It’s all Dans on Radiant Others this month! This month is part 1 of our conversation with one of our Yiddish World’s most wide-reaching artists, singer, songwriter, actor, and more, Daniel Kahn. Dan Kahn’s music, especially through his longtime band The Painted Bird, has reached a lot of people inside and outside the Yiddish scene. He has given well known and hidden old songs a vibrant life in the present day, and created new ones that have spread powerful messages throughout the Jewish world and beyond. His translations of Yiddish into English, and vice versa have set a standard for modern Yiddish song and performance. (Full disclosure: host Dan Blacksberg was a regular touring member of the Painted Bird for many years and appears on nearly all the bands’ recordings)
Dan K. And Dan B. found their way into klezmer and the wider world of Yiddish music around the same time in the early/mid 2000s, coming to it at different times in their lives and artistic journeys. In this part 1 of 2, they cover Kahn’s upbringing, his way into music, getting struck by Yiddish, and finding his way to Berlin, Germany through connecting with folks like Alan Bern at Klezkanada. We talk about what makes a music scene and all the different scenes that shaped their artistic lives. They end part 1 with talking about the start of the Painted Bird.
In part 2, Dan and Dan will talk about all the music they’ve made together, the impact it’s had on them and out in the world, and delve deep into new music Kahn is still making today, especially on his upcoming album Umru, out on November 14th on Oriente and Borscht Beat. This conversation is a deep and intimate meeting of old friends and close comrades in the life of music. Dive in!
1. Hulyet – Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird
2. Ford Wyoming – Daniel Kahn
3. Man of Plenty – Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird
4. Nacht un Regn – Daniel Kahn and the Painted Bird
5. Ich fühl mich nicht zu Hause (Nit Heymish) – Daniel Kahn with Jake Shulman-Ment & Christian Dawid
Radiant Others is produced by Dan Blacksberg and Beila Ungar. The podcast aims to be the internet’s central space for important conversations in Yiddish and Klezmer music. Please support our work on https://www.patreon.com/RadiantOthers, and tip us as https://tiptopjar.com/RadiantOthers!
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