CELEBRATE WITH US THE KLEZMATICS 40TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATE WITH US THE KLEZMATICS 40TH ANNIVERSARY
The Klezmatics at 40: let the celebration begin!
THE KLEZMATICS – 40TH ANNIVERSARY & FORTHCOMING ALBUM: WE WERE MADE FOR THESE TIMES From leading the klezmer revival to soundtracking social justice across four decades
The Klezmatics are the only klezmer band ever to win a Grammy — and for the past 40 years, they’ve done more than revive a genre. They’ve revolutionized it. Since 1986, this trailblazing New York City ensemble has fused Yiddish tradition with punk, gospel, jazz, and global rhythms, creating music that is joyful, defiant, and radically inclusive. Their pioneering cross-cultural collaborations reshaped the world music scene and inspired generations of artists.
Now, as they mark four decades, The Klezmatics return with We Were Made for These Times — a bold, collaborative forthcoming album centered on immigration, exile, and solidarity. Written over nearly a decade since their last release, it’s their most urgent and expansive work to date.
Produced by Grammy winner Danny Blume and recorded in one of NYC’s top studios, the album brings together immigrant voices and diasporas rooted in New York City’s cultural melting pot — a portrait of NYC’s sonic and spiritual diversity. Guest artists include La Manga (Afro-Colombian), Enver Izmaylov (Crimean Tatar jazz), Joshua Nelson and Lavender Light Gospel Choir (Black and queer Jewish gospel), Sofía Rei (Latin avant-garde), and Janis Siegel (The Manhattan Transfer). The repertoire features Klezmatics renditions of songs and texts by social justice icons including Holly Near, Angela Gabriels, Chaim Zhitlovsky, and a haunting klezmer version of Woody Guthrie’s Deportee.
This isn’t nostalgia — it’s protest music for right now. Rooted in Yiddish, powered by global voices, and forged in solidarity, We Were Made for These Times is both a homecoming and a rallying cry.
In 2025, The Klezmatics performed 50 shows across North America and Europe, including a major showcase at WOMEX. Their 2026 tour will premiere the new album live. As part of their 40th anniversary, they are also reissuing their landmark catalogue — including newly remastered, first-ever vinyl editions of Rhythm & Jews, Happy Joyous Hanukkah, and their Grammy-winning Wonder Wheel: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie.
“The Klezmatics aren’t just the best band in the klezmer vanguard; on a good night, they can rank among the greatest bands on the planet.” — Time Out New York
“Since coming together in the mid-’80s, The Klezmatics’ members have resided at the genre’s forefront while pushing it in new and innovative directions.” — NPR
“Catchy, pulse-quickening party tunes and heart-warming melodies — just try to watch them and not a) weep or b) stop yourself dancing.” — The Jewish Chronicle
Support the journey: pre-order the album and reissues, support The Klezmatics’ archival work, book a show, and join them on tour.
The Klezmatics at 40: A Mini-Documentary on Four Decades of Music and the Celebration Ahead
The Klezmatics at 40: A Mini-Documentary on Four Decades of Music and the Celebration Ahead
The Klezmatics are the only Grammy Award-winning klezmer band and one of the most iconic and adventurous groups in modern Jewish music. Since emerging from New York City’s East Village in 1986, they have led a global revival of klezmer, combining centuries-old Yiddish tradition with radical contemporary sensibilities.
For nearly four decades, The Klezmatics have brought their unique sound to audiences around the world—blending klezmer with jazz, gospel, punk, classical, Latin, and Balkan styles. Their music is rooted in Eastern European Jewish tradition but embraces a progressive worldview, tackling themes like human rights, antifundamentalism, diaspora, and cultural resistance.
Their impact is unmistakable. The Klezmatics are the only klezmer band to win a Grammy Award (Best Contemporary World Music Album for Wonder Wheel: Lyrics by Woody Guthrie). They have released 13 acclaimed albums, topped the Billboard World Music Chart, and received multiple international honors, including the German Critics Award and the New York Jewish Music Award.
Their work transcends genre and platform. The Klezmatics have performed in over 20 countries and in venues from Carnegie Hall to European cathedrals to rock festivals. Their music has been featured in films, television, theater, and dance, including collaborations with Tony Kushner (A Dybbuk), Pilobolus Dance Theatre (Davenen), and the scores of films by Pearl Gluck. Their songs have appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion, and HBO’s Sex and the City.
The Klezmatics have collaborated with a vast range of artists including violinist Itzhak Perlman, Israeli star Chava Alberstein, gospel singer Joshua Nelson, Arlo Guthrie, poet Allen Ginsberg, Theodore Bikel, and more. Their Grammy-winning project with Woody Guthrie’s lyrics redefined the possibilities of Jewish-American musical storytelling.
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