On today’s episode, Dan sits down with two musicians based in Vienna, Austria: Isabel Frey and Benjy Fox-Rosen. Both musicians are accomplished Yiddish singers, and thoughtful Yiddish scholars, among many other roles. The wide ranging conversation begins with a focus on Isabel’s new album Di fliendike pave (Borscht Beat), and expands outwards in many personal and conceptual directions. We talk abut each artists’s journey towards making Yiddish music the large part of their lives it is now. We cover their work together as a musical and scholarly duo, especially in their Aritstic Research lecture/concert Challenging the Theater of Memory. This leads into a larger conversation around performing Yiddish music for German speaking audiences. Isabel and Benjy share lots of important insights from their past and present. We end by discussing Isabel’s new co-leadership of the long-running Klezmore festival.

This is an enlightening conversation between passionate and excited musicians, and one that digs into a lot of ideas that complicate and illuminate our understandings of where we come from and where we are today. In other words, a perfect Yiddish cultural experience! Enjoy!

Music on this episode:
In Mayn Gortn – Live at Yiddish New York 2023
Name Song
Mir Lebn Eybik/Lebn Mir Eybik
Azoy Lang – Di fliendike pave

Isabel & Benjy’s Aritstic Research lecture/concert Challenging the Theater of Memory
 
Radiant Others is produced by Dan Blacksberg and Beila Ungar. The podcast aims to be the internet’s central space for important conversations in Yiddish and Klezmer music. Please support our work on https://www.patreon.com/RadiantOthers




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