Idan Raichel ( he, עידן רייכל, ; b. 12 September 1977) is an Israeli singer-songwriter and musician known for his "Idan Raichel Project" (Hebrew: ), distinctive for its
fusion
Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole.
Fusion may also refer to:
Science and technology Physics
*Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...
of
electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
, traditional
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
texts, and diverse musical influences.
Prior to the project, Raichel was a keyboardist, collaborating with artists such as
Ivri Lider
Ivri Lider ( he, עברי לידר) is an Israeli pop star and part of the duo TYP, also known as The Young Professionals. He served as a judge on the first season of '' The X Factor Israel''.
Music career
In October 2005 Lider received ...
.
Biography
Idan Raichel was born in
Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba ( he, כְּפַר סָבָא), officially Kefar Sava, is a city in the Sharon region, of the Central District of Israel. In 2019 it had a population of 110,456, making it the 16th-largest city in Israel. The population of Kfar Saba i ...
, Israel, to an
Ashkenazi Jewish
Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
family who emigrated from Eastern Europe.
He began to play the accordion at the age of nine.
He was attracted to
gypsy music and
tango
Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
, and studied
jazz piano
Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...
in high school.
Raichel played in the
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
army band at the age of 18, performing covers of Israeli and Western pop hits at military bases around the country.
As the musical director of the band, he learned to do arrangements and produce live shows.
Following his military service, Raichel worked as a counselor at Hadassim, a boarding school for immigrants. There he met young
Ethiopian Jews
The Beta Israel ( he, בֵּיתֶא יִשְׂרָאֵל, ''Bēteʾ Yīsrāʾēl''; gez, ቤተ እስራኤል, , modern ''Bēte 'Isrā'ēl'', EAE: "Betä Ǝsraʾel", "House of Israel" or "Community of Israel"), also known as Ethiopian Jews ...
who took him to Ethiopian bars and clubs in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
and introduced him to
Ethiopian folk and pop music, including that of
Mahmoud Ahmed
Mahmoud Ahmed ( Amharic: ማሕሙድ አህመድ; born 8 May 1941) is an Ethiopian singer. He gained great popularity in Ethiopia in the 1970s and among the Ethiopian diaspora in the 1980s, before rising to international fame with African mus ...
,
Aster Aweke
Aster Aweke ( am, አስቴር አወቀ; born 1959) is an Ethiopian singer who sings in Amharic. Aster's voice has attracted broader public popularity, especially tracing back in 1990s singles and her single "Abebayehosh" in Ethiopian New Year. ...
, and
Gigi.
Music career
![IdanRaichelProject20110930A](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/IdanRaichelProject20110930A.jpg)
After working as a backup musician and recording with some of Israel's most popular singers, Raichel struck out on his own. He began working on a demo recording in
Kfar Saba
Kfar Saba ( he, כְּפַר סָבָא), officially Kefar Sava, is a city in the Sharon region, of the Central District of Israel. In 2019 it had a population of 110,456, making it the 16th-largest city in Israel. The population of Kfar Saba i ...
and invited other singers and musicians to collaborate with him to create a new synthesis of sounds and styles. He released two albums locally before signing an international deal.
''The Idan Raichel Project'' and ''Mi'Ma'amakim''
The diversity of the
Jewish diaspora
The Jewish diaspora ( he, תְּפוּצָה, təfūṣā) or exile (Hebrew: ; Yiddish: ) is the dispersion of Israelites or Jews out of their ancient ancestral homeland (the Land of Israel) and their subsequent settlement in other parts of t ...
and Israeli citizenry interested Raichel and influenced his musical career.
He has worked with Ethiopian Jews, Arabs, traditional
Yemenite vocalists, a
toaster
A toaster is a small electric appliance that uses radiant heat to brown sliced bread into toast.
Types
Pop-up toaster
In pop-up or automatic toasters, a single vertical piece of bread is dropped into a slot on the top of the toaster. ...
and percussionist from
Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
, and a South African singer, among others. The global fusion sound of the song "Bo'ee" ("Come with Me") propelled his group to the top of the charts.
The Idan Raichel Project's self-titled first album focuses on these cross-cultural collaborations.
It was released in Israel in 2002 and followed by a second album, ''Out of the Depths'', in 2005.
This collaboration became a platform for the emergence of ethnic singers such as
Cabra Casay
Cabra Casay ( he, כברה קסאי; is an Israeli singer, best known for her work alongside Idan Raichel in the Idan Raichel Project (Hebrew: הפרוייקט של עידן רייכל).
