Yemenite Blues from Israel

by Daniela Enriquez If there is a perfect word to describe Ravid Kahalani and Yemen Blues, his new musical project, it would be eclecticism. Born in Israel to Yemenite Jews, Kahalani has been exposed to all kinds of musical genres since his childhood: Yemenite religious hymns, West African sounds, Middle Eastern tunes and, of course, the entire world of modern rhythms: from jazz, to rap, to blues. With the collaboration of Omer Avital, Itamar Borochov, Rony Iwryn and,as his Facebook page says, “other musicians around the world,” Kahalani—known for his role in Israeli music group The Idan Raichel Project—used his musical experience and knowledge to create a sensational project, which is enchanting listeners all around the globe. Their music is deeply engaging: On stage, they shift from romantic ballades in French to beating songs in Hebrew. All...

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But Can You Do Israeli Folk Dance To It?

by Daniela Enriquez As the men entered in capsule-shaped cubicles, images started to appear across the entirety of the stage-wide screen—all present felt transplanted to a wild forest, surrounded by brownish mushrooms as tall as trees. No, it’s not the beginning of a 3D movie on environmental issues, but the start of an Infected Mushroom concert. The psychedelic trance band, currently on worldwide summer tour, landed in Washington, DC’s famous 9:30 Club on Thursday night. (http://infected-mushroom.com) (http://www.930.com) The club was packed with fans wearing all kinds of expected clothing: animal-shaped hats, feeders, phosphorescent colored bracelets and rings to shake to the persistent rhythm of the music. Infected Mushroom arrived at a punctual 11:30—after the crowd had been warmed up by house beats from DJ Randy Seidman—and set the club on fire, with people of all ages dancing, jumping and frenetically...

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