Karsten Troyke

Karsten Troyke (born "Karsten Bertolt Sellhorn" on 14 August 1960 in Berlin) is a German singer, actor, and speaker. He is best known as an interpreter of Yiddish song.

Life

Performing on stage since 1982, Troyke had earlier worked as a gardener and with mentally handicapped children. He studied singing (with Leonore Gendries) as well as drama and speaking, and in 1990 he gave up his work to dedicate himself completely to musical performance and theater. Troyke participated in radio plays, worked as a voice actor (dubbing), and participated in various stage plays.

As a singer, his album "Yiddish Anders" (1992) received the praise of German record critics. "Jidische Vergessene Lieder" (1997) contained previously unpublished songs of Sara Bialas Tenenberg, who became his mentor for the Yiddish language.

In his performances Troyke often works with Bettina Wegner, Suzanna and the Trio Scho. His interpretations of the songs of Georg Kreisler received mention in the writer/musician's 2005 biography. In 2006 two documentaries, "Yiddish Soul" and "Concert Yiddish Soul", featured Troyke and other performers of Yiddish music.

Work

Books

* Fritz Mordechai Kaufmann Old Yiddish Songs, reprint from Berlin 1920 (2001), with translations by Troyke

Recordings

* 1991 "Shuloym Alaykhem" (1991)
* 1992 "Yiddish Anders" (Hermann Anders - Band)
* 1994 "Leg den Kopf auf meine Knie", with writings of Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger, Itzik Manger und Abraham Sutzkever
* 1996 "Grüne Blätter"
* 1997 "Jidische Vergessene Lieder"
* 1999 "Shuloym Alaykhem - The Old Yiddish Songs"
* 1998 "Troyke singt Kreisler"
* 2001 "Chanson Total" with Suzanna
* 2005 "Grüne Blätter" (remastered)
* 2006 "Tango Oyf Yiddish"

In collaboration:
* 1993 "Tu Balval", Suzanna
* 1994 "Váci Utca", Peter M. Haas, Martin Frisch
* 1995 "T&FF Rudolstadt '94"
* 1997 "Diadromes", Alec Kopyt & Poza (klezmer and Gypsy music)
* 1998 "Dui Dui", Suzanna
* 1999 "Jazz Lyrik Prosa II"
* 1999 "Old Russian Popsongs", Trio Scho
* 1999 "Wege", Bettina Wegner
* 2000 "Mit Josh um halb acht", reading of Josh Sellhorn
* 2000 "Lachen und lachen lassen"
* 2001 "Schlaf schneller, Genosse", Ursula Karusseit, Günther Junghans, Trio Scho
* 2001 "Alles, was ich wünsche", Bettina Wegner
* 2002 "Schweineparadies", Die Bösen Mädchen
* 2003 "Mein Bruder", Bettina Wegner
* 2004 "Liebeslieder", Bettina Wegner
* 2005 "Jazz Lyrik Prosa III"
* 2005 "Der Entenkönig", a radio play

External links

* [http://www.karsten-troyke.de Karsten Troyke homepage]
* [http://www.myspace.com/karstentroyke Karsten Troyke on Myspace]
* [http://www.raumer-records.de Raumer Records (CDs by Karsten Troyke)]