Casay was born in a refugee camp in Sudan on August 3, 19 ...
, an Ethiopian Jew born in a refugee camp in
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
, and Ravid Kahalani, from the band Yemen Blues, who explores his Yemenite roots. The Yemenite-Israeli singer
Shoshana Damari
Shoshana Damari ( he, שושנה דמארי; March 31, 1923 – February 14, 2006) was a Yemeni-Israeli singer known as the "Queen of Hebrew Music."
Biography
Shoshana Damari was born in Dhamar, Yemen. Her family immigrated to Mandate Pales ...
performed with the group just before she died in 2006 at the age of 86. The Idan Raichel Project has released four albums as well as a collection of live recordings in Israel on the Helicon Label.
Cumbancha
Cumbancha is a record label, booking agency and music publisher based in Charlotte, Vermont. The company was founded by ethnomusicologist and music producer Jacob Edgar in 2006. In 2007, Cumbancha Music Publishing was established to expand oppor ...
, a US-based record label, released the group's first album worldwide in 2006.
The album also received a nomination for Award for World Music by BBC Radio 3.
''Within My Walls'', ''Open Door''
The Idan Raichel Project issued its second international release, ''Within My Walls'', in 2008. Raichel recorded much of this album while he was on tour in impromptu settings. During his travels, he met musicians from around the world and exchanged musical ideas with them along the way. He recorded and co-wrote songs with Colombian singer
Marta Gómez
Marta Gómez is a Colombian singer and songwriter. After obtaining a Best Achievement Scholarship, she graduated magna cum laude from the Berklee College of Music. She currently lives in Barcelona. Gómez and her group perform a large repertoire ...
, Cape Verdean
Mayra Andrade
Mayra Andrade (born 13 February 1985) is a Cape Verdean singer who lives and records in Lisbon, Portugal.
Background
Andrade was born in Havana, Cuba, to parents from Cape Verde, and she and her family returned to Cape Verde a few days after ...
, and Rwandan/Ugandan
Somi.
The group performed at a number of international festivals and traveled to and performed across Europe, South and Central America, Asia, and Africa.
Raichel later worked with Grammy Award winner
India.Arie
India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975), also known as India Arie (sometimes styled as india.arie), is an American singer and songwriter. She has sold over five million records in the US and ten million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards ...
on a project called Open Door. They began working together in 2008 when India was visiting Israel. Together, they performed at the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
in Washington, DC in front of President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
on
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Mond ...
after Obama's election. They also played the song "Gift of Acceptance" at the 2010
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
gala event.
In August 2011, the duet performed at the dedication ceremony for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. on their US tour. Raichel and
India.Arie
India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975), also known as India Arie (sometimes styled as india.arie), is an American singer and songwriter. She has sold over five million records in the US and ten million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards ...
produced Arie's first single, "6th Avenue", from her 2013 album ''Songversation''.
Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres (; he, שמעון פרס ; born Szymon Perski; 2 August 1923 – 28 September 2016) was an Israeli politician who served as the eighth prime minister of Israel from 1984 to 1986 and from 1995 to 1996 and as the ninth president of ...
, then-president of Israel, asked Raichel to compose music for a poem Peres wrote about Israel's Ethiopian community.
''Quarter to Six''
The project's next album, ''Reva LaShesh'' ("Quarter to Six"), was released in 2013. It includes guest appearances by Portuguese
fado
Fado (; "destiny, fate") is a music genre that can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of fado was ...
star
Ana Moura
Ana Cláudia Moura Pereira (born 17 September 1979), known as Ana Moura, is a Portuguese fado singer. An internationally recognized singer, she was the youngest fadista to be nominated for a Dutch Edison Award.
Early life and career
Ana Mour ...
, Palestinian-Israeli singer
Mira Awad
Mīrā Anwar ‘Awaḍ ( ar, ميرا عوض, he, מירה עווד; born June 11, 1975) is an Arab-Israeli singer-songwriter, actress, television host, and political activist of Palestinian Arab and Bulgarian descent.
In 2009, she represented ...
, German countertenor
Andreas Scholl
Andreas Scholl (born 10 November 1967) is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range, specialising in Baroque music.
Born into a family of singers, Scholl was enrolled at the age of seven into the Kiedricher Chorbuben ...
, Colombia's
Marta Gómez
Marta Gómez is a Colombian singer and songwriter. After obtaining a Best Achievement Scholarship, she graduated magna cum laude from the Berklee College of Music. She currently lives in Barcelona. Gómez and her group perform a large repertoire ...
