Gal De Paz | Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project (ISR)

Two distinctive Israeli musical worlds meet on this evening: the raw, soulful-bluesy energy of Gal De Paz and the spiritual Ethiopian jazz universe of Addis Ken. Their joint concert promises elemental vocals, deep grooves, free improvisation and intense, personal stage presence all at once.

Gal De Paz – solo piano evening

Gal De Paz is one of the most charismatic and powerful voices in Tel Aviv’s music scene. The singer-songwriter, pianist and performer has been filling stages with elemental energy for more than fifteen years. Whether fronting a band or standing alone before the audience, her concerts always offer a deeply personal, honest and liberating experience.

Her art cannot be confined to a single genre: over the course of her career she has appeared on stages ranging from underground clubs to international festivals. As the frontwoman of Lucille Crew, which fuses hip-hop and funk, and of the bluesy rock band The Paz Band, she has become known as an exceptionally energetic and passionate performer. She has shared the stage with world stars such as Aerosmith, Manu Chao and Mac Miller.

Her nationwide fame was further boosted when she finished second in the Israeli talent show HaKokhav HaBa. During the show she was able to present her extraordinary voice, versatility and captivating stage presence to a wide audience.

Her passionate, gritty singing voice and performance style, moving on the border of blues, soul and rock, may at times evoke the world of Amy Winehouse, while Gal De Paz nevertheless embodies an unmistakably her own, elemental musical character.

In an era of carefully constructed appearances, Gal De Paz is a refreshingly honest presence: raw, radiant and uncompromisingly true to herself. Her solo piano evening offers a rare opportunity for the audience to encounter her without any mediating layers. Just Gal, the piano and the audience – a concert that speaks simultaneously to the ears, the eyes and the heart.

Addis Ken – አዲስ ቀን (“New Day” in Amharic)

Addis Ken is a unique musical encounter: ancient Ethiopian melodies, spiritual songs, bluesy depth and freely flowing contemporary jazz merge into one intense concert experience. The quartet is led by the legendary singer and saxophonist Abate Berihun, who is often referred to as “the Ethiopian John Coltrane” for his elemental playing and improvisational power.

Active for more than four decades, Berihun has worked with such influential Ethiopian musicians as Mulatu Astatke and Mahmoud Ahmed. He has also crossed paths with Hungarian musicians on several occasions: in 2011 he performed in Hungary with The Qualitons, and later contributed to the recording of Nanu Nanu Neye by the local afrobeat formation Mabon Dawud Republic. Thus, his current performance is not his first connection to the Hungarian music scene.

In his own ensemble, Berihun does far more than simply pass on tradition: he fuses his personal cultural heritage with the adventurous spirit of modern jazz, virtuosic instrumental playing and deep, compelling grooves. An important source of the band’s sound is the body of songs, prayers and spiritual melodies handed down over generations in Ethiopian and Ethiopian Jewish communities. These motifs are reborn in contemporary compositions, while spontaneity and attentive, interactive improvisation always play a major role in the quartet’s performance.

In Berihun’s concerts, voice and saxophone are equal means of expression: at times his singing is prayer-like and contemplative, at other times raw and ecstatic, while his saxophone playing is both passionate and free. Driving rhythms unfold from meditative moments, and the weight of the blues naturally fuses with Ethiopian musical traditions and the energy of modern jazz.

The Addis Ken concert is at once a spiritual journey, a virtuoso jazz experience and a vivid musical dialogue – a rare opportunity to hear a long-standing tradition in a contemporary, personal and strikingly fresh form.