The Klezmatics

THE KLEZMATICS – 40th ANNIVERSARY & FORTHCOMING ALBUM: We Were Made for These Times

From leading the klezmer revival to soundtracking social justice for four decades.

The Grammy Award-winning Klezmatics are the only klezmer band ever to win a Grammy — and for nearly forty years, they’ve done far more than revive a genre. They’ve redefined it. Since emerging from New York City’s East Village in 1986, this trailblazing ensemble has fused Yiddish tradition with punk, gospel, jazz, and global rhythms, creating music that is joyful, defiant, and radically inclusive. Their fearless cross-cultural collaborations have reshaped the world-music landscape and inspired generations of artists.

Now, as they mark their 40th anniversary, The Klezmatics return with We Were Made for These Times — a powerful, collaborative new album about immigration, exile, and solidarity. Written over nearly a decade since their last release, it is their most urgent and expansive statement to date.

Produced by Grammy winner Danny Blume and recorded in one of New York’s top studios, the album brings together immigrant and diasporic voices that define the city’s sonic and spiritual diversity. Guest artists include La Manga (Afro-Colombian), Enver Izmaylov (Crimean Tatar jazz virtuoso), Joshua Nelson and the Lavender Light Gospel Choir (Black and queer Jewish gospel), Sofía Rei (Latin avant-garde), and Janis Siegel (The Manhattan Transfer).

The repertoire features Klezmatics’ interpretations of works by Holly Near, Angela Gabriels, and Chaim Zhitlovsky, alongside a haunting klezmer version of Woody Guthrie’s Deportee. The result is an album that feels both timeless and urgent — rooted in Yiddish, powered by global voices, and forged in solidarity.

In 2025, The Klezmatics performed over 50 shows across North America and Europe, including an official WOMEX showcase. Their 2026 world tour will premiere the new album live. As part of their 40th anniversary, the band is 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