ARTIST: The Idan Raichel ProjectTITLE: Within My WallsFILE UNDER: Israel/WorldCAT. NO.: CMB-CD-10

P R E S E N T S

The Idan Raichel Project breaks down walls and musical boundaries with their second international release. Within My Walls features a diverse roster of guests and promises to bring even greater worldwide fame to this unique multicultural collective.

“This one-man Middle East peace accord makes music that is an ambitious celebration of multicultural diversity. The ethnic elements are cleverly rewired with modern grooves to create an ambient journey that thrillingly bridges the traditional and the modern.”

--The Times (London, UK)

A moving new album from one of the most exciting, •biggest-selling and internationally recognized Israeli artists

Features guest appearances from Mayra Andrade (Cape Verde). •Marta Gómez (Colombia), Somi (Rwanda/Uganda) and others

Massive international publicity campaign targeting trend setting •and mainstream press, television, and internet outlets.

Four music videos for use in internet, retail and TV promotions. •Aggressive radio promotions campaigns in key markets with the •goal of reaching #1 on all relevant charts.

The CD package is a beautiful 6-panel digipak with a 32-page •booklet.

North American, European and Latin American tour dates con-•firmed in major markets and large venues.

The tenth release from Cumbancha, the acclaimed label founded •by head of A&R at Putumayo World Music.

Six years ago, when Israeli keyboardist and composer Idan Raichel was an unknown musician working in a home studio in his parent’s basement

in a small city near Tel Aviv, fusing Israeli pop music with Middle Eastern, African, Indian and other global sounds, he never anticipated the impact his unique approach would soon have. His “experiment” resulted in one of the biggest-selling records in Israeli history and propelled him to be-come a major figure in the international global music scene. On the heels of that explosive rise in popularity, record-breaking sales in Israel and sold-out performances across the globe to rapturous crowds in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, he returns to lead The Idan Raichel Project for their second international album, Within My

Walls.

Much of Within My Walls was recorded over the past few years while Idan was on tour, during recording sessions in hotel rooms, backstage dressing areas, private homes and other im-promptu settings. His poetic lyrics reflect these travels and contemplations; sung in Hebrew, Moroccan Arabic, Span-ish, Cape Verdean Creole and Swahili, the songs address the struggle for personal fulfillment and the true meaning of love in a conflicted and complex world. Along the way, Idan re-corded and co-wrote songs with Colombian singer Marta Gómez, Cape Verdean luminary Mayra Andrade and the silken-voiced Somi of Rwandan and Ugandan heritage. Inspired by the lush, moody strings of Nick Drake, Idan assembled a 24-piece orchestra and worked with Israeli arranger Assaf Dar to transpose his engaging melodies into an orchestral format. Idan also invited some of his favorite musicians, such as Middle Eastern percussionist Zohar Fresco, traditional flute and woodwinds special-ist Eyal Sela, Mark Eliyahu on kamancheh (a traditional Persion fiddle), and legendary bassist Alon Nadel to lend their talents to the recording. The result is a deeply mov-ing recording, overflowing with rich melodies, engaging poetry, stunning vocal performances and intricate ar-rangements.

“To say that everything that has happened in the past six years was the fulfillment of a dream would imply that I even dreamed that any of this could happen,” notes the humble Raichel, whose rise to fame was as much a shock to him as it was the skeptical Israeli music industry ex-ecutives who said his multilingual, cross-cultural fusions would never find mainstream acceptance. Along the way,

his fan base has grown to include a wide, multigenerational public of non-Israelis, not to mention a few celebrities such

as India.Arie, Green Day producer Rob Cavallo, and movie star Natalie Portman. Now, with a string of radio hits and con-

certs at the Sydney Opera House, the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, New York’s Central Park SummerStage, not to mention shows in India, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Moscow, Singapore, and more under his belt, Raichel admits that the reality has exceeded even his wildest dreams.

Press Kit: http://www.cumbancha.com/albums/idanraichelproject/press

For more information, review copies, song lyrics & descriptions, interviews, photographs, tour dates and other support materials, etc. please contact:

info@cumbancha.com / www.cumbancha.com

The Idan Raichel Project Breaks Down Walls and Musical Boundaries with Their Second International Release Within My Walls features a diverse roster of guests and promises to bring even greater worldwide fame to this unique multicultural collective US/Canada Release Date: February 24, 2009 Europe and the Rest of the World: Late March, 2009 (Date differs per territory) For more information, review copies, song lyrics & descriptions, interviews, photographs, tour dates and other support materials, etc. please contact: Simeon Chapin @ Cumbancha Tel: +1 (802) 425-2118 * Fax: +1 (866) 340-0054 Email: simeon@cumbancha.com * Web: www.cumbancha.com Press Kit: http://www.cumbancha.com/albums/idanraichelproject/press

