"Idan Raichel's" Project, went to Sudan and Ethiopia

Idan Raichel whom I have written about here (May 07), I was told has been in Ethiopia and Sudan to help children in need. There is a Y-Net article about this at length, which can be read here.

It softens the image of Idan Raichel in accordance to the strong critique I wrote in April. It seems Idan is more of a sort of Israeli Bob Geldorf, but more so because working with Black Israeli / Ethiopian Israeli artists was integral to his beginnings (as opposed to Bob Geldorf who only "discovered" Ethiopia due to the famine). At the same time questions must still be asked as to why Idan Raichel's project is not becoming a more egalitarian "The Project." I do still think that Idan likes to see himself in the foreground of the people he works with (in the latest video below he is in the background though).

On the other side a woman I engaged with ( called Beth) on facebook, explained to me that unlike at the concert appearances of Tel Aviv 2006 and London 2007, at gigs in Chicago and the Israeli town of Beersheba the audiences were not the same (that is almost all white). In both towns lots of people of African or African American recent background attended. Also the Y-Net Article reveals that Idan Raichel's Project played with Mahmud Ahmad, the most famous Ethiopian singer, in London (according to the article in 2006).

Questions of ownership and sharing things egalitarian and cooperatively, rather than putting the apostrophe possessive genitive of Idan's name in front of the word project, remain however.

And as many observers know, "ownership" and being able to speak without a "white" leader, even an apparent much kinder sort of leader, as Idan represents, are important to Black / African musicians. I am waiting for more front line interviews from the other members of the project and perhaps the said about name change. Also action closer to home, that is getting involved in the issue of the appalling treatment of Sudanese refugees in Israel. I have no doubt where the project's personal views lie in that regard.

In the meantime Idan Raichel's project, has another top ten single out in Israel, called Ha Beyta (Home), which shows footage from the recent trip in Ethiopia. It features strongly Cabra Casey, Israeli of Ethiopian Jewish background. Ha Beita appears to have strong political conotations for change. The song questions the meaning of return, roots, and belonging, presented by Cabra. The video underlines this with two returns to former homes. Her return to Ethiopia, as much as her return to Israel. It also converses with an other, presumably an Ethiopian non Jew or white Israeli, that ""this" was also her home..."

To be honest I personally think they or Idan will get it sorted to become a 100 percent P.C . musician. But that's just a feeling I have about him. First as said they need to amend their name to The Project, and then they need to change the official website, which has proportionally everything about Idan Raichel and only little about the other members of the project.






P.S. Gossip: At 00:49, 1.46 and 1.57 minutes in the above video Idan Raichel is seen holding the hand around and of a young woman. I think I have seen her on some pictures I think on the projects website but not on stage or in videos. Is it conceivable that she is Idan Raichel's partner. wife, girl-friend - not just a project!?

Related
Daniels Counter on Idan Raichel May 2007
Y-Net Article on Idan Raichel's Project August 2007
Idan Raichel's Project Official Website


Idan Raichel
Black Music
Israel