On November 26, at “Music Factory A Nice Place” club in Riga, Citadeles iela 2, in the project’s “450 years together. Jewish culture in Latvian environment – arts, music, education” Nr.EEZLV04/GSKA/2013/02 boundaries took place a concert of norwegian klezmer-band “Urban Tunnels”.
Urban Tunélls is one of a very small number of Norwegian klezmer ensembles. Concert and record reviewers mention their virtuosity, creativity, spontaneity, and their consistency as a great live act.
Throughout their career, their focus has been on presenting East-European, Jewish folk music in innovative and untraditional ways. With a profound respect for the traditions of klezmer, they modernizing the genre through improvisation, creative arrangements, impulses from other styles of music, and – not least – through their virtuosity and their vibrant performances.
The band has toured in America, Russia, Serbia, the Netherlands, Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
They have so far released two records featuring traditional klezmer material, as well as a remix-album where DJ and electronica artist DJ Kohib has been allowed to play with the band’s original recordings.
The concert will attract attention of young people of Latvia to Jewish culture, will improve connections between Latvia and Norway, provide mobility of cultural personalities, attract attention of young educated people of Latvia to the project, and the last but not the least will become a bright cultural event in Latvia.
Project “450 years together. Jewish culture in Latvian environment – arts, music, education” Nr.EEZLV04/GSKA/2013/02 is implemented in Latvia and Norway on 01.01.2015.-31.12.2015. The project is granted by 65 677 EUR by Island, Lichtenstein and Norway, mediating by EEZ finance instrument. The project’s total cost is 117 EUR, state co-funding 11 590 EUR, co-funding by Association “Shamir” 11 850 EUR. Major activities of the project are four exhibitions in Norway and Latvia, klezmer (Jewish folk music) concert in Riga and International contest and exhibition of children’s paintings.