DECEMBER 2008 - Six years ago, when Israeli keyboardist and composer Idan Raichel was an unknown musician working in a home studio in his parent’s basement in a small city near Tel Aviv, he never imagined that his experiments fusing Israeli pop music with Middle Eastern, African, Indian and other global sounds would ever result in the biggest-selling records in Israeli history and propel him to a role as a major figure in the international global music scene. The Idan Raichel Project’s explosive rise saw the multicultural collaborative break sales records in Israel and perform across the globe to rapturous crowds in some of the world’s most prestigious venues. Along the way, his fan base has grown to include a wide, multigenerational public of non-Israelis, not to mention a few celebrities such as India.Arie, Green Day producer Rob Cavallo, and movie star Natalie Portman. It was with this new perspective informed by growing fame and world travels that the dreadlocked leader of this groundbreaking ensemble returned to the recording studio to produce the Project’s second international release, Within My Walls. The new album will be released by Cumbancha in the US & Canada on February 24th and in the rest of the world one month later. Meanwhile, the Project is gearing up for extensive international touring, bringing an expanded lineup of a diverse mix of musicians to major stages throughout the coming year. “To say that everything that has happened in the past six years was the fulfillment of a dream would imply that I even dreamed that any of this could happen,” notes the humble Raichel, whose rise to fame was as much a shock to him as it was the skeptical Israeli music industry executives who said his multilingual, cross-cultural fusions would never find mainstream acceptance. Now, with a string of radio hits and concerts at the Sydney Opera House, the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, New York’s Central Park SummerStage, as well as concerts in India, Hong Kong, Mexico City, Moscow, Singapore, and more under his belt, Raichel admits that the reality has exceeded even his wildest dreams. Indeed, themes of dreams versus reality, the conflicting desire to explore the world or stick with the comforts of home, and questions regarding how a person achieves personal fulfillment and true love are the underpinnings of Idan Raichel’s new album. Raichel imagines a person who wakes up in the morning without a dream to fulfill. Does he remain confined within the walls of his room, laying in bed and dreaming of the world outside? Or does he find a reason to leave the room and discover what the world has to offer. Raichel seems to be wondering, which is better, the dream – or the reality? The songs’ poetic lyrics, performed in Hebrew, Spanish, Arabic and Swahili, propose no answers, but lead the listener to ponder their own conclusions. Much of Within My Walls was recorded over the past few years while Idan was on tour, during recording sessions in hotel rooms, backstage dressing areas, private homes and other impromptu settings. During his extensive travels, Idan met with scores of musicians from diverse backgrounds, and ever the collaborator, he made sure to exchange musical ideas with them. Along the way, he recorded and co-wrote songs with Colombian singer Marta Gómez, Cape Verdean luminary Mayra Andrade and the silken-voiced Somi of Rwandan and Ugandan heritage.

Returning to Israel with basic tracks from his musical collaborations while on the road, Idan retreated to a small studio in Tel Aviv with his usual co-producer, Gilad Shmueli. Inspired by the lush, moody strings of British singer-songwriter Nick Drake, Idan assembled a 24-piece orchestra and worked with Israeli arranger Assaf Dar to transpose his engaging melodies to an orchestral setting. Idan also invited some of his favorite musicians, such as percussionist Zohar Fresco, traditional flute and woodwinds specialist Eyal Sela, Mark Eliyahu on kamancheh (a traditional Persian spike fiddle), and legendary bassist Alon Nadel to lend their talents to the recording. Idan also has a gift for finding the perfect vocalists to fit his compositions, including longtime collaborator Maya Avraham, as well as rising stars Amir Dadon, Anat Ben Hamo and Ilan Damti. Idan invited Moroccan-Israeli singer Shimon Buskila to sing and write lyrics for the emotionally wrenching track “From the Day You Left”, a raw Arabic-language ode to the singer’s late mother. Much to the delight of his fans, Idan steps out from behind the keyboard and sings three songs himself. The result is a deeply moving recording, overflowing with rich melodies, engaging poetry, stunning vocal performances and intricate arrangements. The album opens with the dreamlike “All the Words”, which features the enchanting Spanish-language vocals of Marta Gómez. “She wrote her own words for this and I recorded it,” notes Idan, “It’s a very simple production, just her voice over the percussion her husband, Argentinean percussionist Franco Pinna, laid down. Then I brought it back to Israel and added the Middle Eastern strings, the tar and the oud, and also the flutes, just to make it closer to my home, so it would sound like an Israeli track rather than a South American one.” The album’s title track follows, featuring Idan on vocals. With its lyrics dealing with walls and the way they simultaneously protect and isolate people, it is easy to interpret the song as a commentary on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but Idan denies any overt political agenda in his songs. “I have a strong political view about the situation in Israel,” he points out, “But I refuse to say what I think about it because I still see myself as a representative for the musicians and singers of the Project in and out of Israel. We may have opposing viewpoints, but we can relate on an artistic level, and I don’t want differences of opinion on politics to come between us.” However, Idan does admit “You cannot close people in walls. They’ll immediately want to break them. Even if you have a kid and you want him to stay away from something, you don’t build a wall around him to force him to stay away, you just explain to him why it’s important to stay away from this. If you just build a wall and say to stay away, he will break the wall and want to get there anyway.” Another highlight of Within My Walls is the soulful Cape Verdean Creole song “With My Eyes Shut” sung by Mayra Andrade. Idan met Mayra in Paris and was immediately impressed with her talent and professionalism. “Mayra not only knows where she’s heading to all the time, because she’s managing a great career, but she always remembers where she came from,” notes Idan, “I think other young people in her age group might do some rap music or whatever, but she still adores and appreciates the music she grew up with.” The two recorded Mayra’s vocals in the conference room of a Parisian hotel where Idan set up a remote studio. The album closes with a heart-wrenching performance by African singer Somi, who sings in Swahili of a young orphaned girl who calls to light of the moon for someone to save her. During the recording of the song, Somi became so immersed in the mournful tale of the impact of war and violence on Africa’s youth that she was brought to tears. Magically, the song manages to make a connection both thematically and musically with the impact of the Holocaust on Idan’s own family. “The melody of “Maisha” is like a Jewish song from Poland,” he points out, “It is very influenced by the melodies I heard in my grandmother’s house, very Eastern European, very simple, yet it goes straight to the heart.” With the release of Within My Walls, the Idan Raichel Project prepares to embark on their next great adventure by bringing their music to en even wider audience across the globe. The album will be released by Cumbancha, a record label founded by Jacob Edgar, the longtime head of the A&R and music research at Putumayo. Dedicated to presenting exceptional artists from around the world to a wider audience, Cumbancha has worked closely with the Idan Raichel Project since it released their eponymous first international release in the fall of 2006. With major tour dates planned for 2009 in North America, Europe, Latin America and other regions, the Idan Raichel Project will be breaking down walls for years to come.

