Although Klezmer music is a mix or fusion of many cultures dating back thousands of years the bulk of the music is rooted in Eastern European and Mediterranean cultures. Klezmer is the common music of the Jewish people of Eastern Europe; the music played to celebrate joyous holidays and life-cycle events such as weddings, rites of passage to manhood, the holidays of Purim and Chanukkah.
One of the Unique elements of the music is flexibility. Throughout the history of this genre the klezmorim (pl. klezmer) incorporated local styles and expanded the traditional sound with improvisation. And, as an aural tradition much like early Jazz, Klezmer music developed and kept its popularity from generation to generation.
The Klezmer Genre