That’s the goal of Vancouver singer-songwriter-accordion player Geoff Berner.

“I want to make original klezmer music that’s drunk, dirty, political and passionate. As a Jew of eastern european descent, I feel I have a calling to make this music live, not just preserve it under glass like something in a museum.”

This approach has earned him rave reviews in publications in many countries.

“The Avenging Angel of klezmer” — Canada’s Globe and Mail

“Geoff Berner might be klezmer’s saviour.” — NOW Magazine

"5/6" — Oslo Dagvisen

"Cherish him, cherish him, for there really is no one
like him. Fantastic." — Billy Bragg

His latest album, “Klemzer Mongrels” released October 24 on the 9pm label, is the ultimate expression of his aggressive kind of klezmer. It's a klezmer punk folk dance album about mixed-breeds of all kinds.

“Today there's a cultural battle going on between the boring forces of purity, fundamentalism and monoculture, and the fun forces of mixed-up, messed-up diversity. This album is a shot in favour of the mixed-up fun."

"I believe in this approach, because at the height of its powers, this music, the folk music of Eastern European Jews, was a constantly changing brew of Turkish music, sacred Jewish music, Tango, jazz, and the music of whatever country the Jews were living in at the time."

Berner's message is evident in songs like "Half German Girlfriend", "Luck in Exile", and the ironic "Authentic Klezmer Wedding Band". The music and lyrics are a raw assault on purity that will make listeners, laugh, bang their heads, cry, and feel absurd, all at the same time.

After numerous international tours, festival appearances, airplay on national radio in 7 countries, and slots on tour with artists such as Billy Bragg, Kaizers Orchestra, Balkan Beat Box and the Be Good Tanyas (who covered his song "Light Enough to Travel", selling over 100,000 copies), he's garnered critical acclaim and a cult following for his sharp songwriting and cabaret performance style.

Berner bolstered his klezmer knowledge with a research trip: In 2004, the trio of Berner, Diona Davies (violin) and Wayne Adams (percussion) travelled to rural Romania to investigate the roots of klezmer with their guide and klezmer guru, Bob Cohen, leader of Budapest band Di Naye Kapelye. They returned with a deeper understanding of the music, and quite a few stories to tell.

It would be tempting to paint Berner as some kind of klezmer rebel, but he maintains that he is working firmly in the tradition. “When we went to Romania, we found musicians who are masterful, but can also play so passionately that pitch and meter are thrown to the wind. And the words in the songs are full of drinking, politics and sex. That’s my kind of tradition.”