Biography

The Idan Raichel Project burst onto Israel’s music scene in 2002, changing the face of Israeli popular music and offering a message of love and tolerance that resonated strongly in a region of the world where headlines are too often dominated by conflict. With an enchanting blend of African, Latin American, Caribbean and Middle Eastern sounds coupled with sophisticated production techniques and a spectacular live show, the Idan Raichel Project has become one of the most unexpected success stories in Israeli music history. The architect of this unique recording project, is keyboardist, producer and composer Idan Raichel. Originally from Kfar Saba, Israel, a small city near his current home of Tel Aviv, Idan was born in 1977 to a family with Eastern European roots, and although music was an important part of his upbringing, his parents did not place much emphasis on performing music from his particular cultural background. “I think the fact that I didn’t have strong family musical roots is what made me be very open to music from all over the world,” says Idan. He started playing the accordion at the age of nine, and even at this young age was attracted to the exotic sounds of Gypsy music and tango. As a teenager, Idan began playing keyboards, and studied jazz in high school, honing his skills at improvisation and working with other musicians. In Israel, military service is mandatory for all young men and women, and at 18 Idan was conscripted into the Israeli army. Rather then heading to the front lines in this volatile region, Idan joined the Army rock band and toured military bases performing covers of Israeli and European pop hits. As the musical director of the group, he became adept at arrangements and producing live shows, making his Army experience productive and positive. After completing his service, Idan started working as a counselor at a boarding school for immigrants and troubled youth. Notably, the school was filled with young people from Ethiopia who were part of Israel’s growing community of Ethiopian Jews. Idan developed friendships with members of the Ethiopian community and began to explore Ethiopian music and culture. He started going to Ethiopian bars and clubs and soon was invited to Ethiopian synagogues, weddings and ceremonies. 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. While most of the Israeli labels considered his work too “ethnic” and too outside of the norms of the formulaic Israeli pop scene, one A&R man, Gadi Gidor at Helicon Records, instantly heard the potential in Idan’s work and quickly signed him on to the roster. The subsequent album was an immediate hit. The haunting Ethiopian chorus of the first single, “Bo’ee” (Come With Me), sounded completely unlike anything most Israelis had heard before, yet, coupled with Idan’s richly poetic lyrics of love and devotion and sophisticated production techniques, the single was a huge success. The album went on to sell over 150,000 copies (triple platinum) and firmly establish Idan as a new type of Israeli pop star. Interest in the recording began to grow while demand for live shows increased, including an offer from the prestigious Opera House of Tel Aviv. Given the number of musicians who participated in the recordings, it would have been impossible to have them all appear on stage. Idan chose seven members in addition to himself who were both versatile and strong individual artists in their own right. “There would be no front man,” Idan said of the concept, “I would sit at the side and watch things and see what occurs. Every song would have a different singer, we would sit in a half circle and

each musician would have a chance to demonstrate what they have to offer.” The live show became symbolic of the album, as it brought together a group of people of different backgrounds but each is equal to the other. This sentiment is reflected in the decision to name the collective The Idan Raichel Project. Says Raichel, “If I had called the album just ‘Idan Raichel,’ people would have thought that Raichel is the main voice on all the songs. I wrote the songs and I arranged and produced them, but I perform them together with other vocalists and musicians. On the other hand, we are not a group. It’s something in between.” In January 2006, The Idan Raichel Project traveled to Ethiopia, the land that had inspired so much of its music. The trip marked the first time two of the Project’s lead vocalists were able to return to the land of their birth and also the first time an Israeli artist had performed in Ethiopia. The Idan Raichel Project opened the Fifth Ethiopian Music Festival in Addis Ababa, sharing the stage with top Ethiopian performers, including the legendary Mahmoud Ahmed, and were happy to learn that their songs “Bo'ee” and “Mi’Ma’amakim” had earned a fair share of local radio airplay. The story of the Project’s emotional trip to Israel became the basis of the documentary film Black Over White. In the fall of 2006, the record label Cumbancha released the music of The Idan Raichel Project worldwide, bringing even more renown to this inspirational collective. Billboard Magazine called their international release “One of the most fascinating titles to emerge in world music this year…a multi-ethnic tour de force.” The New York Times selected the album as one of the top world music releases of the year, and media from Peru to Portugal was unanimous in their praise. The album also received a nomination as one of the best world music albums of the year by the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music. Known around the world, especially in circles of Jewish, Ethiopian and Israeli communities, the Idan Raichel Project regularly sells out concerts in large performance venues. Since the international release, The Idan Raichel Project has headlined at New York’s prestigious Central Park SummerStage, the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, the Sydney Opera House and performed across Europe as well as in Mexico City, Sydney, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Singapore, and Mumbai. Future touring plans include South Africa and South America. Wherever they perform, The Project unifies the audience in a celebration of that which is unique about the cultures of the world, as well as that in which we are all alike. In November 2008, The Idan Raichel Project released the album Within My Walls (Bein Kirot Beiti) in Israel to tremendous acclaim. The album is to be released worldwide outside of Israel by Cumbancha in early 2009. Much of Within My Walls was recorded over the past few years while Idan was on tour, during recording sessions in hotel rooms, backstage dressing areas, private homes and other impromptu settings. His poetic lyrics reflect these travels and contemplations; sung in Hebrew, Moroccan Arabic, Spanish, Cape Verdean Creole and Swahili, the songs address the struggle for personal fulfillment and the true meaning of love in a conflicted and complex world. For Within My Walls, Idan recorded and co-wrote songs with Colombian singer Marta Gómez, Cape Verdean luminary Mayra Andrade and the silken-voiced Somi of Rwandan and Ugandan heritage. Inspired by the lush, moody strings of Nick Drake, Idan assembled a 24-piece orchestra and worked with Israeli arranger Assaf Dar to transpose his engaging melodies into an orchestral format. Idan also invited some of his favorite musicians, such as Middle Eastern percussionist Zohar Fresco, traditional flute and woodwinds specialist Eyal Sela, Mark Eliyahu on kamancheh (a traditional Persion fiddle), and legendary bassist Alon Nadel to lend their talents to the recording. The result is a deeply moving recording, overflowing with rich melodies, engaging poetry, stunning vocal performances and intricate arrangements. With the release of Within My Walls, the Idan Raichel Project prepares to embark on their next great adventure by bringing their music to en even wider audience across the globe. With major tour dates planned for 2009 in North America, Europe, Latin America and other regions, the Idan Raichel Project will be breaking down walls for years to come.

