Didgeridoo by Flickr user Jeff the Trojan

It is indisputably Australian, but the didgeridoo is now hugely popular overseas.

In Israel, hordes of fans have turned out for the sixth annual Israeli Didgeridoo Festival.

It is about as far from Aboriginal Australia as you will get, held at a kibbutz not far from Tel Aviv to coincide with the Jewish holiday, Sukkot.

Organiser Yoram Sivan admits for all its Aboriginal origins, traditional didgeridoo rhythms are giving way to a more modern, global sound.

“The didgeridoo is one of the most magical instruments I’ve come across and people are very excited about it,” he said.

“Maybe there are still more didgeridoos being made in Australia than other places in the world, but definitely the scene in the world is so much larger.

“In Australia the thing about didgeridoo is the tourism, you sell didgeridoos to tourists. And in any other place in the world it’s not about that. It’s about the music.”

Even the musicians have drawn limited inspiration from Aboriginal didgeridoo players. Some have never been to Australia.

The didgeridoos are not made down under, and Ortal Pelleg, a member of one band that specialises in didge, says its music is far from exclusively Australian.

“I think that the music in this band is a mix of cultures around the world, with African touches, Brazilian touches; really a lot of different influences are weaved in there,” he said.

The huge success of didgeridoos as a tourist souvenir or marketable product in Australia means this traditional Aboriginal artefact is more and more a global commodity adopted and modified by overseas musicians without necessarily any regard for its Indigenous origins.

Some fans at the festival say the didgeridoo may even be bigger in Israel than in Australia.

“As far as I see it now in this festival, it has nothing to do with Aborigines and Aboriginal music,” said Ram Brousard. “I think it is more based now on electronic music.”

“I think today there are more players in Israel than in Australia,” said Elichay Danor. “People are so much in love with this instrument.”

The didgeridoo is so popular in Israel that Mr Sivan manufactures his own instruments at a workshop near Tel Aviv.

But while it might sound like a didge, his “compact didge” as it is called, does not look like one. Instead of a single, long pipe, the wooden tube is curled around like a snake.

And Mr Sivan’s unique didgeridoo is making lucrative inroads into a growing market in Europe – no doubt clearly tagged as “made and designed in Israel”.

“We are in contact with festivals in France, in Germany, in the [United] States, in Switzerland,” he said.

“I know there is a scene in Europe and people are very hot for this instrument. And it happens all over the world simultaneously.”

Article: ABC

Cohen landed in a private plane, which his production team says he will use to travel around Israel, and went straight to the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv, where he will be staying. The hotel surprised Cohen by upgrading his room to an upscale suite, despite him having ordered a regular room.

Thursday’s performance will be Cohen’s first in Israel in over 20 years. Concert tickets sold out in less than 12 hours despite costing between 1,000 and 1,200 NIS.

Several hundred more tickets became available last week, after production adjustments allowed for seating on the lawn of the stadium.

Hebrew subtitles will be displayed in conjunction with the performance on a screen above the stage.

Cohen recently fainted onstage at a performance in Valencia after reportedly feeling ill. His production team cited stomach problems and dehydration as the reason behind his collapse. He performed successfully in Barcelona the week after fainting and is expected to take the stage in Ramat Gan with no problems.

Article: Haaretz

But it isn’t all work. The singer, who is a great supporter of Kabbalah, plans to visit Safed, the home of the mystical sect of Judaism as well as Jerusalem’s Old City and the Western Wall.

Along with Madonna, are reported to come 100 friends and celebrities close to the singer coming to see the last shows on her tour. These guests, rumoured to include the likes of Justin Timberlake are expected to visit Jerusalem with her.

But Madonna’s guests arent the only big-name celebs in Israel this week. Faith No More are performing in the country on Tuesday, whilst MGMT have a concert on Wednesday. Its a mega-week for music in Israel!

Lady GaGa by Flickr user ama lia

So Lady GaGa was in Israel this week causing a real stir.

