genocidal memories

On Erev Yom Hashoah last Saturday, I went to an amazing performance of Daniel Kahn & the Painted Bird with Michael Winograd, an old friend, performing on Clarinet. As posted on Jewschool, they performed last night at Barbes, in Brooklyn. We'll have to see the reactions of folks to that show on Jewschool.

The show at the Workmen's Circle in Boston, provided a nearly perfect space for the unique ensemble, whose name is based on a graphic and haunting novel by Kosinski about the aftermath of WWII in Europe for a young boy. The music is really hard to classify, but my first reaction to Dan Kahn was the cabaret quality of his voice; throughout the performance, I didn't know if I wanted to pay more attention to the lyrics or to the music, which rarely happens to me- it's usually one or the other. I could have thought of no better way to observe Yom Hashoah, then sitting in the front-row, surrounded by a multi-generational group of friends and secular Jewish activists, listening to musical fables, one of which was called "6 Million Germans" about a plot by Aba Kovner and his crew. I highly advising checking out the Myspace and buying some tracks on itunes.

And Mike Winograd's got some other gigs coming up- he is also an unparalleled musical treat, though generally less depressing when without Dan Kahn.

Soupbunnie writes about the desensitization many of us Americans are feeling about Darfur and the need for us to actually do something, based on an incredible evening she had last night. In typical style, quality prose from the bunnie, provoking deep thought. On this day sandwiched between Holocaust Remembrance Day (last Sunday) and Earth Day (tomorrow), I propose takign the Bunnie's advice to follow the Genocide Intervention Network's action alert and write to Congress urging support for the Sudan Divestment Authorization Act. I trust bunnie's recommendations on this issue (and many others.) But read her post also!