Back in the summer of 2014, Scottish Klezmer trio Celter Schmelter, got together at the newly built Eigg Studio on the Isle of Eigg, to record an album of traditional Jewish music, along with some self-penned klezmer material, which will go under the name of ‘Hen’s Khasene – The Eigg Sessions’, and will be released in February 2015.
Celter Schmelter was formed by fiddler Gica Loening, back in 2004. Gica, one of Edinburgh’s most active musicians (a member of the Belle Star Band), had previously been focused on Scottish trad music, but had a yearning to rediscover her musical roots and the very different way the fiddle is used in Jewish traditional music.
Joined by double bassist Jenny Hill in 2008, and later guitarist (and son!) Fin Loening, this line up delights in sharing this passionate, exciting traditional music with audiences. From high energy tunes for dancing and celebration, to heart-wrenching, mournful ‘doina’ melodies, Celter Schmelter performances include story-telling, pictures, wax cylinder recordings of music made at the turn of last century, and much more. We hope that this album, and the accompanying film (see above) will capture the infectious excitement of our performances, and the fun we like to have on stage. Please have a look at our film, which features the tune ‘Di Goldene Khasene’, and images of the Isle of Eigg, one of the ‘Small Isles’ (Inner Hebrides) where our recording adventure took place!
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