"Why flying bulgar?" I asked David Buchbinder, the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band's leader. I, of course, was referring to bulgar wheat, that tasty component of tabouli salad and other Middle Eastern dishes. "What makes it fly?" I wondered, imagining frenzied white grains flying through the air, whirling in an ecstatic dance. Was the band in the habit of throwing wheat around during its concerts, the way some bands do glitter or fireworks?

But David was kind enough to inform me that here flying bulgar refers not to a carbohydrate but to a type of dance. As he explains, "when I was coming up with the band name I imagined that we would develop such an energy that we would just fly off stage." And indeed, on a snowy Burnaby day the hot klezmer melodies of the Bulgars, who play the Norman Rothstein Theatre February 21 and 25, fly out of my CD player and through the air carrying the scent of olive oil and garlic, the image of scarves beaded with coins and long, embroidered skirts.

Klezmer, for the uninitiated, comes largely from the ecstatic songs and dances of the Hasidim, ultra-religious Jews well known for their mystical leanings. Later, both gypsy (Roma) and Black American musicians brought their soulful contributions. Asked about the musical connection between these groups, Buchbinder says that they are "naturally compatible. In Eastern Europe, there was a major connection between Jewish and Gypsy musicians." He points out that there are also spiritual and sociological connections between the sources of klezmer with regard to "the role the music played within the minority culture, and the role the minority culture played within the majority culture."

Klezmer, then, is a music of the dispossessed and oppressed; that is why the joy of it is so powerful. Much like soul food or the Yiddish language, it is made to be inherently satisfying. Contrast this with the ruefully ersatz creations of rich North Americans: spa cuisine, television, artificial turf, polyester. Sadly, those who don't know if tomorrow they will live or die, eat or starve, are often in the position to really know how to celebrate life.

Asked whether he focuses on the past or the future when it comes to his music, Buchbinder responds with the answer every artist should give: "Both." He elaborates, "The connection to the source is important... any musician is always drawn to know the roots and source of the music. They want to connect with the deep underpinnings of the music, and in that is a great deal of respect." But he emphasizes that the Flying Bulgars are also "forward moving, embracing the unknown." In keeping with that sense of innovation, they have added several new members to the band. Dave Wall, the newest addition, has earned critical acclaim both as a solo artists and lead singer/frontman of the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, and Lori Freedman is known to many in the Vancouver New Music scene. Marilyn Lerner is a well known jazz pianist and composer who has also recently explored New Music. Buchbinder is obviously happy about the new additions and the diverse background they bring: "This is an exciting new version of the band, committed to the music, and excited about playing with each other."

The Flying Bulgar Klezmer band is no stranger to Vancouver audiences, having played both the Vancouver Jazz Festival and the Folk Music Festival. When they play the Norman Rothstein Theatre on February 21 and 25, Buchbinder promises a real "theatrical sensibility, not in the showbiz sense, but in that the music paints pictures for people. It seems very cinematic."

"We're very into crossing borders both musically and socially," he emphasizes. "Bringing people together to enjoy the music."

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