Motek Cultural Initiative was established in 2011 in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Canada in order to showcase Israeli music. Its programs include annual galas, concerts, music festivals, workshops, lectures, advocacy events, and Q&A sessions. Motek is Hebrew slang for "Sweetheart". Like "Mon Cheri", and "Habibi" it is a gender-neutral term of endearment.

History

Upon moving to Canada from Israel, it became evident to Motek's founder, Ravid Dahan, that few organizations in North America were celebrating Israeli musical artists in their programming, even though there was a growing demand for it in

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 ...

and world music communities. Having worked with the most prominent talents, including Israel's top-ten musical artists, Ravid created Motek to promote Israeli music while bridging the gap between local Jewish and Israeli communities. The charity hosts an annual gala in Toronto venues.

Events

First annual gala

On March 18, 2012, Motek's inaugural gala and concert featured

The Idan Raichel Project 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 of electronics, traditional Hebrew texts, and diverse mus ...

, accompanied by a 10-piece orchestra. The concert, held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Toronto) in Toronto had a sold-out crowd of 1,500. The Moroccan themed after party featured belly-dancers, Dj's, and authentic cuisine.

Second annual gala

On April 28, 2013, Tel-Aviv was transported to Toronto with Motek's Is Rock second annual gala featuring rock band Mashina, hip-pop band

Hadag Nahash Hadag Nahash ( he, הדג נחש ', ) is an Israeli hip hop/funk band, founded in 1996 in Jerusalem. The band is known for its leftist political statements in many of its songs. Some of the band's songs have been used in protests. Name and sy ...

and Yael Deckelbaum. The celebration of Israeli culture gave audiences music, cuisine and a market place.

Third annual gala

On May 10, 2014, Motek hosted its third annual gala in association with

Massey Hall Massey Hall is a performing arts theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1894, it is known for its outstanding acoustics and was the long-time hall of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. An intimate theatre, it was originally designed to seat ...

. An audience of 2,500 enjoyed a Canadian/Israeli experience with a fusion of Middle Eastern, West African, Latin American, Indian and Caribbean sounds. Musicians included

, singer Raichel, and a 10-piece orchestra.

Fourth annual gala

On May 7, 2015 Motek hosted its fourth annual gala, featuring

Shlomi Shabat Shlomi Shabat ( he, שלומי שבת; born August 30, 1954) is an Israeli vocalist and musician. He is of Turkish Eastern Sephardim, Eastern Sephardic Jewish origin. Early life Shabat was born in Yehud, Israel, to a family of Sephardic Jewish ...

accompanied by a 12 piece ensemble. The concert was held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Toronto) in Toronto.

Sponsorship

Motek offers sponsorship opportunities to fund the distribution of Israeli artists in North America.

References

External links

*{{cite web, url=http://motektoronto.com// , title=Motek Cultural Initiative Israeli culture Music organizations based in Canada Non-profit organizations based in Toronto Jewish Canadian culture