Mentshn-Fresser (1916 Yiddish Pandemic Ballad) feat. Sveta Kundish & Daniel Kahn

Written by Solomon Small (Smulewitz), 1916, Hebrew Publishing Co.

Click CC or Options to turn on English, German, or Yiddish subtitles

DI MENTSHN-FRESSERS:
Sveta Kundish: Vocals
Daniel Kahn: Vocals, drum
Patrick Farrell: Accordion, toy piano, sfx
Christian Dawid: Tuba, trombone, saxophone, clarinets
Vivien Zeller: Violin
Yeva Lapsker: Camera

Arrangement and sound mixing: Patrick Farrell
Video and Subtitles: Yeva Lapsker & Daniel Kahn

A hartsikn dank:
Jane Peppler
Kolya Borodulin
Mark Slobin
Miryem-Khaye Siegel
Jobst Kramer
Leon Lapsker Kahn

Filmed at Gutshof Dahlewitz, Brandenburg, June 2020

Historical footage from the Prelinger Archive

[jelenawoehr]

Thank you for this. I played it for Solomon’s 95 year old granddaughter today, my grandmother, who is still with us and was so touched to know a contemporary artist has recorded her grandfather’s music. She said it was like he was in the room ❤

[estebannemo]

Glad to see people are still keeping Yiddish alive.

[aranmyracle]

Daniel Kahn inspired me to start learning Yiddish. Thank you for giving my own history back to me.

[tesfuweldemikael]

The way "corona" appears in the middle of the text by complete chance makes it sound a little prophetic... you can find it funny or scary, but it's there.

[RabidLeroy]

The fact this spans both 1918 Influenzas and our current pandemics still remains as important.

[rabbileiahmoser]

This is officially my no. 1 summertime jam for 2020.

[MegaFount]

Wonderful! Yiddish is making a comeback. I sent this to all my friends and family. You bring the music alive.

[eskipotato]

An upload from Daniel Kahn is a pleasant surprise.

[Adiz]

Your music is a cure for the soul! A sheynem dank!

[m.alghaniyf.m.]

My insomnia turns out to be a blessing.

[josethottumkal]

This is an amazing production. Timely and profound. The melancholic melody melds with the sombre lyrics. Most Yiddish compositions I've heard always had tinge of sadness, grey and foreboding. Thanks for sharing.

[henable]

Brilliantly written then. Brilliantly performed by both of you now. Incredibly relevant today! BRAVO!

[alexmrmusic]

this is so expressive and the lyrics are so up to date, very well sung and produced

[goddesseris]

shoutout to the man with the tuba AND a face mask, blow away you legend.
*_Christian Dawid_*

[cantorevan]

How appropriate for today. Beautifully done on every level!

[loganl]

I don't speak Yiddish or read the Hebrew alefbet, so thank you for the transliterated subtitles. This is so sad and catchy, I can't not learn it.

[Amelia-mmrc]

ok, this is epic and has a lot of Good Shabbas energy

[stasradzijewski]

Несколько лет подряд слушал Свелану Кундиш во Львове на Фестивалях клейзмерской музыки. Один раз - в концертном зале Консерватории, где она рассказала о своей семье и исполняла замечательные песни. Браво. Очень Интересно.

[davidlevinson]

This is my great great uncle reaching out to me from the grave! Thank you uncle Sol!

[marlanovak]

Amazing how after 100 years the words are still the same and for another virus.