Sasha Lurje

Sasha Lurje (Vocals, Percussion) was born in Riga Latvia. When a friend invited her to join a youth theater focusing on Yiddish work, she didn’t realize how her life path had suddenly shifted. Receiving early mentorship by many of the giants of the Yiddish music revival, including Lorin Sklamberg (the Klezmatics’ vocalist, with whom Sasha and Craig now tour) and Michael Alpert, also now a frequent collaborator), at several festivals in Russia and Yiddish Summer Weimar in Germany propelled her to the forefront of the contemporary Yiddish scene. It wasn’t long before she was joining her heroes on stage, and teaching hundreds of singers herself, making it her life’s work to spread an appreciation of Yiddish culture and especially vocal style that goes to the depth Besides appearing at most of the major festivals and workshops for this music, her Yiddish progressive rock band Forshpil has made it clear to the next generation that this music isn’t just a delicate relic that belongs in a museum, but is rather a living cultural treasure trove ready to adapt and evolve as far as we will let it.