Hi-resolution photos, detailed biographies, tour dates, music videos and other materials are available for download at:

http://www.cumbancha.com/albums/idanraichelproject/press

Within My Walls Featured Artist Biographies Mayra Andrade - Although she was born in Cuba, the young singer Mayra Andrade grew up surrounded buy the Cape Verdean music and culture of her parents. She started performing at the age of sixteen and released her highly praised debut album in 2006. She has since become one of the most popular artists in the international world music scene, performing at New York’s Carnegie Hall and other prestigious venues. Idan met Mayra in Paris, where she now lives, and, impressed with her lovely voice and presence, invited her to write Creole lyrics and sing on the song “With My Eyes Shut.”

Maya Avraham - The collaboration with Maya started with The Idan Raichel Project's second Israeli album, Out Of The Depths, on which Maya was the featured soloist on the song “From All the Loves.” Maya joined the touring cast of The Project and performed with Idan around the world. A year ago Maya released her first solo album and she is now collecting songs for her second album. Maya was delighted to accept Idan's invitation to sing 'Stay' on the new IRP album. Anat Ben-Hamo – A young singer-songwriter who used to sing solo with the jazz band Common Band. Anat is currently working with her brother on an album influenced by the American folk singers of the ‘60s. Idan saw Anat performing, loved her voice, her professionalism and her special approach to her music and invited her to record the song “River Waters.” Shimon Buskila – A popular singer of Moroccan heritage, Buskila is the founder of the band Sahar, with whom he has released two albums. Shimon has also written many songs for other artists and has released two solo albums. Shimon was honored to write for Idan and their collaboration developed into the song “From the Day You Left.” Amir Dadon – A singer and musician, Amir started his musical career as a child in Eilat, a city on the southern border of Israel, where Israel meets Egypt and Jordan. In 2001 Amir began performing with his band, taking his original material to audiences up and down the country. He signed with Israeli label Helicon Records in January 2008 and is currently completing work on his first album. The connection between Amir and Idan came about when Gilad Shmueli, Idan's co-producer, heard Amir perform and was so impressed he introduced him to Idan. Idan liked what he saw and heard and decided to record the song 'Scraps of Life' with Amir. Ilan Damti – This is the second time that Idan has asked Ilan to sing on one of The Project's albums, the first time being on the second Israeli album Out Of The Depths for which Ilan soloed on the song “Shuvi El Beiti.” As well as singing on The Project's albums, Ilan works as the lighting operator for its shows. On the new album Ilan sings the song 'Most of The Hours'. Marta Gómez – Since graduating Magna Cum Laude from the Berklee College of Music, Colombian singer and songwriter Marta Gómez has earned a devoted following through her successful touring and recording career. Not withstanding her youth, Marta has written over 70 songs, and has four critically acclaimed albums under her belt. She now lives in the New York City area and is backed in concert by a band that includes her husband, Argentinean percussionist Franco Pinna.

David “Duke Mushroom” Schommer - A New York-based musician and producer, David Schommer started playing drums and keyboards when he was just 5 years old, founded his first band when he was 10 and went on to study at Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music. Schommer has worked in the techno scene of Detroit, the TV and film industry in Los Angeles, and even took a turn Off-Broadway as a member of the original US cast of Stomp. Though

earning fame as a producer and musician for pop stars such as Janet Jackson and Gloria Estefan, Schommer decided to turn his attention to his passion for Ethiopian music, and working with producer Steve Mac, released the acclaimed album Bole 2 Harlem in 2006. It was during his research for this project in Ethiopia that Schommer first came across Idan Raichel, and Idan remembers him as the “white guy with a funny beard” that jumped on stage and started dancing during the Idan Raichel’s Project’s January 2006 concert in Addis Ababa. Eventually, the two formally met in New York and have become close friends and collaborators. Gilad Shmueli - Musician and producer, who has played the drums since his childhood, at age 16 Gilad played with a band called Riding Gimel, formed by his older brothers. At 17, Gilan started playing with Ivri Lider, with whom he still records and performs, and has also worked with other artists including Funkenstein, Gilad Segev and Ben Artzi. Idan and Gilad first met when they were both playing with Ivri Lider. Since then and right from The Project's first album, Gilad has worked with Idan as co-producer and arranger. Gilad also collaborates with Idan in the live shows. Somi – L. Kabasomi Kakoma, better known as Somi, was born in Illinois to East African parents, whose careers as diplomats and professors exposed her to music and culture from all over the world. Somi has lived in Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania, and now makes her home in New York City, where she performs regularly. Somi has released two albums, which feature her unique blend of jazz, African music and soul. Idan was introduced to Somi through a mutual friend, Cameroonian singer Kaïssa, and they immediately hit it off and agreed to perform and record together. Shai Tzabari - Shai took his first musical steps at his neighborhood Yemenite Synagogue, under the wings of his father the Cantor. Shai studied at the Rimon School of Music and was a member in the band Majik. After numerous collaborations with other popular Israeli artists, including Ehud Banai, Tal Segev, Zeev Tene, and Bari Saharof, Shai is now working on his solo album. Idan remembered how struck he was by Shai's voice when he first heard him singing eight years ago, and invited Shai to record the song “Locked in His Gaze” for the new IRP album.

Hi-resolution photos, detailed biographies, tour dates, music videos and other materials are available for download at:

http://www.cumbancha.com/albums/idanraichelproject/press

W hen somebody claims “toreflect the social charac-ter of Israel throughmusic”, it’s hard not to re-

spond with a sad shake of the head.But with 70 members, countless eth-nicities, and ages ranging from 16 to83, Idan Raichel’s assertion that hismusical Project exemplifies the manyfaces and facets of Israeli life isnowhere near as outrageous as it firstseems. Now, after a world tour thathas taken in Europe, Asia, Australiaand the Americas, there’s a fervourfor an Israeli cultural experience thatfor once transcends the political.Five years ago, Raichel was work-

