The Klezmer Rebs performers:
Andrzej Nowicki: Clarinet
Beans: Violin
David Weinstein: Guitar, mandolin, vocals, band manager
Rose O’Hara: Piano, vocals
Emma Wollum: Accordion & vocals
Rob Edgecombe: Bass
Amanda Maclean: Helicon, percussion, trombone, cover artwork design
Klezmer Rebs are a 7-8 piece Wellington band formed in 2002 that plays (mostly) klezmer music, an engaging style of lively tuchas-shaking world/ethnic folk music born out of the Yiddish/Jewish culture of eastern Europe in the 1800s and 1900s. While many of songs are sung in Yiddish (that mostly-Germanic and very onomatopoeic language), they also perform songs from Italy, Amsterdam, Ukraine and other eastern European cultures, Ladino Sephardic melodies, Argentine Yiddish Tangos, Gypsy/Roma and 1940’s swing.
Politics and Justice The Klezmer Rebs world view derives from the Bund / Socialist movements that eastern European Jews brought with them to the United States in the 1890’s to 1910’s. It is based in internationalism, social justice, workers rights. In today’s world, The ethnos of the Klezmer Rebs translates to opposing the oppression of the Palestinians and other victims of violence and war (Ukraine, Sudan, Cambodia), the genocide in Gaza and the illegal and dangerous government of Netanyahu and his right wing extremist allies. Two key points the Klezmer Rebs stand for and that we make at our concerts is that Judaism is not Zionism, and criticism of the Israeli Government and its actions does not constitute antisemitism.
Klezmer Rebs instrumentation includes guitar, mandolin, clarinet, violin, accordion, keyboards, trombone, helicon (like a tuba), string bass and vocals. Together the Klezmer Rebs capture the true klezmer spirit with songs of joy, sorrow and rebellion.
Gig history The Klezmer Rebs have been shaking ‘tuchases’ (Yiddish for ‘bums’) in Wellington and places north and south since 2002. Over the years crowds danced to klezmer music in Auckland, Palmerston North, Greytown, Whanganui, New Plymouth, Nelson, Golden Bay, Christchurch, Dunedin and across the Wellington city and region.
The Rebs had a stellar year in 2025 and 2026, rocking the 2026 Wellington Folk Festival as headliners, performing street and stage sets at Newtown Festival and CubaDupa. We also performed Futuna (where we recorded our latest record) in Karori, the Undercurrent and at SlavFest 2025 and 2026.
Repeat offenders, the Klezmer Rebs played at the Newtown Festival in 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, including headlining on the main stage in 2011.
The Rebs travelled north for gigs at the Whanganui Jazz Club (2023 and 2024) and Palmerston North. We did two shows in Gisborne (including the Beerfest) and played at the 2018 Auckland Folk Festival. We performed at CubaDupa in 2021 and 2026 and Luminate Festival in Takaka in 2021 and 2022. Other appearances include Whanganui Festival of Cultures, the Dunedin Settlers Museum, twice at the Lower Hutt Dowse Art Gallery (Late Lounge), at Café Meow and several times at Old St Paul’s in Wellington. Up the coast we performed at Pataka in Porirua, Niblick Theatre, and in our home town Plimmerton at the Mana Little Theatre. The Klezmer Rebs paired up in Wellington on tours by the Jews Brothers (Auckland), Chutzpah (Dunedin), London Klezmer Quartet, Klezmeritis and Gypsy Nights (from Melbourne).
Looking back, in 2010 the Rebs were honoured to perform for dignitaries at the opening of the Anne Frank Exhibition at Te Papa. Other appearances included the 2008 Parihaka Festival, the New Plymouth Festival of Lights in 2008 & 2010, the Festival of the Elements in Porirua (2005, 2006 & 2009), the Wellington Folk Festival (October 2005 & 2007), at the Te Papa for the World Music Festival (2006) and the 2006 & 2008 Wellington Fringe Festival. In 2009 The Rebs wowed a huge crowd at the Wellington City Council’s Magic Gardens (Botanic Gardens Soundshell), and played at the Organic River Festival in Levin, Waitangi Park on Waitangi Day. The Rebs have twice performed on Radio NZ National Programme’s Friday Live with Jim Mora.
Live Hearing Klezmer Rebs live expect rocking, rollicking arrangements of old klezmer tunes – from the lively authentic Yiddish wedding music (freylachs and bulgars) to the delicate slice of life stories from the east European shtetl (ghettos). Plus, Latin, Ladino, and eastern European and Roma folk. We have several fine singers with lovely harmonies. Our own quirky, politically charged multi-lingual originals are some of the most popular crowd tunes.
CDs
New CD Always a Pleasure features a sophisticated mix of traditional klezmer dance tunes, Ladino culture story-songs, classic covers and classy original tunes.
The Klezmer Rebs released the CD Anarchia Total on Ode Records. Recorded live (mostly), the Anarchia Total CD the original title song by clarinettist Urs Signer, classic klezmer tunes, some unconventional klezmer (a Yiddish tango and a klezmer western swing song Blue Klezmer Moon) plus a rude Russian song, the classic Minnie the Moocher, and a remix by NZ DJ Cut Loose.
Just add Shmaltz is a 14 track, 50 minute studio CD recorded in 2008. It features an original kiwi-klezmer tune, traditional klezmer songs, and the odd French, Russian and even Latin songs. So enjoy it already!
The Reb’s 2nd CD, Live at the Wellington Folk Festival 2005 captures the Rebs in full flight.
CDs are available through the Klezmer Rebs website http://klezmer.co.nz/cd-order/ and on-line through their Bandcamp site http://klezmer.bandcamp.com/.
The Rebs also contributed original tracks to local compilations Wellington World Music Compilation CD, and features on Monkey Record’s compilation Gypsy Fever.
Wanna know more? To hear what the Klezmer Rebs look and sound like, visit our website www.klezmer.co.nz and watch videos of recent performances and listen to mp3 versions of Rebs songs. Visit our facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/klezmer.rebs