, Vieux Farka Touré, and some of Israel's up-and-coming artists. ''Quarter to Six'' reached triple-platinum sales status in Israel, selling over 116,000 copies.
The Project played at a private concert for President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
during his visit to Israel in March 2013. Raichel was invited by pop star
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
to perform a duet with her on stage at the Nokia Stadium in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
. One month later, Raichel shared the stage with
Patrick Bruel
Patrick Benguigui (; born 14 May 1959), better known by his stage name Patrick Bruel (), is a French singer-songwriter, actor and professional poker player.
Biography
Early life
Patrick is the son of Pierre Benguigui and Augusta Kammoun, d ...
. At the end of the Jewish year in September, ''
Pnai Plus
''Pnai Plus'' ( he, פנאי פלוס, lit. ''Leisure Plus''), or ''Pplus'', is one of the major Israeli magazines published weekly that covers the world of entertainment and television worldwide as well as the local Israeli television and celebri ...
'', an Israeli entertainment magazine, voted Idan Raichel "Man of the Year". The song "Ba'Layla (At Night)" was voted "Song of the Year". Raichel was also named "Musician of the Year" in 2013 and 2014 by
Galgalatz
Galgalatz or GLGLZ ( he, גלגלצ) is an Israeli radio station, operated by Israel Defense Forces Radio. This is the second of two Israel Defense Forces-operated stations, while the first one is Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz. The station ...
radio station. The Idan Raichel Project placed no.1 in
Media Forest
Media Forest is an Israeli service provider of Monitoring and Media Research for Music and AdvertiIndustries, founded in 2005 in Netanya, Israel. The company monitors broadcasting tracks and channels such as radio stations and TV channels, and a ...
's chart of "The Most Broadcast Group" in Israel for 2013 and 2014, as well as "Group of the Year" in various media charts for 2014.
In September 2014,
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
invited Raichel and Palestinian singer and
qanun player Ali Amr to join her on stage at the
Global Citizen Festival
The Global Citizen Festival is an annual music festival started in 2012 and organized by Global Poverty Project. It was founded by Ryan Gall and Hugh Evans. Gall said he was inspired by visiting Austin City Limits and seeing the branding on th ...
in New York's Central Park to perform her song "
We Are Here". On 3 July 2014, Raichel and 18 members of his project performed at
Yarkon Park
Yarkon Park ( he, פארק הירקון, ''Park HaYarkon'') is a large park in Tel Aviv, Israel, with about sixteen million visits annually. Named after the Yarkon River which flows through it, the park includes extensive lawns, sports faciliti ...
,
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
, in front of 20,000 people
On 12 January 2015, Raichel joined Patrick Bruel and Moroccan singer Youness El Guezouli on stage at the
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...
to sing "Pourquoi ne pas y croire…" (Why Not Believe) in French, Arabic, and Hebrew
In 2015, Raichel continued to perform and collaborate with various musicians, including Italian singer
Ornella Vanoni
Ornella Vanoni (; born 22 September 1934) is an Italian singer-songwriter and actress. She is one of the longest-standing Italian artists, having started performing in 1956. She has released about 112 works between LP, EPs and greatest hits alb ...
, Cuban singer
Danay Suarez, and Portuguese singer
Antonio Zambujo.
He also toured extensively, including December 2015 shows in Japan with the Project, a series of concerts in Germany with
Andreas Scholl
Andreas Scholl (born 10 November 1967) is a German countertenor, a male classical singer in the alto vocal range, specialising in Baroque music.
Born into a family of singers, Scholl was enrolled at the age of seven into the Kiedricher Chorbuben ...
, and an appearance at the Jazz a la Villette festival in Paris with
The Touré-Raichel Collective in September 2015.
''The Touré-Raichel Collective''
Raichel incidentally met
Vieux Farka Touré
Boureima "Vieux" Farka Touré (born 1981) is a Malian singer and guitarist. He is the son of Malian musician Ali Farka Touré.
Biography
Touré was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981 to Ali Farka Touré. Despite his father's discouragement and hi ...
, son of
Ali Farka Toure
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 common era, CE) was the last of four Rashidun, Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was ...
, at an airport in 2008. Toure was invited to Israel to perform at the Tel Aviv Opera House with Raichel in 2010, and this led to the formation of
The Touré-Raichel Collective, a collaboration of
Mali
Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Mali ...
an and Israeli musicians.
