Jojnes Trojm

World music trio Salamander releases its 3rd album with music from various Jewish traditions, from passionate Sephardic folk songs and somber Hasidic spirituals to joyous klezmer tunes.

On October 19th, 2023, the trio Salamander, based in Gothenburg, Sweden, will release their 3rd album “Jojnes Trojm : Music from Jewish Traditions & Beyond”. The repertoire consists partly of klezmer music, but the main purpose of the album is to highlight other Jewish music traditions which are less well known to the general public.

For example, the album contains Sephardic folk songs from the Mediterranean region which originate in the musical tradition of the Jews of medieval Spain, as well as spiritual songs from the tradition of the Hasidic Jews. The lyrics of the songs are in Ladino which is the language of the Sephardic Jews, as well as Yiddish and Hebrew.

In addition to the Jewish repertoire, there is also some early music from the Renaissance and Baroque eras on the album performed in a 'folkified' style, as well as a couple of songs from non Jewish folk music traditions. The main focus of the album, however, is on traditional Jewish music.

The album was recorded in Studio Epidemin in Gothenburg, Sweden, in January 2023, with Johannes Lundberg as recording technician. Johannes Lundberg has also mixed and mastered the album, and he is also featured as a guest musician on double bass.

Salamander was founded in 2010, and has since then performed in a wide variety of settings, from intimate café stages to culture centres, museums and folk music festivals all over Sweden. The 1st album received enthusiastic reviews when it was released in 2014, and likewise the 2nd album “Como La Rosa” which was released in 2018. “Como La Rosa” has also been featured on radio stations all over the world.

The album’s title track “Jojnes Trojm” is an instrumental tune written by the group’s fiddle player Jonas Liljeström. The title of the tune is in Yiddish and means “Jonas’ Dream”, the reason being that Jonas heard the melody in a dream.

The production of the album has been financed in part by a grant from Katz Judiska Kulturfond (The Katz Jewish Culture Foundation).