Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ates of the army entertainment ensembles, which meant that their version of rock was part of
mainstream Israeli culture. The early days of Israeli rock, the 1970s, featured collaborations by
a prominent group of talented musicians, many of whom are stars to this day.
Arik Einstein has been the most prominent popular music performer in Israel since 1965.
With over twenty-fi ve albums, Einstein has largely defi ned Israeli music. Outstanding ex-
amples of his work include “Poozy” (1969) and “Shablul” (1970). Einstein fronted what was
considered the fi rst typical rock band with an international style. His other style, which domi-
nated his records in the late 1970s, was more home grown: his music consisted of versions of
Israeli folk songs with lyrics adapted from well-known poems. In a series of seven albums
entitled
Good Old Land of Israel
, Einstein adapted these traditional works into a pop/rock
style.
Shalom Hanoch was Arik Einstein's right-hand man for many years and played and sang
as part of Einstein's group. Hanoch's gentle, serious, and poetic lyrics set his music apart
from that of other rock musicians. In the mid-1970s, after working on “Shablul,” Hanoch
left Einstein's group to become the lead singer of the band Tamuz, whose only record is con-
sidered a masterpiece. After leaving Tamuz, Hanoch continued as a solo musician. His solo
breakthrough came during the 1980s with one of his most popular songs ever, “Mehakim Le-
Mashiah” (Waiting for the Messiah). His music ranges from soft acoustic ballads and Beatles-
like pop/rock to hard rock and even “stadium rock.”
Arik Einstein (left) performs with Shalom Hanoch, November 4, 1979. (The Government Press Offi ce / Sa'ar
Ya'acov.)
