Voices of Yemen

The concert of the Israeli group voices of Yemen will take place on November 19 at the Acropolis Palace in Prague. It comes from the Yemeni desert and brings them in the arrangements of bassists Shanira Ezra Blumenkranz, known from cooperation with John Zorn and Yo-Yo. This form of interpretation is based on ancient procedures and creates hypnotic rhythmic structures. The group was founded by Ravid Kahani, known from the Yeno Blues project, together with an organization aimed at preserving Jewish Yemeni singing traditions. The debut album Judah was produced by Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz. The performance combines four voices accompanied by an oud lute, guitars, bass and percussion. The singing is guided in melodic cycles and gradually increases tension. The result is a Blues -like style, which, according to the members of the ensemble, is inherent in Yemeni music - due to the absence of instruments, the traditional performance was based solely on voice and drum. His grandfather was a wealthy man in Yemen, but after relocation he found himself in poor conditions and faced cultural alienation. According to Khalani, Yemen's music in Israel has become part of the identity, although many immigrants retained their original musical approach - without instruments, only with a drum or an improvised percussion accompaniment. This tradition was later synthesized with the Israeli music scene. Blues, soul or traditional singing consider it an expression of a deeper experience, regardless of geographical or cultural origin. Hebrew, Creole or other languages ​​serve as means to share these emotions.