Chaia

Kleztronica
Pronouns: she / her
Artistic Discipline: Music
Category: Brooklyn Arts Fund
Grant Year: 2024
Location: Bushwick

"Resilience" was a performance piece showcasing Ashkenazi diaspora and history through queer Yiddish electronic music (house and techno). The show took place on April 6 at the Sultan Room, in a recreation of a 1920s Yiddish theater: The Azazel. Performers embodied different historical figures from the theater and, by combining drag, techno, and klezmer, created a piece that celebrated Ashkenazi life in the diaspora. The performance was hosted by the Kleztronica collective, a Yiddish electronic music collective, in partnership with researcher Yael Horowitz, drag producer Luca Evans, set designer Daniel Toretsky, and Jewish community organization The Neighborhood. Performing artists included Chaia, Brenda Roses, Sir Cum Sized, Bris Baby, Sasha Suraski, Pete Rushefsky, Bad News Bear, Excess Materials, Dick Transdyke, Chava Goodtime, and AANI. Jess O'Donoghue and Evan Reed documented the performance. Aaron Bendich live-streamed the event as part of the Borscht Beat Record Label.