The Music Of Mikveh

ICC Encore Series concert features
five of the top musicians of the klezmer
world all of them women.

lence. The show also featured Whoopi
Goldberg, Glenn Close, Calista
Special to the Jewish News
Flockhart and Lily Tomlin.
"We think of this as Jewish music
he subjects of miscarriage
and domestic abuse certain- for the world and we'd like the audi-
ence to listen to all of it the way they
ly are not traditional in the
listen to world music," says Adrienne
klezmer music of earlier
Cooper, the vocalist and narrator who
periods, but they occur in 21st-centu-
has brought many klezmer programs
ry incarnations of the historic sounds
to Michigan.
as performed by the all-female band
"We make sure that the audience
Mikveh.
understands
the YiddiSh, and we
"Yosemame/Orphan Mama," the
include some bilingual songs. leyg
miscarriage song, and "A gum ovnt
Dayn Kop,' a lullaby for adults, is one
Brayne" ("Good Evening, Brayne"),
of the songs presented in Yiddish and
the abuse piece, are on the band's CD,
English."
also called. Mikveh and released in
Mikveh members, while drawing on
2001 on the Traditional Crossroads
the sounds and emotional situations of
label.
the past, compose
Those kind of songs,
new music while fos-
as well as more tradi-
tering a rediscovery of
tional tunes, will be
rare historical materi-
performed when the
al. They collaborate
group appears 8 p.m.
with other women
Saturday, Nov. 16, at
composers, such as
the Jewish
Beyle Schaechter-
Community Center in
Gottesman, to inter-
West Bloomfield.
polate new-material
Mikveh, whose
into older works.
music reflects a range
Trumpeter Susan
of experiences encoun-
Watts Hoffman, long
tered by Jewish
According to "Mikveh's" liner
on tradition as a
women, is coming
notes, the band is named in
fourth-generation
here as the annual
tribute to the traditional
klezmer musician,
Julius Chajes
women's ritual bath, "the place
expresses enthusiasm
Memorial Concert,
of monthly immersion marking
about the contempo-
part of the JCC
the cycles of women's lives,
rary attitudes of the
Encore Series. The
sexuality and creativity."
group she joined two
group's appearance
years after it was
caps off the musical
established.
entertainment offered during the
"Mikveh wants to give a feminine
JCC's 51st Annual Jewish Book Fair,
voice to what has seemed an otherwise
which ends Sunday, Nov. 17.
male pursuit," says Hoffman, who uses
the surname from her mother's side of
Contemporary Attitude
the family because of its music con-
nections.
The five-member group, which takes
"We will perform songs from my
its name from the post-menstrual ritu-
family's klezmer book, which includes
al bath, brings together entertainers
Tateleh,' written for my mother by
who met through klezmer work with
my -grandfather," she says.
other ensembles and special programs.
Mikveh had a stellar debut Feb. 14,
1998, when the band was part of a
Diversity Of Members
_special The Vagina Monologues produc-
Hoffman, who connected with the
tion planned by Obie-winning play-
trumpet after finding it in a .home
wright Eve Ensler for "V-Day," aimed
music closet when she was 7, stayed
at calling attention to the plight of
with her instrument because it seemed
women who have been victims of vio-

SUZANNE, CHESSLER

T

tickets start at $20!

For tickets, call

313.237.SING

or visit www.michiganopera.org

DaimlerChrysler sponsors the Detroit Opera House Dance Series,

DAINILERCHRYSLER

These performances are presented with leadership

support from the University of Michigan.

Media St

cL.1

Performance Sponsors

NirDonalti
InNoAmorsi:$

WM*

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We will exceed. yaw expeci-ai-iovts.
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11/8
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