Sasha Lurje

Radiant Others is back with a new episode featuring Yiddish singer, educator, Road Warrior and sometimes poyk player Sasha Lurje! Sasha is one of the most in demand Yiddish singers active on the scene today. From her home in Berlin, she can often be seen all around Europe, North America and Beyond. She is involved in a dizzying array of musical projects that range from the traditional, the historical (she’s very central to the work of Songs from Testimonies that we covered in our last episode), and the totally psychedelic.

Dan and Sasha talk about meeting at Klezkamp 2007, and how their connection has been consistent over the years, sometimes closer, and sometimes farther both geographically and personally. They talk about their quite different Jewish upbringings in the Northeastern US and Riga Latvia in the former Soviet Union, and with all these differences both found an artistic and personal home in the Yiddish and klezmer worlds. They share the joy of working on yiddish music at a “microscopic level” and the brilliant worlds of detail to be found there. This is a joyful conversation that marvels in the beauty of our music and our musical world.

Sasha is always making things happen at home and elsewhere. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and at https://www.sashalurje.com/.

Songs in this episode:

1) Oy Vey Mame –  Forshpil

2) Oh God Help Us – Black Rooster Kapelye

3) Barikadn – The Golden Thread Septet

4) Akh, Yosef, Yosef – Jac Weinstein’s Helsinki Yiddish Cabaret

Radiant Others is produced by Dan Blacksberg and Beila Ungar.