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See us Live on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSClMmzxDWc
Incorporating the sounds and rhythms of Jewish music from many parts of the world, The Rebbe's Orkestra brings a unique style to Klezmer–the secular Jewish instrumental dance music of Eastern Europe. |
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| Rebbe's Orkestra, Klezmer & Judaic band @ Klezmerquerque 2006 on 02.16.06 | | Venue: | Klezmerquerque 2006 | | Date: | 02.16.06 | | Time: | 7:00 pm | | Location: | Albuquerque, NM [US] | | Price: | |
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See us Live on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSClMmzxDWc
Incorporating the sounds and rhythms of Jewish music from many parts of the world, The Rebbe's Orkestra brings a unique style to Klezmer–the secular Jewish instrumental dance music of Eastern Europe. The band's repertoire also includes instrumental pieces from the Middle-East, folk songs in the languages of Yiddish, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), Hebrew, Arabic and Romany (the language of the Roma/ Gypsies), traditional fiddle tunes and songs from New Mexico, as well as traditional music from the Mediterranean and the Balkans. Recording and performing in the southwest since 1996, The Rebbe's Orkestra has been exploring the ways in which Jewish people have interacted with surrounding musical traditions over the centuries to produce music which is unique and uplifting. From Spain to Iraq, Poland to the Mediterranean: The Rebbe's Orkestra plays tunes and songs as widely divergent as the geography and yet with surprisingly similar themes.
The Rebbe's Orkestra is: Beth Cohen-violin/mandolin/banjo/vocals; Barbara Friedman-bass/Macedonian tambura/vocals; Randy Edmunds-guitar/Macedonian tambura/vocals; and Debo Orlofsky-accordion/vocals. The group often appears with percussionist Mary Masuk and various Yiddish dance leaders and teachers.
BAND BIOS:
Beth Cohen - violin, mandolin, tenor banjo, and vocals, is well known as a vocalist, string musician and music teacher in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe area. She has been running her own music studio in Albuquerque since 1983, where she teaches voice, guitar and violin to students of all ages. In 1991, Beth received her Bachelor of Music degree in voice (performance) from the University of New Mexico. Since 1995, she has been the musical director and Cantorial soloist at Congregation Nahalat Shalom where she also directs the intergenerational Community Klezmer Band, teaches Bar/Bat Mitzvah classes -- and CO-produces/coordinates the renowned Klezmer music and dance festival "Klezmerquerque". Ms. Cohen is the violin/fiddle, piano and voice teacher at Santa Fe School for the Arts and she has taught band and orchestra in both public and private schools. Beth began singing and accompanying her singing with the guitar when she was seven and was the recipient of many music awards and apprenticeships throughout her childhood. Growing up in a home where both parents spoke Yiddish, Beth learned to sing in Yiddish--although she has (regrettably!) never learned to speak this unique and expressive language. Since 1996, Beth has performed with bassist Barbara Friedman in Goddess of Arno Balkan dance band and from 1984-1999 Beth was a member of Svirka women's Balkan chorus. She also performs with the vocal trio Earth Angels and the instrumental folk trio Village Idioms. In the fall of 2006, Beth joined The Enchantment Gamelon Ensemble. Beth has played in all kinds of ensembles including Celtic, classical, cowboy/western, blues, Reggae and Middle Eastern.
Debo Orlofsky - accordion and vocals. The Rebbe's Orkestra's fabulous new member: Debo (a.k.a. Debra Orlofsky) has been singing in and around ABQ since the late 1980's. Following a few stints in hippie-punk and goth-rock bands, Debo performed as the lead singer of Splinter Fish, a seminal alternative band on the ABQ music scene. Well-known for her powerhouse vocals and presentation, inventive lyrics and percussion, and heart-grabbing harmonizing, Debo was invited to sing with Animal Opera, a local group of "all-stars" that rocked the NM desert with African dance music. She was also part of the world beat rock band, Manna from Nowhere. Debo sings and plays accordion and piano in the rockin' country blues band Alpha Blue that showcases her original songs. In her own Big Rock Studio, she engineered and mixed Alpha Blue's debut CD, "Agave Summer" - a spaghetti-western/middle-eastern folk-rock opera - which was released in the summer of 2004. Debo studied classical piano as a child, picking up the accordion by accident just a few years ago. Knowing how little respect the accordion has had in American pop music since the guitar assumed preeminence, she tried to put it down but found it was much too tightly strapped on. After a few close encounters of the Klezmer kind, she found her way to The Rebbe's Orkestra and decided it was destiny.
Randy Edmunds - guitar, tambura and vocals, is one of the original members of The Rebbe's Orkestra. He is an experienced rhythm guitarist and provides a unique texture and fullness to the band's harmonic layer. Randy's use of the guitar as a melody instrument lends an unusual flavor to klezmer music, which is often associated with reed and brass instruments. He also plays the Macedonian tambura on several of the group's Sephardic pieces, and his lyric baritone voice adds another thread to the tapestry of sound woven by the band. He studied violin as a child in his home state of Louisiana and later picked up the guitar when he attended college in Texas. Randy's musical roots lie in the American genres of old-timey, gospel, bluegrass and country-western. He eventually expanded his repertoire to include Israeli, Greek, Rom (Gypsy), and Balkan folk songs after he discovered some Yiddish folk songs in a song book he was using. Randy has performed in a duo with wife Beth Cohen, as a guest artist with Svirka and Goddess of Arno, and as a member of Sandanski men's Balkan Chorus. He is the guitarist in the folk trio Village Idioms and he's a special guest artist in The Nahalat Shalom Community Klezmer band. Randy also works full-time as a personal care attendant for disabled people.
Barbara Friedman - electric bass, Macedonian tambura and vocals, provides the solid foundation for the band's rhythmic drive. For over 25 years she has been singing and playing music professionally as a member of Svirka women's Balkan Chorus, Goddess of Arno, Erenler, Wired for Sound and other Middle Eastern and Balkan groups in New Mexico. An avid collector, student and performer of Eastern European music, Barbara regularly attends workshops and studies with the top musicians and ethnomusicologists from Europe and the USA. In addition to adding rhythmic solidity to the band, her bass playing adds a melodic layer to their sound: often lending a trombone-like quality to the melody line. Barbara is also skilled on the Macedonian tambura, which she plays on some of the band's Sephardic pieces and her powerful voice adds another layer to the band's dynamic sound. At Congregation Nahalat Shalom, Barbara plays in Alavados-Holy Days band and she is a special guest member of the Community klezmer band. She also works part time as a public health nurse in Albuquerque, NM.
"Spanning styles from klezmer to Israeli and Middle Eastern to Sephardic, The Rebbe's Orkestra perform a lively set, infused with a respect for tradition as well as a playful sense of humor and joyousness that erases many of the stigmas attached to 'world music'." --Michael Henningson, Music Editor-Weekly Alibi, New Mexico
"...people gathered to hear the program: music by The Rebbe's Orkestra, a klezmer band, and poetry by Palestinian-American poet Lisa Suhair Maj... The group went on to play Middle-Eastern music, including an Iraqi melody. For an instant I believed peace was possible." --Demetria Martinez for The National Catholic Reporter
"Thank you so much for the lively mood and simcha you brought to our wedding. We all had a great time dancing. A special thanks for leading the dances, to Randy for the extra help with the PA, and to Beth for coordinating everything and working with us to make sure we could have such a magical evening with you all." --private wedding reception patron.
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