ing as a counsellor at a boardingschool for new immigrants, immers-ing himself in what he repeatedlyrefers to as “Israel’s beautiful meltingpot”. The pupils were mainly Rus-sians who had arrived after the col-lapse of the Soviet Union, and Ethio-pians transported by the various air-lifts that brought more than 10,000people to Israel via the refugeecamps of Sudan. Raichel’s motivationwas helping teenagers on the cusp ofself-determination to make sense ofit all: “For the very first time theywere forced to challenge themselves,to ask themselves, ‘What am I?’ ”Unlike most of the Russians in Rai-

chel’s charge, the Ethiopian young-sters tended to eschew their home-land’s rich tapestry of influences infavour of the hip-hop and reggae sub-cultures that they found in the clubsof Tel Aviv. Eager that they takepride in their heritage and keen tolearn about it for himself, Raichelpushed them to explore and celebratetheir own traditions — “to make surethey understood their roots beforethey became Israelis and took onboard everything that that entails”.What it means to be an Israeli is

illustrated perfectly by Raichel’s ownmusical journey. As a child he learntthe accordion, playing the Gypsy-inspired klezmer that was a legacy ofhis parents’ Eastern Europe upbring-

ing, before entangling himself in thenumerous musical strands entwiningin Israel from around the world. Aftersome time as a session musician, heset up a home studio, inviting as manypeople as he could find to join him.After assembling all the contribu-tions into a demo tape he was offereda recording contract and formed theIdan Raichel Project. Blending Israelipop with Ethiopian folk music andinfusing it with Arabic poetry, Yemen-ite chants, biblical psalms and Carib-bean rhythms, Raichel managed toco-ordinate the disparate traditionsof Israel’s multi-ethnic communityinto a single and coherent whole.The result is a melodic chorus of

catchy tunes and lively beats, fusedinto an original and exotic sound, al-though Raichel refuses to reduce dis-cussion of his work to an analysis ofits constituent parts: “You can talkabout lyrics, melodies and singers as

different elements, but that detractsfrom the overall power of the songs— it’s about the complete entity”.Constantly refreshed by regular

waves of immigration, Israelisociety’s absorption of new arrivals isswift. “We live in a super-smallisland, where we can’t cross the bor-ders around us, so we live together,all the communities. We celebratethe Mimouna, the seventh day ofPassover, with the Moroccan commu-nity, we go to Henna ceremoniesbefore Yemenite weddings. We visitArab villages, we visit the Beduin inthe south, we serve in the army withthe Druze. We embrace it all becausewe’re all immigrants, each of us bring-ing our own roots.”These claims of integration might

seem incompatible with Raichel’sthree years of national service, but hedisagrees. “We need the army to pro-tect us — sadly, that’s just a fact. But

it doesn’t mean we don’t love themany different people in our country.Our project, for example, is an Israeliproject, not a Jewish project — wehave Arab singers and Christian sing-ers, and we make them into role mod-els. In doing that, we introducepeople to their neighbours and showthem that they’re kind of similar.”Raichel’s new song, Milei Koleh

Mibehi — Refrain Thy Voice FromWeeping — captures this sentimentabsolutely. Based on a passage fromthe Old Testament, it’s a message ofhope for those who have lost lovedones in war and conflict, regardless ofwhere, who or how.This, though, is about as political as

he’ll get, preferring to leave debate tothe professionals and his music tospeak on his behalf. “We don’t shoutpolitics in your face — on a basiclevel, our songs are just simple lovesongs. You can make social state-

ments indirectly, you don’t have toyell.” This subtlety is reflected in theProject’s new album. If its first tworecords were snapshots of a youthfuland outward-looking national con-sciousness, showing to the worldwhat the news misses out, the upcom-ing release is more gnomic and per-sonal. “Touring for the past fewyears, I discovered that what I lovemost is just to stay in Tel Aviv, and totravel inside not outside — you canmake your own party, your own rave,on your own in your bedroom. So therecord talks about personal thoughts,like going to a shrink — it’s about thelife of a person who exists within hisown four walls, alone with histhoughts and dreams.”Such is Raichel’s popularity that

those thoughts and dreams will notstay inside his four walls for long.0Milei Koleh Mibehi can bedownloaded from iTunes now

SOUNDS SO

UNDS

Can one musician weave together the disparate culturesof Israel? Daniel Harris meets the visionary Idan Raichel

“We don’t shout politics in your face — on abasic level, our songs are simple love songs”

Hearing voices

Idan Raichel’s influences range fromEthiopian folk to Yemenite chants

24 timesonline.co.uk/theknowledge August 23 - 29, 2008

W hen somebody claims “toreflect the social charac-ter of Israel throughmusic”, it’s hard not to re-

spond with a sad shake of the head.But with 70 members, countless eth-nicities, and ages ranging from 16 to83, Idan Raichel’s assertion that hismusical Project exemplifies the manyfaces and facets of Israeli life isnowhere near as outrageous as it firstseems. Now, after a world tour thathas taken in Europe, Asia, Australiaand the Americas, there’s a fervourfor an Israeli cultural experience thatfor once transcends the political.Five years ago, Raichel was work-

ing as a counsellor at a boardingschool for new immigrants, immers-ing himself in what he repeatedlyrefers to as “Israel’s beautiful meltingpot”. The pupils were mainly Rus-sians who had arrived after the col-lapse of the Soviet Union, and Ethio-pians transported by the various air-lifts that brought more than 10,000people to Israel via the refugeecamps of Sudan. Raichel’s motivationwas helping teenagers on the cusp ofself-determination to make sense ofit all: “For the very first time theywere forced to challenge themselves,to ask themselves, ‘What am I?’ ”Unlike most of the Russians in Rai-

chel’s charge, the Ethiopian young-sters tended to eschew their home-land’s rich tapestry of influences infavour of the hip-hop and reggae sub-cultures that they found in the clubsof Tel Aviv. Eager that they takepride in their heritage and keen tolearn about it for himself, Raichelpushed them to explore and celebratetheir own traditions — “to make surethey understood their roots beforethey became Israelis and took onboard everything that that entails”.What it means to be an Israeli is

illustrated perfectly by Raichel’s ownmusical journey. As a child he learntthe accordion, playing the Gypsy-inspired klezmer that was a legacy ofhis parents’ Eastern Europe upbring-

