Idan Raichel: International Fame, Local Appreciation
February 9, 2007
On January 31st, I learned that you don’t have to speak Hebrew to appreciate Israeli music. In the case of Idan Raichel, music from an Israeli artist isn’t necessarily Israeli in and of itself. Idan Raichel is actually best known for his collaborations with the Ethiopian community in Israel, and has achieved fame since his 2002 release of Project. While most of his songs are sung in Hebrew, a few are entirely in Amharic, with Ethiopian undertones. He has collaborated with artists of all ages and backgrounds, some as young as 16 and as old as 84. Idan Raichel’s performance at Brandeis last Wednesday served as an entertaining evening for an increasingly large fan base in the United States.
The concert was held in the Levin Ballroom at Brandeis University, which is a relatively short drive from Tufts, with free parking available. The cost of the concert was heavily subsidized for Brandeis students, who made up the majority of the audience. However, as a result of Brandeis’ public ticket sales, there were members of the audience from many Boston-area colleges, as well as graduates and community members.
Idan performs with a myriad of international artists, including singers from Persia, Ethiopia, and the Sudan. Each singer brought a unique quality to the performance, but what was so compelling about this heterogeneous group was that they always looked like they were having a good time. The singers interacted with each other on stage, dancing and encouraging audience participation. As for Idan himself, he was usually behind his keyboard as a conductor of the production. Sometimes he would leave the keyboard to dance or give direction to the performers, but as I later learned, he was originally well known for his talent on the keyboard and piano (before the success of Project).
In addition to vocals and keyboards, the “band” also included an extremely talented drummer, who played on a variety of drums, including one that was submerged in water. Apparently this sort of instrument is typical of an Idan Raichel concert, because fans that had seen him perform in Israel were familiar with the technique. In fact, it seemed like many concertgoers had already seen Idan Raichel in concert—perhaps it is because he travels and performs all over the world. Idan is truly an artist that has reached an international level of fame; his tour dates include performances all over the world, from St. Louis to Canada and from London to Tel-Aviv. Moreover, many of the audience members knew words to several of his songs, and some even exhibited Justin Timberlake-like mania when Idan came back on stage for his encore.
This is not to compare Idan Raichel to Justin Timberlake; indeed, Idan is quite the opposite of Justin. He writes all of his own music, and is far more concerned with the music involved in the performance, even though the show was obviously entertaining. He’s not much of a dancer, and the most risqué moment in his music video for “Mima’amakim” (one of his most famous songs from Project), is when a girl kisses him on the cheek. And when he played “Mima’amakim” at the concert, audience members put their arms around each other and swayed back and forth.
But the fact that Idan’s music is not sex-obsessed or studio-manipulated certainly does not dissuade fans from buying his records and attending his shows. And this is an artist who recorded his demos in his parents’ basement, and wanted to perform with his friends. He has inadvertently become what The Boston Globe refers to as an “international superstar,” yet he still seems completely humble and focused on his music. His successful performance at Brandeis is evidence of his celebrity, but something tells me that he won’t be profiled in VH1’s “Fabulous Life of…” anytime soon. Nevertheless, he is truly a talented musician and performer, and his fan base continues to grow. Having never listened to Idan before the concert, I am proof that one can become an Idan fan overnight.