jazzing it up on emek

on monday night, a friend told me about the opening/rededication of a new progressive community center, called מרכז תרבות העמים , in the emek refaim neighborhood of jerusalem. the center aims to create a pluralistic environment for cultural and social activities for all of the diverse residents of the "garden neighborhoods" of jerusalem.

the event featured:

Marsh Dondurma - The street band is known to change a humdrum day of wandering up and down Ben Yehuda street into a festival when they wip out their drums (as well as percussion instruments.) To avoid being accused of favoritism, the Marsh Dondurma plays gypsy traditional, Jewish klezmer, Latin beats, Middle Eastern tunes, and more. They've also played at art festivals all over Israel and the Serbian Guca Trumpet Festival. The group covers much ground at this festival first playing on Emek Refaim (the street itself) and then at 20:30 inside the new center.

• 19:30-Reception
  
• 20:00-Fixing of Mezuzah
  
• 20:30-Marsh Dondurma at the new center
  
• Special guests: Rabbi Benny Lau, Professor Ariel Hirschfeld, and poets Haim Gouri, Almog Behar, and Benyamin Shvili

let me just tell you that the group, מארש דונדורמה, is awsome. imagine a 8-10 piece new orleans-klezmer-funk brass band, complete with trombones and a tuba, imported to israel. i'm now a big fan. music clips are available on their webpage, and on their myspace page, and via the youtube clips below: