Headliner: The Idan Raichel Project
The Idan Raichel Project burst onto the Israeli 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 the headlines are too often dominated by conflict. With an enchanting blend of Ethiopian and Middle Eastern flavors 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 today.
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Idan Raichel, the architect of this unique recording project, is a 29-year old keyboardist, producer and composer from Kfar Saba, Israel. “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 Raichel. Under his leadersip, the group's first album was an instant hit, and was hailed by Billboard Magazine as "one of the most fascinating titles to emerge in world music this year." 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 Raichel’s richly poetic lyrics of love and devotion and sophisticated contemporary production techniques, the single struck a chord with a wide swath of the Israeli public.
The groundswell of interest propelled the album to sell over 150,000 copies (triple platinum) and firmly establish Idan Raichel as a new type of Israeli pop star. His follow-up album in 2005 featured a number of hit songs, including the Ethiopian flavored “Mi’Ma’amakim” (Out Of The Depths), and proved that Raichel was a unique talent that offered a new vision for how Israelis, their neighbors in this volatile region, and people all over the world, can cherish their own cultural traditions, celebrate their differences and through respectful collaboration create new and inspiring expressions.
