Idan Raichel - The Idan Raichel Project [israel+ethiopia] [2007]

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     ...Fusing together Yemenite, Moroccan, Ethiopian, Indian, and Arabic folk music with reggae and ambient, Raichel has created a new genre filled with so much energy, spirituality, and passion. Labeled "Israeli-Ethiopian Fusion", this new and increasingly popular genre has led Raichel's first two albums to reach multi-platinum....

      The Idan Raichel Project is the brainchild of Israeli keyboardist, composer, producer, and arranger Idan Raichel, who invited over 70 different musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds to participate in the recordings. In particular, Raichel has long been fascinated by the music of Israel's growing population of Ethiopian Jews, and many songs feature members of Israel's Ethiopian community. The recordings also include Arab musicians, traditional Yemenite vocalists, a toaster and percussionist from Suriname and a South African singer, among others.

                                              

                       Idan Raichel Project - Bo'ee, Come With Me

        The Project released its first album in Israel in 2002 and quickly became one of the biggest success stories in the history of Israeli popular music. The haunting Ethiopian chorus of the first single, "Bo'ee" (Come With Me), sounded completely unlike anything most Israeli's had heard before. The groundswell of interest propelled the album to heights rarely seen in the local music scene and firmly established Idan Raichel as a new type of Israeli pop star. Now a musical icon in the Israeli community worldwide, The Idan Raichel Project has performed to sell-out crowds in prestigious venues in Paris, Brussels, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore and beyond.

         The international release of The Idan Raichel Project's recordings on the new record label Cumbancha promises to introduce a wide new audience to the electrifying work of this unique musical collective. The Project offers a new vision for how Israelis, their neighbors in this volatile region, and people all over the world, can cherish their individual cultural traditions, celebrate their differences and through respectful collaboration create new and inspiring expressions. "Our ability to live in peace with one other depends on our learning to appreciate and respect each other's differences," notes Idan. "The way forward is not by trying to change your neighbor, but by accepting him and recognizing that we are all looking for the same things in life: bread, water, spirit, respect and love."

Interview : The Idan Raichel Project >>

       The songs in Amharic and other African languages include Ayal-Ayale, Brong Faya (Burn Fire), and Siyaishaya Ingoma (Sing out for Love), and all have a great Afro-beat and tribal feel to them. Ayal-Ayale can also be viewed on IdanRaichelProject[dot]com. The only Arabic song on this CD is Azini. Boasting an incredible female voice from Mira Anwar Awad, an Arab Israeli from Haifa, Azini is a kind of folkloric-sounding song fused with ambient mixes, creating a magical piece that mesmerizes the senses.

01. Bo ee (Come With Me) (4:26)

02. Mi Maamakim (Out Of The Depths) (5:51)

03. Ayal-Ayale (The Handsome Hero) (3:35)

04. Hinach Yafah (Thou Art Beautiful) (4:53)

05. Im Tachpetza (If Thou Wisheth) (3:58)

06. Shuvi El Beyti (Come Back To My Home) (3:54)

07. Im Telech (If You Go) (2:47)

08. Be Yom Shabbat (On Sabbath) (3:34)

09. Brong Faya (Burn Fire) (4:05)

10. Ulai Ha Pa am (Maybe This Time) (2:39)

11. Azini (Comfort Me) (4:26)

12. Siyaishaya Ingoma (Sing Out For Love) (3:30)