It’s Oscars weekend, and, for once, the often-predictable ceremony has the potential to be genuinely interesting.
Playing together, Israeli Idan Raichel and Mali’s Vieux Farka Toure show how harmoniously Jewish and Islamic culture can meld when given the chance.
Crossposted from Haaretz
World music is a disingenuous marker for a genre. Besides presuming that popular forms of western (that is, American) music like pop, rock, rap, soul and country-western are something other than of the world, the term “world music” tends to flatten the rich idiosyncrasies and particularities of music coming from all corners of the globe. It makes filing CDs at your local HMV or Virgin Superstore easier. But that’s about it.
Dinner before a pro-Israel event, $31. Subway uptown to mingle with Jews, $2.25. Watching Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren and a reverend dance the horah in a cathedral to the sounds of The Idan Raichel Project…priceless.
Last night India.Arie was a surprise special guest at Idan Raichel’s November 10 show at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.