Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
by the legendary Chick Corea, for example. That Israel produces strong, original jazz, a mu-
sical genre seemingly so far from its own roots, demonstrates the musical versatility of its
culture.
Trends in Israeli Music
Today's Israeli music scene is infl uenced by two key trends: greater variety and popular inter-
est and a growing exposure to international music. These trends mean that every global style,
from hip-hop to techno-pop to rap, has found distinctive Israeli expression.
The Israeli version of hip-hop music, for example, began in the 1990s with the band Shabak
Sameh and became popular nationwide by 2003. Politics also makes its way into hip-hop mu-
sic. Two of the most popular bands are the left-leaning HaDag Nahash (literally, “Snakefi sh”
but also a pun on the Nahag Hadash, or “New Driver,” auto decal used by those who have
just received their driver's licenses) and Subliminal, which is rightist-oriented. HaDag Nahash
members call themselves “the hip-hop Zionists,” while Subliminal has a Star of David on its
album and wrote a song called “HaTikva” (Hope, which is also the name of Israel's national
anthem). A breakthrough for HaDag Nahash was the use of its music in the American fi lm
Don't Mess with the Zohan
.
Perhaps Israel's wittiest band is Teapacks, led by Kobi Oz. Teapacks performed “Push the
Button,” a song about Iran's acquiring nuclear weapons, at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest;
it was the object of an ultimately unsuccessful attempt at censorship.
Another ensemble that shows the ability to borrow from different cultures and integrate
them into the local Israeli culture is the Idan Raichel Project. The group, which started with
Ethiopian music, borrows musical elements from all over the world and combines them with
Middle Eastern, soul, and religious music to create some very original masterpieces.
Many of the newcomers to the Israeli music pop scene were discovered on the
Kochav No-
lad
(A Star Is Born) television program, Israel's version of
American Idol
, the U.S. hit television
show. In a small country where a fad can appeal to a large proportion of the population very
quickly,
A Star Is Born
has produced many success stories. Ninet Tayeb is one of Israel's big-
gest stars. Shiri Maimon and Shai Gabso, the other two fi nalists in the fi rst year's show, have
also done very well.
With the appearance of so many new and talented singers, the Israeli music industry, fo-
cused more narrowly in the 1990s and early twenty-fi rst century, has now moved toward more
popular music and undergone a renaissance. The popularity of public communal singing has
also returned and can be seen in television shows and nightclubs. In Israel, the success of com-
mercialized pop music has encouraged the popularity of all types of music in general, notably
traditional Israeli songs.
A crucial element in the international success of Israeli music has been the ability of singers
to perform in English, something they would not have dared to try in earlier years. The fi rst
big international breakthrough in the 1990s was that of the singer Ofra Haza, who won acclaim
because of her extraordinary voice and innovative use of her Yemenite roots. The fi rst decade
of the new century brought even wider international recognition for all genres of Israeli music.
Surprisingly, however, the most successful was a previously marginal style, electronic trance
