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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From the Depths He Called Hope...Hope for Love, Hope for Peace, Hope for Humanity, December 2, 2006
Welcome to a new era in music. REAL music.
In a time when Israel is defined by the world as a center of political turmoil, a talented, dreadlocked Sabra from Kfar Saba, Israel, uses his genius and passion for music to bring peace and understanding between many cultures. Surrounded by the Melting Pot of cultures that truly define Israel, Raichel has merged these different cultures into a Melting Pot of various musical styles. Thus, _Ha Proyket shel Idan Raichel_ (The Project of Idan Raichel) is born. Fusing together Yemenite, Moroccan, Ethiopian, Indian, and Arabic folk music with reggae and ambient, Raichel has created a new genre filled with so much energy, spirituality, and passion. Labeled "Israeli-Ethiopian Fusion," this new and increasingly popular genre has led Raichel's first two albums to reach multi-platinum.
Released in 2002, the Project's self-titled debut album immediately reached number one bestseller in Israel and still remains number one to this date on Israel-music[dot]com, while his second 2005 release, Mima'makim (From the Depths), remains the second bestseller on the same website. Raichel has had several number ones in Israel including "Mima'makim" and "Milim Yafot Me'ele." The Project has appeared at WOMAD in Singapore and England, at the Kodak Theater, and at the Cervantino festival in Mexico. Obviously, the Project has something special going, and if music is the uniting force among nations, Idan Raichel is on his way to becoming an ambassador of peace and understanding. You must not pass him up as just another world artist! His music is special and deserves recognition, no matter what language you speak. As the philosophy of his albums imply, music is the universal language.
The album sold here is the international release of his music, produced by the new Cumbancha record company, and is a compilation of a few songs from each album. While the international album is a great introduction to Raichel's music, it is only an introduction. It does not contain all of Raichel's greatest songs from his two previous albums. For instance, it is missing his other number one hits from Out of the Depths (2005)--"Milim Yafot Me'ele" and "Mikhol Ha'ahavot." Both songs are extraordinarily beautiful. "Milim Yafot Me'ele" (Words More Beautiful than These), starts out in Hindi (sung by Liora Yitzhak) and the rest is sung in Hebrew by Ethiopian-born Kebera Kasai, while Yitzhak returns periodically throughout the song with her striking voice. The music videos for both songs can be viewed on IdanRaichelProject[dot]com. The international album is also missing some great pieces from the Project's debut album, such as "Greetings for the New Year" and "HaShir Shel Mimi," along with several other songs.
Hence, I do not believe that the international album does his wonderful talent complete justice. The Project has 25 total songs on both albums, but the album here has only 12. There is too much missing from this CD. If you are looking for a COMPLETE introduction to The Idan Raichel Project, I would suggest purchasing his complete albums at israel-music[dot]com, a great Israeli music company in Ra'anana, Israel. I purchased _Out of the Depths_ eight months ago, and I have absolutely no regrets. If you love world music, Israeli music, Jewish music, or even reggae, I highly recommend Out of the Depths along with the Project's first album.
If you are looking for a SIMPLE introduction to the Project, I would recommend buying the album sold here. It contains some of the Project's great songs from his two albums, such as their number-one hits like Im Telech (song of the year in Israel), Mima'makim (also song of the year), and Shuvi El Beyti. Ruling the music charts in Israel for several weeks, Mima'makim is sung in Hebrew by Raichel himself in a soft, caressing voice (see the video above) and is influenced by African reggae, with some Amharic sung throughout. It almost plays like a lullaby and remains strong throughout the whole song. Never a dull moment. Shuvi El Beyti is another great song and has beautifully poetic Hebrew lyrics:
"In your eyes my beautiful
the light and the purity is kept guarded
there's a happy day or sadness that comes back
suddenly there's a light of a shining star
and there is that very same dream
how beautiful you are always and how much today.
Return to my house come back to look in my eyes
the evening descends again and it's already getting late." (Source: Hebrewsongs[dot]com)
The songs in Amharic and other African languages include Ayal-Ayale, Brong Faya (Burn Fire), and Siyaishaya Ingoma (Sing out for Love), and all have a great Afro-beat and tribal feel to them. Ayal-Ayale can also be viewed on IdanRaichelProject[dot]com. The only Arabic song on this CD is Azini. Boasting an incredible female voice from Mira Anwar Awad, an Arab Israeli from Haifa, Azini is a kind of folkloric-sounding song fused with ambient mixes, creating a magical piece that mesmerizes the senses.
Once again, Idan Raichel is worth listening to. He incorporates many different languages and cultures into his music, creating a melting pot of musical bliss. Become entranced. Feel empowered. Know that in this age when music is largely manufactured and lacks any touch of the human spirit, there is an artist out there who truly cares about music and its impact on humanity. Give Raichel's music a listen, and continue to spread his beautiful message that music unites us all.
Note: You can read Idan Raichel's biography on the Project's official website, idanraichelproject[dot]com. There is a great history behind the music of Idan Raichel. As another reviewer has stated, some websites have claimed that Raichel was born to Ethiopian parents. However, the official biography states that he is of Eastern European background. After military service, which is compulsory in Israel, Raichel became a counselor to immigrants and troubled youth at a boarding school, most of whom were young Ethiopians. This is when he became familiar with Ethiopian music, and from there he immersed himself in Ethiopian music and culture. Also immersing himself in the music of many other cultures in Israel, Raichel invited a large number of musicians to participate in the Project. From there, they made history.
I hope the Project would tour the United States more often, visiting more cities (Birmingham or Atlanta perhaps???!!!). Also, I would like to see the Project appear on the Opera Winfrey Show; I wrote the show a while back about the Project, asking if Opera would give the Project some air time, for they do deserve it. I ask all of you to *please* write Opera to ask her to devote an episode to the Idan Raichel Project. This will give the Project more exposure to mainstream America, thus increasing the number of albums they can sell and the number of US cities they can tour! Also, this will give Raichel and his Project a chance to show the world that there is more to Israel than political conflict.
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~ Various Artists
~ Various Artists
~ Pharoah's Daughter
~ Yael Naim
~ Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective
by Idan Raichel 
