Halva

This brilliant Belgian-German-Israeli ensemble led by composer/violinist Nicolaas Cottenie has been creating a huge buzz throughout the Jewish music world.The group focuses on investigating links between traditional klezmer music, the music of Yiddish-speaking Jews living in Eastern Europe, and surrounding cultures. In 2021 Halva released its second album, "Dinner in Sofia", a collection of tableaus from a journey through Eastern Europe, looking into the connections between klezmer music and Romanian, Bulgarian and Greek music.

Nicolaas Cottenie's original, surprising and expressive compositions, played with an abundance of virtuosity and passion, come together to make a multi-facetted and gripping album. Moments of ecstatic energy contrast with subtle manipulations of sonic timbre in moments of introversion and reflection, delicately inviting the listener to float and dream away.

Welcome to a world of whirling virtuosity, mesmerizing beauty, benumbing sadness, light-hearted humor and never-ending dancing – come and join!

www.halvamusic.eu || www.nicolaascottenie.eu 

Line up:
Nicolaas Cottenie (BE) - violin & composition 
Alina Bauer (DE) - violin 
Eline Duerinck (BE) - cello 
Anja Günther (DE) - clarinet 
Robbe Kieckens (BE) - percussion
Ira Shiran (ISR) – Accordion

https://youtu.be/jFazU0XyY-4
https://youtu.be/wQ3pwOI_aTw
https://youtu.be/L8xNnTBXxcw