilities by famed jazz musician and educator Dr. Billy Taylor, he won a scholarship to Berklee School of Music. In the 1980s, after he returned to New York City, where he studied big band orchestration and jazz piano with Joanne Brackeen, Jim McNeely, Gay Mehegan and Vladimir Shafranov, and began to explore beyond Western tradition. Finding inspiration in the West African and Reggae music scenes, Ari toured nationally and in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, as keyboardist and vocalist for many top artists, including Ishmael Isaacs, Ijahman Levi, Sister Carol; and Majek Fashek, with whom he made two albums, “Spirit of Love” (Interscope) and “Rainmaker” (Tuff Gong).

Tickets: $15 on secure ticketweb.com

Presented as part of KFAR’s concert series

Call it Jewgrass or a Hasidic Hodown, but this Appalachian/Ashkenazic combo is a hit!

Klezmer clarinetist Margot Leverett joins forces with today’s stars of klezmer and bluegrass to explore the shared musical spirit of two genres literally worlds apart. Appalachian and southern fiddle tunes by Bill Monroe meet klezmer melodies from pre-war Russia and Eastern Europe, some newly discovered. The resulting medleys and improvisations are at once raw, funny, melancholic and footstomping.

presented as part of the City of Chicago’s

$8.00 in advance, $10.00 at the door 21+

buy advance tickets on sale using

Presented as part of KFAR’s concert series