ing, before entangling himself in thenumerous musical strands entwiningin Israel from around the world. Aftersome time as a session musician, heset up a home studio, inviting as manypeople as he could find to join him.After assembling all the contribu-tions into a demo tape he was offereda recording contract and formed theIdan Raichel Project. Blending Israelipop with Ethiopian folk music andinfusing it with Arabic poetry, Yemen-ite chants, biblical psalms and Carib-bean rhythms, Raichel managed toco-ordinate the disparate traditionsof Israel’s multi-ethnic communityinto a single and coherent whole.The result is a melodic chorus of

catchy tunes and lively beats, fusedinto an original and exotic sound, al-though Raichel refuses to reduce dis-cussion of his work to an analysis ofits constituent parts: “You can talkabout lyrics, melodies and singers as

different elements, but that detractsfrom the overall power of the songs— it’s about the complete entity”.Constantly refreshed by regular

waves of immigration, Israelisociety’s absorption of new arrivals isswift. “We live in a super-smallisland, where we can’t cross the bor-ders around us, so we live together,all the communities. We celebratethe Mimouna, the seventh day ofPassover, with the Moroccan commu-nity, we go to Henna ceremoniesbefore Yemenite weddings. We visitArab villages, we visit the Beduin inthe south, we serve in the army withthe Druze. We embrace it all becausewe’re all immigrants, each of us bring-ing our own roots.”These claims of integration might

seem incompatible with Raichel’sthree years of national service, but hedisagrees. “We need the army to pro-tect us — sadly, that’s just a fact. But

it doesn’t mean we don’t love themany different people in our country.Our project, for example, is an Israeliproject, not a Jewish project — wehave Arab singers and Christian sing-ers, and we make them into role mod-els. In doing that, we introducepeople to their neighbours and showthem that they’re kind of similar.”Raichel’s new song, Milei Koleh

Mibehi — Refrain Thy Voice FromWeeping — captures this sentimentabsolutely. Based on a passage fromthe Old Testament, it’s a message ofhope for those who have lost lovedones in war and conflict, regardless ofwhere, who or how.This, though, is about as political as

he’ll get, preferring to leave debate tothe professionals and his music tospeak on his behalf. “We don’t shoutpolitics in your face — on a basiclevel, our songs are just simple lovesongs. You can make social state-

ments indirectly, you don’t have toyell.” This subtlety is reflected in theProject’s new album. If its first tworecords were snapshots of a youthfuland outward-looking national con-sciousness, showing to the worldwhat the news misses out, the upcom-ing release is more gnomic and per-sonal. “Touring for the past fewyears, I discovered that what I lovemost is just to stay in Tel Aviv, and totravel inside not outside — you canmake your own party, your own rave,on your own in your bedroom. So therecord talks about personal thoughts,like going to a shrink — it’s about thelife of a person who exists within hisown four walls, alone with histhoughts and dreams.”Such is Raichel’s popularity that

those thoughts and dreams will notstay inside his four walls for long.0Milei Koleh Mibehi can bedownloaded from iTunes now

SOUNDS SO

UNDS

Can one musician weave together the disparate culturesof Israel? Daniel Harris meets the visionary Idan Raichel

“We don’t shout politics in your face — on abasic level, our songs are simple love songs”

Hearing voices

Idan Raichel’s influences range fromEthiopian folk to Yemenite chants

24 timesonline.co.uk/theknowledge August 23 - 29, 2008

Friday, January 26, 2007Circulation: 434,330Location: BOSTON, MA

BOSTON GLOBE

A Big, Wide World of Music

By JON PARELES

Published: June 29, 2007

‘THE IDAN RAICHEL PROJECT’ (Cumbancha)

The Idan Raichel Project was a huge hit in Israel for good

reason: it envisions a modern, multicultural nation where voices

of young and old, Ethiopian and Yemenite, are all heard in

songs devoted to love and tolerance. Idan Raichel is the

keyboardist, songwriter and producer behind the scenes, and

he’s clearly as familiar with Peter Gabriel as with Middle

Eastern traditions. His arrangements bind the voices together in

somber minor-mode anthems paced by electronic beats,

earnestly seeking to uplift.

JUNE 2008 VOL XVII #6

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COURTESY OF CUMBANCHA

32 GLOBAL RHYTHM JUNE_08

when Israeli

singer, songwriter and bandleader

Idan Raichel stepped onto the stage as

the opening act of the fi fth Ethiopian

Music Festival in Addis Ababa. This

was January 2006, and Raichel had

only discovered Ethiopian music a

few years before while working at a

boarding school for troubled teens in

Tel Aviv. When he began experiment-

ing with a fusion of Ethiopian, Israeli,

Arab, and other rhythms from around

the world in his basement studio, he

knew it would be an uphill battle to

get the music heard, but he perse-

vered. Surprisingly, the fi rst album

by the international collective he put

together went platinum in Israel,

propelling The Idan Raichel Project

into the global spotlight. His forward-

looking music resulted in an invita-

tion to play in Addis Ababa, and the

artist who extended it was legendary

Ethiopian singer Mahmoud Ahmed—

another musician known for his

ability to create unexpected fusions of

diverse musical styles. The group had

already planned to play in Ethiopia,

but Ahmed’s call was a pleasant

surprise. “It was a great honor to meet

him,” Raichel says by phone from

his home in Tel Aviv recently. “Cabra

Casay, one of our lead singers, has

family in Ethiopia, but she was born

in a refugee camp in the Sudan, so

this was her fi rst time back home.

Another singer, Wagderass Vese, left his family behind [in Ethiopia] when he came

to Israel at age 14, so our trip was a big homecoming.

“We were lucky because we’d taken along a fi lm crew to document Cabra’s return

home. The fi lm will be called Home: Backward and Forward, and deals with the

challenges refugees face in defi ning their identity. Do they consider themselves

Ethiopian or are they Israeli? This is an ongoing question. Israel is a melting pot,

with people from many cultures living side by side. When people immigrate, they

often have identity problems and try to forget where they came from, especially the

teenage kids. They tend to adopt an American hip-hop identity. When I was work-

ing with kids in the boarding school, music was an important way to get to know

them better. I thought if I expressed an interest in their culture, it would help these

Ethiopian kids keep their own roots alive.”