The collective recorded an album together, ''
The Tel Aviv Session'', which reached the number one spot on the iTunes World Music sales charts and made number 2 on the Billboard World Music Chart.
In September 2014, The Touré-Raichel Collective released their second album, ''The Paris Session'', with Daby Touré on bass, Israeli trumpeter Niv Toar, Malian singer Seckouba Diabate, and others.
In November 2014, Raichel toured the United States and Canada alongside Vieux Farka Touré with the Touré-Raichel Collective. Their performance at
Symphony Space
Symphony Space, founded by Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller, is a multi-disciplinary performing arts organization at 2537 Broadway on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Performances take place in the 760-seat Peter Jay Sharp Theatre (also called Pe ...
in New York City, presented by World Music Institute, was previewed in a feature article in ''The New York Times'', where music critic
Larry Rohter
William Lawrence Rohter, Jr. (born February 3, 1950), known as Larry Rohter, is an American journalist who was a South American bureau chief (based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) for ''The New York Times'' from 1999 to 2007. Previously, he was Caribbe ...
described the Touré-Raichel Collective as "one of the most fruitful and intriguing collaborations in the grab-bag genre known as world music."
While in New York, The Touré-Rachel Collective also appeared on
WNYC
WNYC is the trademark and a set of call letters shared by WNYC (AM) and WNYC-FM, a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations located in New York City. WNYC is owned by New York Public Radio (NYPR), a nonprofit organization that di ...
radio's Soundcheck.
''At the Edge of the Beginning''
On 22 January 2016, Raichel's first solo album, ''
At the Edge of the Beginning'', was released worldwide. Raichel followed this with a set of solo piano concerts titled "Idan Raichel – Piano – Songs". He also toured with the Idan Raichel Project and with "Idan Raichel - Piano Concert with Friends" throughout Europe and the US. In February 2016, he performed at the
Konzerthaus in Vienna.
2017–2018
January 2017 saw the release of the single "Spinning Wheel", followed in May by "A Love Like This", for which Raichel chose Zehava Ben as the vocalist.
In February 2017, just before Raichel set off on another long tour of performances in Europe and the US, there was a gala evening at the
Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Tel Aviv Museum of Art ( he, מוזיאון תל אביב לאמנות ''Muzeon Tel Aviv Leomanut'') is an art museum in Tel Aviv, Israel. The museum is dedicated to the preservation and display of modern and contemporary art from Israel and aroun ...
to celebrate the museum's flagship exhibition "Regarding Africa – Contemporary Art and Afro-Futurism". During the evening, Raichel was presented with a special award in recognition of his contribution in bringing peoples together through music.
At the same time, the "Raichel – Piano – Songs" tour became a huge success. The show, in which Raichel at last realised his dream of getting close up to his audience and presenting his songs in their original format of piano and voice, stretched into 150 shows in Europe, the US, South America, and Israel, where it ran for 17 successive dates at the Shuni Amphitheater.
Raichel recorded all the shows at Shuni and selected the best and the most moving of the recordings, giving rise to a new 36-track live album, ''Raichel – Piano – Songs'', which included new versions of some of his biggest hits as well as songs which he had composed for other artists.
The new album was released in September 2017 and the tour was rounded out with a series of shows at the Shuni Amphitheater in October 2017. In June 2018, the album was certified Gold.
The
Latin Grammy Award
The Latin Grammy Awards are an award by The Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from anywhere around the world that has been r ...
s ceremony was held in November 2017, and amongst the nominees for "Album of the Year" was
Danay Suárez's album ''Palabras Manuales'', which included a version of the Cuban songstress and Raichel dueting on a new version of "Closer Now" from the album ''
Quarter to Six''.
In February 2018, Raichel released a single called "And If You’ll Come to Me". The song was produced cooperatively with musical producer Noam Akrabi.
In May 2018, Raichel released the single "Beresheet". The song was written during his travels around the world and inspired by his encounters with people from India and Africa. The song is accompanied by a music video showcasing sand artist
Ilana Yahav
Ilana Yahav ( he, אילנה יהב) is a sand animation artist from Israel. She has performed in front of live audiences, in video clips and in advertisements.
Career
Yahav studied sand art in Hollywood, New York and London. She later ran a stu ...
.
In June 2018, there was a multidisciplinary festival, Raichel's brainchild, at the Live Park Amphitheater in
Rishon LeZion
Rishon LeZion ( he, רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן , ''lit.'' First to Zion, Arabic: راشون لتسيون) is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan ar ...
