Doikayt + Special Guests

About this event

Ace diasporist Klezmer band Doikayt play in their homeland of London, in a night featuring some celebrated and exquisite guests. It’s also Simchat Torah – a joyous Jewish festival of dancing and merriment. Special guest Rachel Weston will mark this renewal of Jewish ritual and literary time by leyning from the Torah as well as sharing some favourite Yiddish bangers. We will also be joined by Alevtina Parland, Celeste Cantor-Stephens and Flora Curzon. NB: This is predominantly a standing event. Please contact us in advance if you require seating as an access need. From the Yiddish ????????? meaning hereness . Doikayt are a new ensemble of Klezmer musicians, dedicated to the celebration, preservation and continuation of Eastern-European Jewish instrumental music. Bringing together some of the UK’s leading exponents of the Klezmer tradition, Doikayt take their name from the long history of diasporic Jewish politics and culture: the concept of doikayt states that “wherever we live, that’s our homeland”. Through their music, community and activism, Doikayt stand in solidarity with Collective Liberation and the struggle for peoples everywhere to live in safety and peace. Doikayt are: Anna Lowenstein – fiddle Daniel Gouly – clarinet Josh Middleton – accordion Yusuf Narçin – trombone Oliver Presman – tuba Simon Roth – drums The band will be joined by the following brilliant musicians: Alevtina Parland – trumpet & vocals Flora Curzon – fiddle and bra? Celeste Cantor-Stephens – trumpet Rachel Weston – vocals Alevtina Parland: Trumpeter and singer Alevtina is the leader of Istanbul Klezmer Kapelye and currently a PhD candidate at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki with focus on Yiddish music and the Ottoman empire. Alevtina’s career as a klezmer trumpeter began at the age of thirteen when she was recruited to her local Helsinki Kapelye under the leadership of Eva Jacob, aka the Klezmer Mama.