Archive | Music

Digital Journal spoke to talented indie singer-songwriter Roy Dahan, aged 32, at one of his gigs in the north of his homeland, Israel. In a packed local restaurant, Roy gave his audience an intimate spectacle of restrained yet relaxed lyrical folk music.

Roy wrote, composed and produced his debut CD ‘Some of this life’ released last June. It received critical acclaim and was chosen by TimeOut, Tel Aviv, as album of the year.

Classical elements layer his acoustic folk-rock sound; the cello, violin, viola all intervene and often in larger shows Roy includes a nine instrument band in his performance.

When listening to ‘Some of this life’ you notice the subtle artistic differences of Roy’s gentle, touching songs. Through his abstract yet dreamy melancholic lyrics drift hints of frustration, broken hearts, longings for peace, love, hope, reminding the listener of a modern Israeli Nick Drake with glimpses of Morrissey – the early Smiths, a lyrical folk journey.

Roy’s single ‘Does anyone know’ showcases his songwriting ability, soothing voice and acoustic rock folk sound- a solid choice for a radio single.

Source: DigitalJournal

Sources at the Tel Aviv Kabballah Center claim that Madonna is due to land in Israel this weekend for a short and personal visit. The reason is that the superstar wants to take part in the celebrations of her favorite Rabbi, Michael Berg, whose son is having a Bar Mitzvah ceremony in Beit Shmuel, located in the heart of Jerusalem.

Madonna, who’s very close with Rabbi Berg, is planning to stay for a few hours and come back to the US, where she’s constantly working on her next album, entitled M.D.N.A., due for release in March. The source at the Kabbalah Center told Israeli news site Walla that they are already preparing for Madonna’s arrival. “It’s still not 100% sure that she’s arriving, but by the looks of the preparation of the Kabbalah Center’s stuff, it looks like it’s going to happen.”

“It’s going to be a last minute decision,” an LA source tells AbbaNibi, “Madonna is very busy with her Super Bowl performance, which occurs a week after. Madonna DOES feel very close to Rabbi Berg and wishes him Mazal Tov whether she’ll be there in person or not.”

Whether she arrives in Israel or not, a few hours ago it was confirmed that at least one member of the Berg family will watch (and bless) Madonna’s Super Bowl performance from up close, as Rabbi Yehuda Berg tweeted that he’s going to be there.

Source: Abbanibi

His talent and Hebrew rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ is amazing… Not every day you meet an 11yo with such mature voices

Black Guru mixes African instruments with guitar and saxophone for a sound that’s far from conventional.

One of Israel’s newest bands was born in a jail cell in Gambia.

Ben Aylon and Yair Hashachar, two 24-year-old high school friends from Ramat Hasharon, were detained by Gambian immigration police during a trip to Africa several years ago and held in custody for four days. While behind bars, they decided to establish Black Guru, a band inspired by African music.

They got out and toured Gambia and Senegal, studying beats favored by members of the Mandinka and Wolof tribes. When they returned to Israel, they worked on arrangements and melodies. Their first album is called “Offbeat African Music,” which is also how they refer to their musical style.

Black Guru’s next performance is Saturday night, at Tel Aviv’s Haezor club.

With a nod to other forms of music that originated in African culture, Hashachar said the band’s goal is to familiarize Israelis with the kind of music he and Aylon studied in Africa.

“Well-known musical styles have roots in African cultures,” he said. “This is true, for example, of jazz. Blues also emerged out of Africa, owing to slaves who were sent to the United States and South America.”

The band, which was founded in 2010, might launch a joint musical initiative with members of the African migrant worker community in Israel.

Strings out of fishing rope

Aylon is the percussionist. Recently he has been studying the ngoni, a small wooden string instrument made out of a gourd covered by goat skin. The strings are made out of fishing rope.

In addition to the traditional percussion, Black Guru also plays Western instruments. Hashachar and Aylon’s brother, Ian, play guitar, and the band also includes jazz musicians in their 20s: Yehonatan Cohen and Itamar Shatz on saxophone and Guy Levi on contrabass. Yet their instrumental style is far from conventional.

They play jazz works, like John Coltrane’s “Your Lady,” arranged in their own distinctive neo-African style. They also play new arrangements of popular African songs.

Aylon and Hashachar developed a passion for jazz while studying in the music track of Ramat Hasharon’s Alon High School, and they joined forces due to their love of African music, including by artists from Mali such as Ali Farka Toure and Tinariwen, a band of Tuareg-Berber musicians.

Five years ago, they studied under Sabula Bangoura, a prominent musician from West Africa who established an African dance and percussion group in the northern Israeli town of Karkur.

Aylon said enthusiastically that he also studied with the “most famous musical family in Senegal.”

This is the family of Doudou N’Diaye Rose, 80, who sired a 43-member musical dynasty, all of whom perform with him on stage.

He composed Senegal’s national anthem, and wrote a number of well-known songs; he has played with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Peter Gabriel.

Source: Haaretz.com

SHI 360, of Montreal, Canada, now residing in Israel, stands for Supreme Hebrew Intellekt. 360 stands for his “full circle” return to his birthplace after moving to Montreal from Israel. One of Israel’s biggest artists that has toured with Canibus, Killah Priest and Nikos Kourkoulis.

Check out his latest hit: 

Some Montreal shoutouts:

514 – Montreal’s Area Code

An Expos (Montreal’s Former MLB Team) hat!

Amazing collaboration… Klau Maine’s collaboration with Israeli singer Liel Kolet

The Scorpions announced that a stop in Tel Aviv is in the cards for their last World Tour! (Read More)

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