. This ten-day festival featured a blend of music, food, and art alongside a few special appearances by The Idan Raichel Project in their new lineup. Within the framework of the festival, there was a culinary area under the direction of chef Yuval Ben Neriah, an exhibition of photographs by
Ziv Koren
Ziv Koren (born July 13, 1970) ( he, זיו קורן) is an Israeli photojournalist, a Canon EMEA ambassador and a representative of "Polaris Images" photo agency. Koren is most noted for documenting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the IDF oper ...
, and a stage for performances by musicians such as SHIRAN, Di Gasen Trio, Quarter to Africa,
Yossi Fine
Joseph Thomas Fine (born December 7, 1964), known professionally as Yossi Fine, is an Israeli bassist and producer. fronted the world music/reggae/funk band Ex-Centric Sound System.
Biography
Personal life
Fine was born in Paris, France, to a We ...
, and others.
2019–present: ''And If You Will Come to Me''
Raichel released his second solo studio album, ''
And If You Will Come to Me'', on 31 January 2019. The record reflected the next phase in a personal journey that began three years before, when Raichel put the Idan Raichel Project, at the time a 14-piece band, on hiatus and began performing more intimate solo and small-ensemble concerts.
Along with guest musicians from Japan, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Cuba, and India, ''
And If You Will Come to Me'' features duets with Nigerien guitar player
Bombino, Cuban Grammy nominee Danay Suarez, Israeli stars
Berry Sakharof
Berry Sakharof ( he, ברי סחרוף, ; born 7 July 1957) is an Israeli rock guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. Sakharof is one of Israel's most popular and critically acclaimed rock musicians, and is often referred to as "the prince ...
and
Zehava Ben
Zehava Ben (born Zehava Benisti; he, זהבה בן; November 8, 1968) is an Israeli singer. Ben is one of the most popular Israeli female vocalists in the Mizrahi music genre; the Middle Eastern-style of singing rising from Israel's Mizrahi Jewi ...
, and a new studio track with the reunited Idan Raichel Project.
The album's title track, "Ve'Eem Tavo'ee Elay" (in Hebrew), became one of Raichel's biggest hits in Israel, with 20 million streams on YouTube alone, and the singles from the album have racked up a total of 35 million YouTube plays. Raichel supported the release of the album with four arena shows in Tel Aviv, followed by an extensive international tour in March 2019, including shows in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and the US.
On 18 May 2019, the Idan Raichel Project played at the Grand Final of the
2019 Eurovision Song Contest. A year later, in 2020, he cowrote, with
Doron Medalie
Doron Medalie ( he, דורון מדלי; born 5 December 1977) is an Israeli songwriter, composer and artistic director. He co-wrote the song "Toy", which was performed by Netta Barzilai and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.
Biography
Doron M ...
, the song "
Feker Libi
"Feker Libi" () is a song recorded by Israeli singer Eden Alene, performed in English, Amharic, Hebrew and Arabic. It was planned to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. It would have been the first Eurovision entry to contain ...
", recorded by
Eden Alene
Eden Alene (; ; born 7 May 2000) is an Israeli singer. Having won the seventh season of the singing competition ''HaKokhav HaBa'', she had been set to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, with her song "Feker Libi", planned to ...
. The song was to represent
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2020
The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was planned to be the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It would have taken place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country's victory at the with the song "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. The con ...
; the event was cancelled, however, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Musical style
Raichel's style has Middle-Eastern influences but also draws on Latin American and African music.
While the majority of his songs are in
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
, a few are entirely in
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
, while others include small passages in Amharic, by male and female voices, setting traditional-sounding tunes to modern music. Love songs predominate in his Hebrew lyrics, including "Hinech Yafah" (''הינך יפה'' / "Thou Art Fair"), based on the
Song of Songs. Another of his songs, "B'rachot L'shanah Chadashah" (''ברכות לשנה חדשה'' / "Blessings for a New Year"), is sourced from
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
liturgy, with voices reciting traditional Jewish blessings.
Awards and recognition
On 16 January 2014,
ACUM announced that Idan Raichel had won the ACUM Prize as Composer of the Year 2013 for ''Quarter to Six''.
On 1 November 2014, Raichel received the MTV role model award introduced by
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
.
On 8 May 2016, he received the 2016 "Unsung Hero Award" from the
Drum Major Institute
The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy (DMI) is a non-profit American progressive think tank and community action group. The group was founded in 1961 in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. It later became defunct until it was relaunched ...
