Our city of love and of slaughter: Berlin klezmer and the politics of place

Main author: Alexander, Phil
Format: Journal Article           
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id eprints-34229
recordtype eprints
institution SOAS, University of London
collection SOAS Research Online
language English
language_search English
description Although it claims little historical connection to klezmer music or Yiddish culture, the city of Berlin has hosted one of the most dynamic klezmer scenes of the past 20 years. This article analyses ways that place has been made to function as a meaningful unit in the music and lyrics of several artists living and working in Berlin, localising the transnational klezmer revival discourse by rooting the city in their music. Building on Adam Krims’ theory of ‘urban ethos’, I explore how the contemporary city is emplaced in its klezmer music, arguing that these processes of signification allow us to hear contrasting articulations of Berlin. The native Berliners ?Shmaltz! frame their city as an escapist gateway, the American songwriter Daniel Kahn sees a site of painfully unresolved history and the internationalist Knoblauch Klezmer band locate Berlin as an embodiment of playfully multilingual performativity.
format Journal Article
author Alexander, Phil
author_facet Alexander, Phil
authorStr Alexander, Phil
author_letter Alexander, Phil
title Our city of love and of slaughter: Berlin klezmer and the politics of place
publisher Taylor and Francis
publishDate 2018
url https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/34229/