First of all there was the pre-show tour of the country – the singer called her visit to Jerusalem “an emotional and spiritual experience” and said she preferred to see Jerusalem than to “get drunk in a bar” but did not deny that she might “get drunk in Jerusalem”. See the interview here:

And then the show:

Thousands of teenagers, all wearing bandanas emblazoned with the logo of the show sponsors, cheered as after a 45-minute wait, the curtain rose on the would-be princess of pop. Lady GaGa was clad in an outfit that more than ended the YouTube clip fuelled debate on her gender, and gave most of the young males in the crowd their first glimpse of a real, half-naked woman.

Thousands of cell phones were hoisted to capture her entrance, and joyous shrieks accompanied the opening bars of her current hit Paparazzi. But it soon became clear that GaGa had a tough crowd.

Inviting audience members to expose their genitalia and show her what they want her to do with them, Lady GaGa was trying to turn them on. And when that didn’t prove to be a crowd pleaser, the singer reached for her extensive Hebrew vocabulary. “Shalom,” she said.

She changed into four outfits over the course of the show, each shinier, more bizarre, and more provocative than the one before. And the crowd remained indifferent, while calls for Poker Face resounded.

GaGa kept doing what she could, the best she could – singing, flirting with the crowd, and dancing, in a routine that one would expect from “So You Think You Can Dance?”

And then, it happened. The moment everyone was waiting for. Lady knew it too, and lapped up the attention.

Lady GaGa did two versions to her massive hit; an acoustic version which seemed to go on forever, and which also included a (too long) story of how she “did it” while covered in Dead Sea mud, and then the real thing.

The amateur performance disappeared and the air was suddenly electric. Lady GaGa had finally done it, and the crowd was on fire.

By the end of the evening, the racy chick from New York could tick off another check in her notebook. Israel: Done.

Perhaps the time we see her round these parts, if she’s smart enough to push herself forward by producing more trashy and catchy dance-pop, we’ll probably get a more complex, more professional GaGa, with more songs, and a timeless hit or two.

Can anyone say Madonna?

Source: Haaretz

Alive Productions is a company born between Nisha Musical and Dinamo Dvash Productions, two of the most important and leading production companies in Israel who are shaping the local culture and entertainment standards.

It was only a matter of time before these two leading forces joined together to produce this new and fascinating corporate body in the world of popular entertainment.

The quality repertoire of Alive Productions has received the attention of local and international institutions and businesses, providing financial backing and support for the projects.

Alive Productions will be launching a musical spectacular from August 19 to August 20 titled World Musix Festival in Tel Aviv.

Top artists include British rock band Kaiser Chiefs, French Canadian pop/rock band Simple Plan, American singer and songwriter Lady Gaga, Israeli rock singer and songwriter Aviv Geffen, Israeli hard-rock band Hayehudim, creator of electro hip-hop beats Aether and several other leading and international performers.

The World Musix Festival will be held at the Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center, Tel Aviv. Tickets obtainable on (03)521 5200.

Throughout its existence, Alive Productions has quarried the path for a better musical view in Israel’s cultural landscape, trying to keep a pace ahead of everyone, while charting the endless new territories provided by contemporary music.

Article: Ynet

3-15 August – Jerusalem Arts & Crafts Festival a mega festival of art, crafts, and also food and music.

19-20 August – NonStop Music Festival in Tel Aviv hosts Simple Plan, Lady Gaga, and the Kaiser Chiefs.

19-22 August – The International Animation, Comics and Caricature Festival comes to Tel Aviv.

23-26 August – Red Sea Jazz Festival attracts 22 leading International and Israeli bands to play Jazz in this stunning setting in Eilat.

Israeli home-grown bands will perform their own covers of the legendary songs of the likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and The Doors.

Taking place at the Kraft Family Stadium in Jerusalem, the concert is going to benefit concert the non-profit American Football in Israel (AFI) organization that recently saw its national women’s team take first place at the Big Bowl tournament in Germany. Israel will be sending both its women’s and men’s national teams to Belfast in September for the European Championships.

“I missed the original Woodstock Festival, and have regretted it ever since,” says stadium director Steve Leibowitz. “I believe that the music of Woodstock impacted Western culture in a way that no music festival or performer ever has since”. “I think it’s fitting that our Woodstock Revival is happening on Tu B’Av”, adds Danny Gewirtz, the concert organizer, “and we hope that the stadium will be full of Peace, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll. In any case, we promise to provide the Rock ‘n’ Roll!”

