Maurice El Medioni grew up in the Jewish quarter of the Algerian port city of Oran. His life took an unexpected turn when his brother bought an old piano at a flea market and brought it home. Within days, Maurice, then 9, had learned—without lessons or a...
Ilana Eliya’s artistry entwines old traditions from the mountains of Kurdistan and local, Israeli traditions.
Eliya’s intricate identity, her deep bonds to the Kurd tradition kept by her father, the cantor, and her equally strong ties to the Hebrew language and to contemporary Hebrew poetry created an extraordinary echo in her...
Lior Elmalih, one of the most promising artists among the younger generation, performs Andalusian and Moroccan piyyutim. He is also known for his great vocal range and his artistic campaigns to promote Andalusian music – among other things, he has founded the Andael Andalusian orchestra and a flamenco trio with...
For years, the musicians of the Faran Ensemble have been on a shared musical and spiritual journey. Their original compositions combine the wealth of the various musical traditions of the Near and Mid East, based on the sounds of ancient instruments from these regions—the kamancheh, the oud, and percussion instruments.
Faran...
The Yaman Ensemble is a young Israeli group who give a modern, psychedelic, trance form to the traditional music of the Jews of Yemen. Their arrangements of Yemeni folk and religious songs are a fusion of traditional melodies with innovative harmony, contemporary dance rhythm and diverse musical influences—from African and...
