Loshn revives the traditions of Klezmer music – a traditional folk music that borrows inspiration from the musical treaditions of the synagogue, Roma peoples, European folk musics, and even classical music. Loshn – Yiddish for ‘language’ – present an exciting new collaboration between two of the UK’s leading Klezmer musicians and virtuoso cimbalom player Janos Kallai. Together they play Klezmer music that sings, speaks and dances with the tradition’s distinct Yiddish accent.
With a repertoire that spans more than a century, they present a beautiful and varied programme from the music’s roots in pre-World War One Eastern Europe, to 1950s America and beyond. The incorporation of cimbalom into the band is not only an exciting new musical venture for Loshn but also for the UK klezmer scene as a whole. Loshn are now uniquely placed as the first and (currently) only Klezmer ensemble in the UK to incorporate this beautiful instrument into a lineup.
John Macnaughton – Clarinet
Anna Lowenstein – Violin
Janos Kallai – Cimbalom
‘Listen to the World’ is a place of live music where the traditions and talents of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers find a home among local artists. Come and join us, as either a listener or performer, everyone is welcome.
A playlist of shorts and other recordings from the Listen to the World programme can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@StEthelburgasLondon