Idan Raichel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Idan Raichel עידן רייכל‎
Raichel in 2021
Background information
Born	(1977-09-12) 12 September 1977 (age 47)
Origin	Kfar Saba, Israel
Genres	Pop, folk, world music
Occupation(s)	Musician, producer, composer
Instruments	Vocals, piano, accordion
Labels	Helicon Records

Idan Raichel (Hebrew: עידן רייכל, b. 12 September 1977) is a famous Israeli singer, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his group, "The Idan Raichel Project." This project mixes different music styles. It combines electronic sounds, old Hebrew texts, and music from around the world. Before starting his project, Idan Raichel played keyboards for other artists.

About Idan Raichel

Idan Raichel was born in Kfar Saba, Israel. He started playing the accordion when he was nine years old. He loved gypsy music and tango. In high school, he studied jazz piano.

Early Musical Journey

At 18, Raichel joined the Israel Defense Forces army band. He performed popular Israeli and Western songs at military bases. As the band's music director, he learned to arrange music and produce live shows.

After his army service, Raichel worked at Hadassim. This was a boarding school for young immigrants. There, he met young Ethiopian Jews. They showed him Ethiopian bars and clubs in Tel Aviv. He learned about Ethiopian folk and pop music from them.

Music Career Highlights

Idan Raichel performing at the Central Park SummerStage, June 2007

The Idan Raichel Project in concert in Tel Aviv, January 2011

The Idan Raichel Project in concert in Warszaw, September 2011

Idan Raichel first worked as a backup musician. He recorded with some of Israel's most popular singers. Then, he decided to create his own music. He started making demo recordings in Kfar Saba. He invited other singers and musicians to join him. Together, they created new sounds and styles. He released two albums in Israel before signing a deal to release his music worldwide.

First Albums: The Idan Raichel Project and Mi'Ma'amakim

Idan Raichel was very interested in the many different cultures in Israel. This influenced his music. He worked with musicians from various backgrounds. These included Ethiopian Jews, Arabs, and traditional Yemenite singers. He also worked with a DJ from Suriname and a singer from South Africa.

The song "Bo'ee" ("Come with Me") mixed sounds from different cultures. This song helped his group become very popular. The first album, The Idan Raichel Project, showed these collaborations. It came out in Israel in 2002. His second album, Out of the Depths, followed in 2005.

His project helped new singers become known. One was Cabra Casay, an Ethiopian Jew born in a refugee camp. Another was Ravid Kahalani, who explored his Yemenite roots. The famous Yemenite-Israeli singer Shoshana Damari also performed with the group. She passed away in 2006 at 86. The Idan Raichel Project has released several albums. Their first album was released worldwide in 2006. It was even nominated for an award by BBC Radio 3.

Albums: Within My Walls and Open Door

The Idan Raichel Project released its second international album, Within My Walls, in 2008. Raichel recorded much of this album while traveling. He met musicians from all over the world. They shared musical ideas. He recorded songs with Colombian singer Marta Gómez and Cape Verdean Mayra Andrade. He also worked with Rwandan/Ugandan singer Somi. The group performed at many international festivals. They traveled and performed across Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa.

Raichel later worked with Grammy Award winner India.Arie. Their project was called Open Door. They started working together in 2008 when India.Arie visited Israel. They performed for President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. They also played "Gift of Acceptance" at the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize event. In 2011, they performed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedication. Raichel and India.Arie also produced her song "6th Avenue." Shimon Peres, who was Israel's president, asked Raichel to write music for a poem. The poem was about Israel's Ethiopian community.

Album: Quarter to Six

The project's next album, Reva LaShesh ("Quarter to Six"), came out in 2013. It featured many guest artists. These included Portuguese fado star Ana Moura and Palestinian-Israeli singer Mira Awad. German singer Andreas Scholl and Colombia's Marta Gómez also appeared. The album sold over 116,000 copies in Israel. This made it a triple-platinum album.

The Project performed for President Barack Obama during his visit to Israel in 2013. Pop star Alicia Keys invited Raichel to sing with her in Tel Aviv. Raichel also performed with Patrick Bruel. An Israeli magazine, Pnai Plus, named Idan Raichel "Man of the Year" in September. His song "Ba'Layla (At Night)" was voted "Song of the Year." Radio stations also named Raichel "Musician of the Year" in 2013 and 2014. The Idan Raichel Project was the "Most Broadcast Group" in Israel for those years.

In 2014, Alicia Keys invited Raichel and Palestinian singer Ali Amr to perform. They sang "We Are Here" at the Global Citizen Festival in New York. In July 2014, Raichel and his project performed for 20,000 people in Tel Aviv.

In 2015, Raichel performed with many artists. These included Italian singer Ornella Vanoni and Cuban singer Danay Suarez. He also toured a lot. He had shows in Japan, Germany, and Paris.