The kids shared their cassettes of Ethiopian reggae, jazz, pop, and folk by art-

ists like Mahmoud Ahmed, Aster Aweke and Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw—sounds

that captivated Raichel and inspired him to start investigating the country’s rich

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musical heritage. He went to Ethiopian bars and clubs and

visited Ethiopian synagogues, weddings and traditional

ceremonies. “I got especially interested in the village music

of Ethiopia,” he explains. “The folk music has beautiful

6/8 rhythms and sinuous melodies. You will hear a drum-

mer playing with a one string violin player and they will go

on and on, like a mantra. If you listen for two minutes, it

can seem annoying, but after fi ve or ten minutes, it puts

you into a trance. It’s like the experience you can have in

a dance club; if you stand in the middle of it, it may seem

noisy, but after fi ve hours of dancing, you’re in an altered

state.”

Raichel began dreaming: would it be possible to combine

the pop music of the Israeli mainstream with the tradi-

tional music of the immigrant communities and come up

with something new? Already a successful studio musician,

Raichel played keyboards and

arranged music for pop singers,

but he was looking for his own

identity. “I was doing whatever

they told me, taking any job I was

offered,” he says. “Working at that

boarding school made me under-

stand for the fi rst time what Israel

is all about. Every 15 years or so, there’s a big infusion of

immigration, and while we are all Israeli, there are many

cultures co-existing here. People celebrate Spanish holi-

days, Russian holidays and Yemenite holidays. There are

mini-cultures within the bigger culture. Even today, you

cannot defi ne one Israeli food or tradition because it’s still

developing—it’s all mixed together. I thought I should make

music that refl ects that.”

developed early on. He grew up in a musical family and

was always attracted to keyboard instruments—or at least,

instruments with keyboards built into them. “I grew up

playing the accordion, which is the most uncool instru-

ment ever,” he confesses. “But the thing is, it’s a worldwide

instrument: from the tango in Argentina, to the waltzes of

France, to Bulgarian wedding music, it’s all played on the

accordion. And Israeli folk music is also based on the ac-

cordion, so playing it kept my ears and mind open to music

from all over the world. I did try to play some classical

arrangements for accordion, but mostly I was interested in

folk music from all over the world. That got me listening to

salsa, the pop music of Edith Piaf, gypsy music—the music

of many countries.

“My grandfather had an accordion in his home,” he

continues, “and when I was young we used to visit him and

my mother used to play it. I played the instrument for a few

years until I got into high school. Then I got interested in

jazz piano, improvisation and electronica. I like electronica,

but learning how to improvise on the piano in real time got

me deeper into the music. By the time I joined the army, the

acoustic and electronic had started mixing together.”

In Israel, everybody serves in the military—no exemptions

or exceptions—and like any 18-year-old, Raichel stepped up

to do his three years and was lucky enough to get into an

entertainment unit. “I played in different army bands, but

mostly in a rock band—guitar, bass, drums and keyboards,

with four lead singers. It was my fi rst time playing as a

sideman.” The group played a diverse repertoire of contem-

porary Israeli pop songs and traditional music, international

pop and rock hits, as well asfunk and jazz instrumentals.

“We played to boost morale and have fun. I had to learn to

play in a lot of styles and work with singers from all over

the country. In my third year with the band, I was able to

write some keyboard arrangements. It helped me later when

I worked as a session player and production musician for

pop singers.”

The studio skills Raichel picked up in the pop world

served him well when he began writing the music and

recruiting the participants for what was to become The Idan

Raichel Project. After his stirring introduction to Ethiopian

music, Raichel retreated to the basement of his parents’

house in Kfar Saba, a small town outside of Tel Aviv. With

a laptop computer and some recording software, he began

creating his own brand of Israeli music. “I lived in the studio

for four years,” he recalls. “People from all over the country

came to the basement to contribute their talent to the

recordings. I had a PC with two inputs and two outputs,

so I was always bouncing tracks down to make space to

add more music. The computer was always saying ‘memory

full’ [laughs], so I had to record and then mix right there on

the laptop. With only two tracks, we had to be creative and

improvise. It was a great experience.”

The ordeal gave Raichel a keen insight into what it means

to pursue a creative vision without compromise, and to

push what little you might have to the limit if it means

realizing that vision. “You know, The Beatles only had four

tracks,” he notes, “and that was using analog [tape], so

what we did is easy compared to what they had to work

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with. But if I was to recom-

mend something to musicians,

I’d say don’t buy too much

gear—what’s important is your

heart and your desire to make

music. It’s like what [Italian

actor and director] Roberto

Benigni said when he won an

Oscar: ‘I want to thank my

parents for raising me poor.

Being poor, you have so much

more hunger to make it and do

it your own way.’ So maybe I

was lucky to be working on a

small budget.”

Raichel had already written some songs and began

inviting musicians and singers from various back-

grounds to his basement studio. In the end, over 70

artists contributed to the fi rst two Idan Raichel Project

albums. Drummer Gilad Shmueli, a producer himself,

signed on early. Raichel says his unique perspective

pushed the project in unexpected directions. “He doesn’t

understand theory and has no formal musical knowl-

edge—nothing about harmony or chord structure—but

he has good instincts. He’ll say, ‘I don’t like this sound’

or ‘There’s not enough bass on this track.’ If you hire a

professional and ask him to play something in C Major,

he does it. If you ask someone who doesn’t know, he will

search around and, in the process, you’ll fi nd a lot of

interesting things. So Gilad is great because his desire is

to always search for a new way of doing things, and for

sounds no one has heard before.”

Many have praised Raichel’s rich, multi-rhythmic

sound, but he says he didn’t have a specifi c plan in mind

when he started recording. “The lo-fi equipment gave the

music a special texture,” he insists. “We had only one

microphone, so we had to search for interesting ways

to make it work. We put the drums in the kitchen of the

house, where the mic picked up an odd reverberation.

