Safed Klezmer Festival
Tradition...Tradition! Join the Klezmer tradition with the same music you loved from Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, and Barbara Steisand's famous Yentl. Get lost in the music of this Eastern European tradition in the alleyways in the Old Jewish and Artist quarters of Safed in the North of Israel. If you already love Klezmer, this is the right place for you. If you don't love it yet, what are you waiting for?
The genre consists largely of dance tunes and instrumental pieces for weddings and other celebrations. The expressive melodies are meant to be reminiscent of the human voice, like laughing and weeping, but most particularly, the imitation of a cantor in a synagogue.
Klezmer was brought to pre-state Israel as people immigrated to the land, and over time the style was influenced by the Arab Druze and Ottoman Turkish military bands. Klezmer music may not be the most popular genre in Israel but there are still plenty of people who love and appreciate the unique sound. Safed's Klezmer festival is totally free, and begins at 9 PM, going late into the star-filled summer night.
When and why was the annual Safed Klezmer Festival established?
To celebrate klezmer music!
During the Safed Klezmer Festival, you can walk the quaint alleyways of the Old Jewish Quarter and Artists Quarter of Safed. Watch the streets come alive with the upbeat and melodic tunes drifting through the night air. As you walk through the cobblestone streets you will hear the tunes of traditional klezmer ensembles that include a fiddle, a bass or cello, a clarinet, and a drum.
While just around the corner you will find other bands fusing the original klezmer style with more modern techniques and modern instruments like the electric guitar and synthesizer. Don't get too lost in the music and check out some of the local artisans who will set up stalls to sell their handmade crafts.
