YOSELE KOLODNI

YOSELE KOLODNI (1892-October 27, 1942)

            An artist and singer, he was born in Pinsk.  He himself wrote music to songs, although he was unable to read musical notation.  He wrote parodies of actual events and folksongs.  He translated and sang the highly popular Russian songs of Aleksander Vertinsky.  His best-known songs were: “Khsidimlekh” (Little Hassidim), “Berl shmid” (Berl the blacksmith), and “Lozer der vaser-treger” (Lozer the water carrier), among others.  He died in Pinsk.

Sources: Zalmen Zilbertsvayg, Leksikon fun yidishn teater (Handbook of the Yiddish theater), vol. 5 (Mexico City, 1966); Y. Turkov, Farloshene shtern (Extinguished stars), vol. 2 (Buenos Aires, 1953), pp. 245-49.

Berl Cohen