Here’s Moonlight (Ladino song) from Always a Pleasure
Here’s Josh’s Song by Josh Simon from Always a Pleasure
Below are some other songs and videos of some Klezmer Rebs songs to please your eyes and ears.
If you like our stuff, you can purchase digital downloads of our albums Always a Pleasure, Anarchia Total, Just Add Shmaltz and Live at the Wellington Folk Festival from our Bandcamp site.
Several videos from our concert launching Always a Pleasure in June 2016 can be found at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/klezmer.rebs/videos/
The Klezmer Rebs Showreel
Klezmer Rebs on Vimeo.
Ochi Chorniye
Here’s a track you won’t find on our Just Add Shmaltz CD – because it was too silly, even for us. But thanks to the Internet and our decreased inhibitions, you can now hear us in our full sillier glory:
Lebedik un Freilakh
This traditional klezmer tune, translated as “Lively and gay”, is a video from the Taranaki Festval of Lights in New Plymouth in 2008.
Anarchia Total
Schwyzerdütsch? Even if you can’t speak it, the message is clear: For love and justice, against fascism and the police state, to the barricades everyone, against racism and the patriarchy! Reb Urs’s music and lyrics spread Spanish, Māori, English and Yiddish onto a Schwyzerdütsch substrate cemented together with energetic mad craziness. There’s only one thing for us – Total Anarchy … Filmed at the Gardens Magic show in Wellington one warm and still night in January 2009.
Anarchia Total – lyrics and music: Freedomfighers across the globe and Urs Signer
Mir tanze alli jetzte nonemol
Now we’re dancing once again
Für d Freiheit und d Revolution (2x)
For freedom and the revolution
El pueblo unido jamás será vencido [Spanish]
The people united will never be defeated
Öb im Schwarze Block oder als Clown
In the black block or as Clowns
Mir halte zämme wenn sie öberem wänn an Krage
We’ll stick together when they are after one of us
Unsri Solidarität gäge ihri Repression
Our solidarity against their repression
Für s Läbe und für d Grächtikeit
For life and for justice
Gäge d Faschos und dr Bullestaat
Against fascists and the police state
Uf d Barrikade alli Lüt
To the barricades everyone
Gäge Rassismus und s Patriarchat
Against racism and the patriarchy
Arbeiter streike, Migrantinne am fighte
Workers strike, migrants fight
There is only one solution [English]
Alle far einem, un einer far al’ [Yiddish]
All for one, and one for all
One solution – revolution [English]
Ka whawhai tonu mātou, ake ake ake [Māori]
Our struggle will continue for ever and ever
Whananga, whananga, mana motuhake [Māori]
Revolution, autonomy, self-determination
Unsri Idee sin eifach genial
Our ideas are simply genious
Für uns git’s nur eins – Anarchia Total!
For us there’s only one way to go – Total Anarchy!
Kumt Kumt Khaverim
This is an original, almost certainly the first ever Kiwi Klezmer song, and is the opening track from our new CD Just add shmaltz . The lyrics were written by Dave’s Yiddishe Mama from LA, and the music was composed by our clarinet player Urs, who reallyshines. We love this one for its originality but also for its real Klezmer feel.
Kumt khaverim – lyrics: Sarah Moskovitz, music: Urs Signer
Kumt kumt, khaverim, mishpokhe alle freint
Come, come, friends, family and friends
Tzuzamen vel men hulyen, s’iz undzer simkhe heint
Together we’ll party, it’s our celebration today
Kumt kumt, khaverim, di klezmer zaynen do
Come come, friends, the musicians are here
Trinkt tantzt un freit zikh in a mazeldike sho
Drink, dance and have fund in a lucky hour
Nit shemt zikh yung un alte, un patchtsu mit di hent
Don’t be shy young and old, clap your hands
Tupet mit di fis, shoklen zoln di vent
Stamp your feet, shake the windows
Kumt kumt khaverim, a gezunt af aykh zol zayn
Come come friends, you should be healthy
Trinkt a l’khayim mit zis yisroiler vayn
Drink up and toast each other with sweet Israeli wine
Hert vi di klezmer, shpiln azoy shein
Listen to the musicians, they’re playing so well
Az yunge farlibte viln khasene gayn
While young lovers go off to a wedding
Kumt kumt, khaverim, mishpokhe alle freint
Come, come, friends, family and friends
Tzuzamen zol men hulyen, s’iz undzer simkhe heint
Together we should party, it’s our celebration today
Der Heyser Bulgar
An oldie, but a goodie, originally recorded in 1923 by Naftule Brandwein, brought to you in this rendition at Wellington’s Newtown Fair. If you’re a bit of a kop-mentsh, you can read Joel Rubin’s academic treatise on it. Us shleppers aren’t too concerned about such things, we just play it.
Sher
“Scissors” dance music – this is a traditional Klezmer piece that we perform in traditional Klezmer style. Our clarinet and violinists have great fun altering tempo and the rest of us try hard to keep up. Also featured on our CD Just add shmaltz.
Ot Azoy
“Just Like That!” – from our live album featuring violinist Nikki Lichnter, this music plays just the way we like it … and we yell “Ot Azoy” – “Just like that!” in appreciation. We ‘borrowed’ this one from a scratchy early 1900s recording.
Chanukah songs
Here’s a a little Hannukah present for you of the Klezmer Rebs playing a few Hannukah songs (in our own inimitable way). These songs are raw and unedited, recorded live at the Ruby Lounge on 21 November 2010.
Sivivon, hebrew for spinning top or ‘dreidle’, is a traditional Hannukah song, but we’ve tried to swing it.
Drei Zich Dreidle is a yiddish take on the dreidle song.
Don’t forget! If you like this music, please consider purchasing digital downloads of our albums Live at the Wellington Folk Festival and Just Add Shmaltz from our Bandcamp site.