IDAN RAICHEL PROJECT

Product Description The Idan Raichel Project is the brainchild of Israeli keyboardist, composer, producer, and arranger Idan Raichel, who invited over 70 different musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds to participate in the recordings. In particular, Raichel has long been fascinated by the music of Israel's growing population of Ethiopian Jews, and many songs feature members of Israel's Ethiopian community. The recordings also include Arab musicians, traditional Yemenite vocalists, a toaster and percussionist from Suriname and a South African singer, among others. The Project released its first album in Israel in 2002 and quickly became one of the biggest success stories in the history of Israeli popular music. The haunting Ethiopian chorus of the first single, "Bo'ee" (Come With Me), sounded completely unlike anything most Israeli's had heard before. The groundswell of interest propelled the album to heights rarely seen in the local music scene and firmly established Idan Raichel as a new type of Israeli pop star. Now a musical icon in the Israeli community worldwide, The Idan Raichel Project has performed to sell-out crowds in prestigious venues in Paris, Brussels, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore and beyond. The international release of The Idan Raichel Project's recordings on the new record label Cumbancha promises to introduce a wide new audience to the electrifying work of this unique musical collective. The Project offers a new vision for how Israelis, their neighbors in this volatile region, and people all over the world, can cherish their individual cultural traditions, celebrate their differences and through respectful collaboration create new and inspiring expressions. "Our ability to live in peace with one other depends on our learning to appreciate and respect each other's differences," notes Idan. "The way forward is not by trying to change your neighbor, but by accepting him and recognizing that we are all looking for the same things in life: bread, water, spirit, respect and love." Deluxe international version is enhanced with three music videos and other special features. Amazon.com In Israel, where Jews from all over the globe arrive seeking refuge and new lives, a young keyboardist/composer/producer/arranger named Idan Raichel sought out seventy multinational musicians and began recording with them in his basement studio. As he set about mixing Ethiopian and other African Jewish traditions with home-grown Hebraic, Yemenite, and Arab styles, Old Testament Psalms, and even Caribbean vocals and rhythms, he initially had little hope of ever seeing the sessions released commercially. But he ended up with not one but two precedent-setting, huge-selling albums, from which the present CD was deftly cherry-picked. Opening with a majestic, multi-voiced Ethiopian chant, the 12 selections here make ample use of ethnic-based traditions and instruments. But although the songs share an edifying spiritual depth, they are nonetheless modern pop in the best sense, accessible and chock-full of catchy melodies. For example, on "Be'Yom Shabbat" (On Sabbath), the vocals--one wavering and prayerfully soulful and the other more straight-ahead--are couched in a cutting-edge reggae context, complete with sampled voices and electronic flourishes. Despite his commitment to eclectic sources and unusual juxtapositions, Raichel obviously has a happy way with a hook and no scruples whatsoever about having fun with it. --Christina Roden About the Artist Idan Raichel, the architect of this unique recording project, is a 29-year old keyboardist, producer and composer from Kfar Saba, Israel. While working as a counselor at a boarding school for immigrants where he first started getting familiar with Ethiopian folk and pop music. "I started to hear lots of cassettes from Addis Ababa. Village music, like Ethiopian pop and reggae, or the native village songs," says Raichel. Idan began to explore Ethiopian music and culture. He started going to Ethiopian bars and clubs and soon attended Ethiopian synagogues, weddings and ceremonies; his connections to the community deepened. Meanwhile, Idan had become a successful backup musician and recording session player for some of Israel's most popular musicians. He decided it was time to pursue a project that reflected his musical ideals, and began working on a demo recording in a small studio he set up in the basement of his parent's home. Idan invited over 70 of his friends and colleagues from Israel's diverse music scene to participate in the recordings. He never expected his musical experiments to turn him into Israel's biggest musical phenomenon in recent memory. The debut album of The Idan Raichel Project in 2002 was an immediate hit. The haunting Ethiopian chorus of the first single, "Bo'ee" (Come With Me), sounded completely unlike anything most Israeli's had heard before, yet, coupled with Idan's richly poetic lyrics of love and devotion and sophisticated produ
ASIN: B000IHY9BG
VSKU: DBV.B000IHY9BG.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Idan Raichel|Idan Raichel Project|Sergio Braams|Traditional|Mira Anwar Awad|Tevet Sela|Eyal Sela|Zena Edchanani|Ilan Damti|Itamar Doari|Din Din Aviv|Amos Fridman|Donovan Prefect Reid|Elai Botner
Binding: Audio cd
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!