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Yemen Blues

YEMEN BLUES is an original and fascinating meeting of traditional Yemenite melodies & the world of blues, jazz and funk. The flavors of West African roots and enhanced modern compositions are bringing together a breathtaking experience and a mixture of beautiful complex grooves. It is the powerful outcome of Ravid Kahalani’s musical journey from his yemenite roots to western influences - a joyful oasis in the middle of the desert.

YEMEN BLUES was founded by Ravid Kahalani, a rising star in Israel who grew up to a traditional Yemenite family, learned the language and the traditional chants of his origin, and extended his influences in the areas of blues and West African soul, from the Sahara desert thru classical Opera singing to Afro-American blues. Ravid joined forces with Omer Avital, a well known bass player and compositor, and together they gathered YEMEN BLUES, a supergroup of top musicians from New York, Israel and Uruguay.

YEMEN BLUES concerts are an ultimate celebration of African grooves, a pure happiness & deep emotion Yemenite singing, a new music experience and innovative sound--with a strong message.

YEMEN BLUES is “a language you will understand no matter where you come from”, singer Ravid Kahalani says. “It is my origin and my influences all together as well as meeting with this group of amazing musicians.”

RAVID KAHALANI

Rising star Ravid Kahalani was born in 1978 in Israel to a Yemenite family which originated from Kohlan near Sanaa district in Yemen. Coming from a Yemenite-Jewish culture which is well known for their singing talents, his family has a great history of singers. One of them was Zacharia Yitzhak, a traditional singer and cantor. Ravid remembers himself singing at the age of 5, and as son to a conservative family, he used to sing liturgy in the Synagogue. The immense excitement and the enthusiastic reactions of his surroundings were the first signs predicting that singing will become a great love in his life. Today, he says: “music is my religion”.

In the stormy years of adolescence, Ravid took distance from his roots and religion, and was into Afro-American Soul and Blues. While singing in high pitches Ravid turned to theatre and studied for two years in Nissan Nativ Acting Studio. He acted in the play “Rust” by Avishai Hadari, which won first prize in Akko Theatre Festival 1998.

Feeling the passion for music he left his short acting career to learn percussions. He mainly studied drumming by himself and with some guidance of International percussion master Chen Zimbalista, who incorporated Ravid in his show “Zimba”.

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Performance / Tour

Yemen Blues To Share Unique Musical Vision At Painted Bride On January 7th

Yemen Blues To Share Unique Musical Vision At Painted Bride On January 7th

Source: Michael Ricci

Philadelphia, PA—Philadelphia's leading presenter of groundbreaking artists, Painted Bride, takes you on a journey of alternative world culture on Jan. 7 with YEMEN BLUES—an international ensemble of nine top-flight musicians from Israel, Uruguay and New York. Led by Israeli vocalist-gimbri player Ravid Kahalani (band member to Idan Raichel), YEMEN BLUES creates a poetic hybrid groove and is hailed as “one of the exciting world music bands..." by Time Out Chicago. YEMEN BLUES, currently on tour in North America, is a ...

118

Festival

26th Annual Jewish Music Fest with Yemen Blues

26th Annual Jewish Music Fest with Yemen Blues

Source: rock paper scissors, inc.

Fervent Blues, Haunting Songs: The 26th Annual Jewish Music Festival Transforms Traditions from Yemen to Cuba as Premier Platform for New Jewish Music, March 5㬉, 2011

It started with a knock on Festival Director Eleanor Shapiro's door. There stood Avner Yonai, an Israeli businessman who had searched record bins and archives from Buenos Aires, Warsaw, and Jerusalem in search of the repertoire his grandfather had played in a Polish Jewish mandolin orchestra before World War II.

“Avner came to me ...

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Live.

Unknown label
2013

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