3/5/09 Jerusalem: The Idan Raichel Project

The Jewish Agency runs a scholarship organization called MASA which helps fund long-term programs in Israel, like the one I was on. Most, if not all, of the peole on Career Israel (around 100) received $1000-$3000 or more towards the program. There are dozens of long term Israel programs supported by MASA, with thousands of participants. MASA had the bright idea of trying its hand at hosting a concert with the most well-known Israeli band, The Idan Raichel Project.

The parking lot was full of tour buses, and foreign Jews were running all over Jerusalem (more than usual). At the time I described it as “a paradigm of a clusterfuck.” A few MASA executives spoke before IRP was brought on, and they were booed! I don’t care if you gave me $3000 to come to Israel, you’re keeping me from seeing a band!

The Idan Raichel Project is a musical group fronted by Idan Riachel. He gets credit for the work, but he is actually not that talented. He has three main singers- a white girl, an Ethiopian girl, and an Ethiopian boy. His songs are collaborations between many artists, and they often involve many types of instruments. Jews at American summer camps sing his songs in their bunks when they wake up.

This was one of the least impressive performances I have ever seen. Everything about the situation was wrong: the audience, the room, the performers themselves. Raichel mostly jammed out at his keyboard on the side of the stage while the singers held the spotlight. The Ethiopian singers do cool Ethiopian dances and sing in Amharic and Hebrew. There was no stage-audience interaction. It was difficult to hear over the constant screaming of the crowd. My favorite part of the show was watching young adults from all around the world mangle the unfamiliar Hebrew words in the songs. My Ulpan class had learned some songs, ironically on a day when Idan—we’re on a first name basis at this point—was spotted having lunch in our gay community center on King George Street, where he lives. As the night went on, people became bolder and moved to the front of the auditorium. I used to love passionate Jew dancing where everyone jumps around together, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. A lot of the MASA participants are 18 year olds on year courses, and I felt a little sick watching the shameless flirting between busty girls in sweat pants and pre-facial hair boys who have no chance of scoring.

For all the hype surrounded the Idan Raichel Project—at least among American Jews—I was wildly unimpressed. I had seen them in Santa Cruz, and they didn’t even stay around to talk to the 50 people who came to see them. I am completely panning this performance, but I will give props to the three other singers in the Project who held the music and the performance together. Would I see the Idan Raichel Project again? Yes. Will I make sure to be drunk? Yes.