The Jerusalem Woodstock Revival line up includes renowned Israeli artist, Geva Alon, paying tribute to Neil Young; celebrated blues guitarist, Ronnie Peterson, playing Bob Dylan; singer-guitarist Lazer Lloyd from the rock band “Yood” with some of Jimi Hendrix’s classics; and the nationally acclaimed Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young tribute band “Long Time Gone”.

“The Doors will be set on fire by the band, Crystal Ship in the spirit of Woodstock,” adds Carmi Wurtman, the event promoter who brought Macy Gray to the capital last month for Students’ Day, “because, like The Beatles and a few other world famous bands, The Doors weren’t at Woodstock, but they SHOULD have been!”

For further information, see the website at www.israel-coupons.com/woodstock

One of city’s most popular and long-held traditions, Hutzot Hayotzer festival, opens Monday evening. Event to feature local and international artists and artisans, music shows, international food fair and much more

The International Arts and Crafts Festival – Hutzot Hayotzer will open in Jerusalem Monday evening and last till August 15. More than 150 artists and artisans from Israel and around the world will showcase and sell their works at the event, which will also include an international food fair, dance and music shows.

The festival, which has become one of Jerusalem’s most popular traditions in the 30 odd years since its inception, will be held at the Hutzot Hayotzer Arts and Crafts Center, Mitchell Gardens and the Merrill Hassenfeld Amphitheater in the Sultan’s Pool, opposite the Tower of David at the foot of the Old City Walls.

The Festival is open every evening (except Fridays) from 6 pm-11 pm and Saturday from one hour after the end of the Shabbat until midnight.

The Israeli participants will exhibit paintings, prints, ceramics, metalwork and jewelry, weaving and textiles, Judaica, toys, crafts in various techniques, works in wood and more. The international exhibit includes authentic and varied arts and crafts from all over the world.

Among the event’s highlights: Shows for the entire families, music concerts, food fair, pyrotechnics and acrobatics performances, arts and crafts workshops and a tribute to Israeli artist David Gershtein.

Organizers expect some 150,000 people to visit the festival

Source: Ynet

Culture is varied by Flickr user Beny Shlevich

Israel has developed a vibrant and varied cultural scene of international proportions and quality. Everything from classical music to theater is popular across the country, with shows everywhere from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, to the smallest kibbutzim in the Galilee or Negev.

Of course, as anywhere else, the cities are the cultural centers. In this respect, there is most culture in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with these cities forming the base for most international quality Israeli performances, as well as visiting international performances.

Be sure to check out the Culture in Tel Aviv and Culture in Jerusalem articles for specific details of activities in these cities.

by Flickr user Or Hiltch

Classical Music

Classical Music is very popular in Israel, with the Israel Philarmonic Orchestra having the highest number of subscribers per capita in the world. Based in Tel Aviv, they do also perform in Jerusalem and Haifa. The Israeli Opera and the Israeli Chamber Orchestra are also based in Tel Aviv. The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra are based in Jerusalem.

Away from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, there is by no means any void of cultural opportunity. Town, cities, and even small communities up and down the country have classical concerts all the time.

Popular Music

Israel has recently become a destination on many international popular artists world tours. Their concerts tend to be in the Tel Aviv area, although some perform elsewhere including at the Caesarea Ampthitheater. Israeli popular music is sometimes in English, although is usually in Hebrew and concerts are given across the country.

Dance

Tel Aviv is Israel’s dance hub, with the Bat Sheva, Bat Dor, and Inbal dance troups all based here.

Theater

Like classical music, theater is available at different levels across the country. Whilst most of the top-level performances are in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, each town has a theater where performances are given. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that many performances are in Hebrew.

Cinema

Cinemas can be found up and down Israel showing international blockbusters as well as local films. English-language films are not dubbed, and just have Hebrew subtitles whilst most Hebrew films have English subtitles to help you along.

Israel has three large film festivals. The DocAviv Festival, in Tel Aviv in early April, is an international documentary festival, the Jerusalem Film Festival in July, and the Haifa International Film Festival.