The piano we used was not in tune, so we had to put a

chorus effect and phase shifters on it. People compliment

me on the dense sound of the music, but that came from

bouncing everything down to two tracks.”

Raichel wanted the music to be as culturally diverse as

possible, with inspirational lyrics. “We used Biblical stories

and poems, and lyrics and music from traditional folk songs

from all over the world. I only speak and sing in Hebrew and

English, so I asked the singers to bring texts in their own lan-

guages, and I’d compose music for them. If they sang songs

I wrote, I let them do it in their style, in their own language,

so we made some interesting fusions. Even though most of the

artists were Israeli,

they have diverse back-

grounds with roots in

Yemen, Ethiopia, Iran,

Sudan, Uruguay, and

Suriname. When peo-

ple want me to defi ne

our sound, I say it’s

Israeli music, not world

music really, because

all those cultures are

here living together.”

As soon as he had a

few tracks fi nished, Ra-

ichel sent them around

to his contacts in the

music business. Most

thought the fusion was

too odd and too foreign.

“[But] Gadi Gidor at Helicon

Records said he found it inter-

esting,” Raichel says, remem-

bering his fi rst conversation

with the Israeli label’s A&R

rep. “He liked the way the old-

school Israeli melodies mixed with the music of the immigrants.

This project is the fi rst time a producer was signed as the main

artist; it’s more usual to sign a band with one singer.”

It was Raichel’s determination to use the right singer for the

right song, no matter where they came from or how old they

were, that lends such an overarching feeling of diversity to his

fi rst two albums. “The youngest singer was 16,” he explains,

“and the oldest was Shoshanna Damari, who was 82. She

passed away [in 2006] after making her last recordings for us.

She also participated in some live concerts before she died.”

The fi rst album, simply titled The Idan Raichel Project, caused

a sensation, selling over 150,000 copies. The second album,

2005’s Mi’Ma’amakim (Out Of The Depths), has moved 80,000

units to date. The Project’s live shows have wowed and sur-

prised people with their solid grooves and ever-shifting lineup

of lead singers. “Everywhere we go,” Raichel says, “we have

artists asking if they can come on stage and give their input.

We’ve had musicians from Colombia, India, Benin, Argentina,

and Senegal, just in the last few months. They come to a sound

check and later that day we’re making music together. On our

next record, we’re going to use tracks we’ve been recording all

over the world, and make the music even more international.”

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JUNE_08 GLOBAL RHYTHM 35

Raichel’s music was building a major underground buzz when Jacob Edgar of

the U.S.-based label Cumbancha offered him a chance for an international release.

“I thought a compilation would be the best way to go,” Edgar says. “There’s great

material on both records, but to break into the international world music/global

pop audience, we wanted songs that spoke an international language, so to speak.

Combining songs from the fi rst two albums would bring worldwide listeners up to

speed on Raichel, and get them ready for his next album.”

Cumbancha’s The Idan Raichel Project opens with “Azini (Comfort Me),” where

a solitary fl ute plays a sinuous Eastern melody before the band drops in with a

fusion of R&B and Arabic pop. Anwar Awad, a Palestinian Christian who sings in

Arabic and Hebrew, contributed both the lyrics and a powerful lead vocal overfl ow-

ing with passion. Yihia Tsubara, a 76-year-old traditional Yemenite singer, sings an

ululating duet with his son Shalom Tsuberi on “Im Tachpetza (If Thou Wisheth).”

The tune is from the Yemenite folk tradition, but it’s given a modern sheen by

Raichel’s keyboards and Avi Singolda’s guitar, which mimics the cascading

arpeggios of an oud.

During the sessions for the second album, Cabra Casey, who met Raichel in the

Israeli army, sang him the folk song “Nanu Nanu Ney,” which they incorporated

into “Mi’Ma’amakim (Out Of The Depths).” Wagderass Vese and Raichel trade verses

on the song, with Vese singing the traditional melody in a high, dramatic, almost

falsetto register, with Raichel countering in his reassuring low tenor. Bongani Xulu,

a South African singer, met Raichel in Israel after seeing a performance of The

Project; the two collaborated on “Siyaishaya Ingoma,” a traditional Zulu love song.

Raichel’s gospel-fl avored piano accompanies Xulu’s soulful, subdued vocal, with

Donovan Prefect Reid providing a rap interlude. Sergio Braams, originally from

Suriname, sings lead on “Brong Faya,” which combines old time calypso, dancehall

reggae, trance, and dub impulses. Braams has a beautiful clear tenor and delivers

a vocal full of playful humor.

Ofer Shriki’s chiming 12-string guitar hook and subtle violin set off Zamnawet

Zoe Gidamo’s vocal on the mellow, reggae-fl avored “Ayal-Ayale.” The song is fol-

lowed by “Hinach Yafah,” a ballad based on the Song of Songs from the Bible, and

one where Raichel gets to show off his own vocal chops, his minimalist but silky

voice playing off Zena Edchanani’s more theatrical improvisations on the chorus.

It’s a prime example of the sound that

prevails throughout the album—smooth,

lush, and yes, dense. Balancing ancient

traditions with today’s technology, The

Idan Raichel Project delivers a smoky,

impressionistic mix of bright trebly

guitars, wailing vocals, effect-thickened

keyboards and spare, measured percus-

sion programs to produce a simmering

global groove.

“The next album will be even more

international,” Raichel promises. “We’re

always recording new stuff as we tour,

working with musicians from all over

the world. I have about 30 tracks, and

we’ll see what story they tell. When I was

in New York, I recorded a singer from

Colombia; in France, musicians from

Cape Verde and Brazil; in India, singers

from Jaipur. We take a doumbek rhythm

and try to play it on an Indian tabla. We

take an Israeli love song and translate

it into Spanish and Arabic. Bringing

different traditions together, you always

get something interesting, even if people

don’t understand it. The hardcore world

music audience thinks the music is too

produced. At a rock festival, they say,

‘What the hell is all this Ethiopian stuff?’

I know it’s hard to market and hard for

booking agents, but this is what Israel

really sounds like—many cultures mak-

ing a new song together.” !