Yemen Blues at Luminato – June 14, 2011

YEMEN BLUES was founded by Ravid Kahalani, a rising star in Israel who grew up to a traditional Yemenite family, learned the language and the traditional chants of his origin, and extended his influences in the areas of blues and West African soul, from the Sahara desert thru classical Opera singing to Afro-American blues. Ravid joined forces with Omer Avital, a well known bass player and composer, and together they gathered YEMEN BLUES, a supergroup of top musicians from New York, Israel and Uruguay.

Their music is an incredible mix of oriental traditional music with jazz, fusion, roots, and funk.

Ravid Kahalani has powerful vocal and impressive stage plastics. His performance is bright show with exotic dances. He sends massages to his public and public wows it.

The music of YEMEN BLUES is too unusual and creative. It’s changes too fast and unpredictable, but very interesting. 

I hoped, I can’t react on such kind of music, but I was mistaken. I felt myself as dancing snake when I heard duet percussion with flute and duet violin with percussion made to meditate me.

Not only me. Public around me were excited too.

So, only impression from YEMEN BLUES is I can’t explain what it was, but it was too good.

Band members:
Avi Lebovich (Israel) – Trombone
Itamar Borochov (USA) – Trumpet
Rony Iwryn (Israel/ Uruguay)- Latin Pecussion
Itamar Doari (Israel)- Mid East Percussion
Hilla Epstain (Israel) – Cello
Galia Hai (Israel) – Viola
Hadar Noiberg (USA)- Flute
Omer Avital (USA) – Oud, Bass, Vocals
Ravid Kahalani – (Israel/Finland) – Vocals, Gimbri, Percussion

www.myspace.com/yemenblues