Idan Raichel Project

I first came across Idan Raichel on a collaboration between him and Vieux Farka Toure where he was described as an Israeli superstar. This is the first album I have heard from him and I can now understand why – this is music with depth and a certain atmospheric darkness that is easily the match for many of the western superstars.

As you might expect, there are many eastern influences in the music as well as Eastern European but also many western touches and, without being deliberately populist, it is easy to see the album making waves in many different markets.
Except for the language: the album is predominantly sung in Ivrit and while Arabic is commonly heard and African artist singing French are relatively commonplace in World music it is rare to hear the very different phrasing of the words in this less familiar language. On the other hand, it works hand in glove with the music and the result is emotionally effective and beautiful to listen to.

Take the language away and you have an album that is simply beautiful, played brilliantly and featuring a set of musicians whose talents are exceptional.

The album takes its title from a poem by Yossi Banai:
“One day I came home.
I saw her sitting by the window and staring…
And I said: Mother has something happened? Is everything all right?
Then she said: yes
I say: Don’t you feel well?
She says: No, no, everything’s fine.
So why are you so.. like…?
So she says: Look, what can I say,
I feel like a quarter to six, six – it will soon by dark”
And the tone of the album is like that poem,: the knowing that the end is imminent, and the soft and warm atmosphere that that knowing represents. If places an air of almost melancholy but not sadness on the album and the playing. Not a sad album but there is little exuberance about it either.

The album features a collaboration with Vieux Farka Toure – ‘Mon Amour’ – that is beautiful, wistful and his guitar is a joy but the rest of the album is as well played and I found myself staggered by the musicianship on show as well as the wondrous songs.

I hope to get the chance to hear more from this young man – there is little question of his talent – but =unless this gets enough exposure it may not happen. For now, this is a delight.