Yemen Blues was founded in 2010 by the singer, multi-instrumentalist and extraordinary showman Ravid Kahalani, born in Israel in 1978 of Yemeni parents and based in Tel Aviv & Helsinki.
Their music is inspired by the culture of Yemen which is at the crossroads of the Arab world, East Africa and Jewish traditions. A culture that reconciles the learned and the popular and mystical experience. Connect these age-old and essential trances with the most contemporary energies of Blues, Funk and Rock; let it be played by extraordinary musicians. High energy and profundity; freshness and mastery are all combined in the world of Yemen Blues.
Ravid Kahalani has always known how to surround himself with the right people and Yemen Blues is rich in collaborations. First with the composer and famous all-rounder Omer Avital, musical director of the first eponymous album released in 2011. Then began a rich collaboration with bassist and oud player Shanir Blumenkranz, a key figure in the Tzadik galaxy, he has worked with John Zorn but also with Yo-Yo Ma on the Silk Road project. Together, they released the album Insaniya in 2015, produced by the legendary Bill Laswell, Insaniya includes a duo with the Franco-Malian rapper Oxmo Puccino.
Shabazi – A Tribute to the Poet is a special project imagined by the group, setting the most beautiful texts of the greatest Yemeni poet of the 17th century Shalem Shabazi to 21st century music. The mix was done by Tamir Muskat (co-founder of Balkan Beat Box and producer of Asaf Avidan, Gogol Bordello, A-WA, Ester Rada…). A reconciliation of the leader’s secular culture and his ability to project it in the trendy clubs of New York, Paris, Tangier & Tel Aviv.
The release of Shabazi, prefigures the release of the group’s next album in the autumn of 2024, with an original repertoire, refocused on the core group.
Ravid Kahalani (vocals & guembri), Shanir Blumenkranz (bass & oud),
Rony Iwryn (percussions), Dan Mayo (drums).
« …the voice of Israeli singer and composer Ravid Kahalani, of Yemeni origin, is intense and inhabited. »
LE MONDE (FR)
« A marvel of sound »
RADIO NOVA (FR)
« With the funk syncopations of his guembri lute, the singer with a cosmopolitan vibe makes traditional melodies and poems by Yemeni Jews groove with Afro-American music… »
TELERAMA SORTIR (FR)
« This is music that is often very physical, streaked with frenzied percussion, made for dancing. »
LE MONDE.fr (FR)
« Attending their concerts is a telluric experience, a veritable explosion of energy that leaves no one indifferent. »
RADIO REMPART (FR)
« Captivating music, capable of enlightening and enlivening all who hear it ! »
PARIS MOVE (FR)
« Formidable oriental melting pot, Yemen Blues raises culture above the walls. »
QUE FAIRE A PARIS (FR)
« Lots of percussion, lots of bass, but also lots of horns, organ and that glorious oud…” »
ROOTSTIME (BE)
« …driving, energetic and moves wonderfully on the edge of Arabic and Western music, respecting both musical worlds.” »
MUSIC FRAMES (NL)
« Energy and passion, a dash of melancholy and you have a little masterpiece. A magnificent album.»
MOORS MAGAZINE (NL)
Contacts:
PROMO : SIMON VEYSSIERE
simon@accent-presse.com
+336 70 21 32 83
BOOKING : DuNose
jean-guillaume@dunose.com
+331 34 14 25 16
MDC : MAGGIE DOHERTY
maggie.doherty@music-mdc.com
+331 42 01 95 36
