Celebrating Eight Years of Israeli World Music and Jazz!
Here in Philadelphia, we are about to celebrate the 8th
season of our annual Israeli World Music & JazzPhest running from November
7-23, 2015. This year’s festival is now a region-wide Tri-State event featuring
new partners, new venues and a diverse, unique lineup of artists. The Consulate
produces this festival as part of a larger vision to introduce local
communities to Israeli music and culture, as well as an opportunity for further
collaboration and discourse between Israeli and US artists.
The festival opens Nov. 7th in partnership with
the Exit Zero International Jazz Festival in Cape May, NJ featuring the Shai
Maestro Trio (11/7) and Oran Etkin (11/8), both reflecting their
boundary-pushing musical approaches. Etkin’s new project Reimagining Benny Goodman, a Distinctly Modern Homage to the King of
Swing, will be particularly appealing to those with fond memories of
Swing’s heyday, refracted through new Israeli and African-derived musical traditions.
November 8th will also mark the Philadelphia
premiere of Balladino, an Israeli ensemble offering fresh and authentic reinterpretations
of Sephardic and Ladino melodies. Ladino, also known as Judeo-Spanish, is the
spoken and written language of Jews of Spanish origin and Balladino’s music
incorporates this dialect along with other Middle Eastern influences that are
part of the Sephardic heritage.
More incredible music is forthcoming later in the week as
well as the following one. You can learn more by clicking here which will take you
to the World Music & JazzPhest’s dedicated website where you can also
purchase tickets. Hope to see you at the shows!
Shabbat Shalom,
Yaron Sideman
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region
Consul General Of Israel,
Mid-Atlantic Region