The Touré-Raichel Collective

Raichel met Vieux Farka Touré at an airport in 2008. Vieux is the son of Ali Farka Toure. Touré was invited to Israel to perform with Raichel in 2010. This led to the creation of The Touré-Raichel Collective. This group brought together musicians from Mali and Israel.

The collective recorded an album called The Tel Aviv Session. It became number one on the iTunes World Music charts. It also reached number 2 on the Billboard World Music Chart. In 2014, they released their second album, The Paris Session.

In November 2014, Raichel toured the US and Canada with the Touré-Raichel Collective. The New York Times called their collaboration "one of the most fruitful and intriguing."

First Solo Album: At the Edge of the Beginning

On January 22, 2016, Raichel's first solo album was released. It was called At the Edge of the Beginning. After this, Raichel performed solo piano concerts. He also toured with the Idan Raichel Project. He performed in Europe and the US. In February 2016, he played in Vienna.

Raichel at Galei Tzahal radio Station, 2016

Music in 2017–2018

In January 2017, Raichel released the song "Spinning Wheel." In May, he released "A Love Like This." For this song, he chose Zehava Ben as the singer.

In February 2017, Raichel received a special award. It was given at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The award recognized his work in bringing people together through music.

His "Raichel – Piano – Songs" tour was very successful. Raichel performed 150 shows in Europe, the US, South America, and Israel. He recorded all the shows at Shuni. He chose the best recordings for a new live album. This album, Raichel – Piano – Songs, came out in September 2017. It included new versions of his hits. The album was certified Gold in June 2018.

In November 2017, Danay Suárez's album was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. It included a song with Danay Suárez and Raichel. In February 2018, Raichel released "And If You’ll Come to Me." In May 2018, he released "Beresheet." This song was inspired by his travels in India and Africa. The music video for "Beresheet" features sand artist Ilana Yahav.

In June 2018, Raichel organized a festival in Rishon LeZion. It combined music, food, and art. The Idan Raichel Project performed there. The festival also featured other musicians.

Recent Work: And If You Will Come to Me

Raichel released his second solo album, And If You Will Come to Me, on January 31, 2019. This album showed a new step in his musical journey. He had taken a break from his large 14-piece band. He started performing more intimate solo concerts.

The album features musicians from Japan, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Cuba, and India. It also has duets with Nigerien guitar player Bombino. Cuban Grammy nominee Danay Suarez and Israeli stars Berry Sakharof and Zehava Ben are also on the album. The album's title track, "Ve'Eem Tavo'ee Elay," became one of Raichel's biggest hits. It has over 20 million views on YouTube. Raichel supported the album with arena shows in Tel Aviv. He then went on an international tour in March 2019.

On May 18, 2019, The Idan Raichel Project performed at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final. In 2020, he helped write the song "Feker Libi." This song was to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. However, the event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Musical Style

Idan Raichel's music has influences from the Middle East. It also uses sounds from Latin American and African music. Most of his songs are in Hebrew. Some songs are entirely in Arabic. Others include parts in Amharic, sung by both men and women. He often sets traditional-sounding tunes to modern music.

Many of his Hebrew songs are about love. For example, "Hinech Yafah" means "Thou Art Fair." Another song, "B'rachot L'shanah Chadashah" ("Blessings for a New Year"), uses words from Jewish prayers.

Awards and Recognition

On January 16, 2014, ACUM announced that Idan Raichel won the ACUM Prize. He was named Composer of the Year 2013 for his album Quarter to Six.

On November 1, 2014, Raichel received the MTV role model award. Alicia Keys presented it to him. On May 8, 2016, he received the "Unsung Hero Award" from the Drum Major Institute. Martin Luther King III gave him this award. It was the first time a non-US citizen received it.

On June 6, 2016, Raichel received an honorary fellowship at the Israel Museum. The museum recognized his dedication to connecting cultures through music. On July 7, 2016, B'nai B'rith International gave Raichel a special award. They said his music made him a cultural ambassador. His collaborations show a world where music breaks down barriers between people.

In 2020, Raichel was chosen to light the Independence Day torch in Israel. On May 30, 2021, Bar-Ilan University gave Raichel an honorary doctorate. This was for his important contributions to music. The university president praised his ability to blend different cultures in his work.

Idan Raichel's Views

Idan Raichel believes that real peace comes when people understand each other's cultures.

In a 2015 interview, Raichel talked about difficult situations. He said that if someone's child was in danger, they would do anything to get information to save them. He believes it's important to understand the full situation before judging.

In 2013, Raichel said that Israeli artists should help with public relations for Israel. He also expressed his views on those who refuse to serve in the Israeli army.

In December 2015, Raichel took part in a UN project called "United Pianos." Eleven pianists from around the world played music together. The goal was to promote tolerance and unity through music.

Discography

Studio Albums

Compilation Albums

Live Albums

See also

• Music in Israel