. The award was conferred by
Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King III (born October 23, 1957) is an American human rights activist, philanthropist and advocate. The oldest son and oldest living child of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, King served as the 4t ...
. This was the first time the organization had granted the award to a non-US citizen.
On 6 June 2016, Raichel was awarded an honorary fellowship at the
Israel Museum
The Israel Museum ( he, מוזיאון ישראל, ''Muze'on Yisrael'') is an art and archaeological museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world’s leading encyclopa ...
: "Idan's creative commitment to cross-cultural connections very much reflects the museum's own commitment to the singular power that is achieved by recognizing the ways that all things connect across time and geography, merging local and universal cultural strains to achieve global expression".
On 7 July 2016, Raichel received a special citation from
B'nai B'rith International
B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish peopl ...
: "The international musical cooperations that Raichel has created throughout his career have turned him into a cultural ambassador for millions of fans, representing a world full of hope in which musical collaborations remove boundaries between people coming from different backgrounds and cultures".
In 2020, Raichel was chosen to light the
Independence Day torch.
On 30 May 2021, Raichel was awarded an honorary doctorate from
Bar-Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University (BIU, he, אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic i ...
for his contribution to the world of Israeli and international music.
Professor Arie Zaban, president of the University, said in a conversation with Raichel: "We are honored to present you with an honorary doctorate. The degree is awarded to you in appreciation for, and recognition of, your work and unique contribution to Israeli music. Integrating diverse cultural layers is the hallmark of your work, and you have demonstrated an ability to integrate a wide variety of people in the projects that you lead."
Views and opinions
Raichel has expressed the view that real peace can come when people understand and learn about each other's culture.
The artist used his
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
account to defend Doron Zahavi (code name: Captain George), a former interrogator for Unit 504 of the
Israeli Military Intelligence
The Israeli Military Intelligence ( he, אגף המודיעין; ''Agaf HaModi'in''; lit. "the Intelligence Section"), often abbreviated to Aman ( he, אמ״ן), is the central, overarching military intelligence body of the Israel Defense Forces. ...
,
who was accused of using torture and sodomy in the process of interrogating
Mustafa Dirani
Mustafa Dirani ( ar, مصطفى الديراني; born 1951) is a former head of security in the Amal Movement in Lebanon. In 1987, he started reaching out to pro-Iran sources, and eventually established contact between them and the rest of the ...
.
In this context, Raichel wrote, "I really don't care how 'George' extracted information",
adding that "instead of receiving a
medal of valor
This list of medals for bravery is an index to articles about notable medals awarded for bravery or valor.
These medals, usually associated with military forces, police forces, or other public safety entities, are given to personnel who have serv ...
, he must now defend his name. This is a disgrace."
In a 2015 interview in
Yedioth Ahronoth
''Yedioth Ahronoth'' ( he, יְדִיעוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת, ; lit. ''Latest News'') is a national daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Founded in 1939 in British Mandatory Palestine, ''Yedioth Ahronoth'' is the largest paid n ...
, Raichel was asked about this and said: "If you have a daughter and someone kidnapped her, you investigate that someone and your child's life is at risk. If she is my daughter, I would do whatever necessary to know where she is and to get the information that would save her life. Regardless if that someone is Muslim, Jewish or Christian. It is an example of unnecessary harsh criticism. The intention of the thing was taken out of context."
In 2013, Raichel expressed his view that Israeli artists have a duty to play an active role in
public relations for the Jewish state.
He also asserted that
Israeli conscientious objectors
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli (b ...
are at the very bottom of Israeli society.
In December 2015, the musician took part in "Let's Speak More Music", a UN project called "United Pianos", in which eleven renowned pianists from all across the globe collaborated to play Sergei Prokofiev's ''
Peter and the Wolf
''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и Bолк, r="Pétya i volk", p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk, links=no) Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", is a musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's s ...
''. The goal of the video was "to promote tolerance and unity through music."
Discography
Studio albums
Compilation albums
Live albums
See also
*
Music in Israel
The music of Israel is a combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical culture. For almost 150 years, musicians have sought original stylistic elements ...
References
External links
*
*
Curriculum based on several of Idan Raichel's songs*
National Public Radio Interview: ''Israeli Musicians Find Unity in Cultural Fusion''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raichel, Idan
Israeli keyboardists
1977 births
Israeli composers
Israeli people of Ashkenazi descent
21st-century Israeli male singers
Israeli record producers
Jewish Israeli musicians
Living people
People from Kfar Saba
Israeli male singer-songwriters
Israeli music arrangers