Medieval Hebrew poetry rocks the Bay Area
Often called the “prince of Israeli rock,” singer/guitarist/composer Berry Sakharof made a rare Bay Area appearance last week with an inspired conceptual project, Adumei HaSfatot (“Red Lips”). As heard on his acclaimed 2009 companion CD, Sakharof’s original music for Adumei HaSfatot melds the sound of contemporary guitar rock with melodic and rhythmic influences from medieval Spain and Middle Eastern musics. Sakharof and Rea Mochiach, who co-created the album, recently presented the musical project before a crowd of 900 at Stanford Memorial Auditorium as part of the prestigious Stanford Lively Arts series. "The crowd was ecstatic with the very sophisticated yet entertaining music," says Donny Inbar, one of the concert organizers from the Israel Center.
Click on the image to see the photo album on Facebook.
Berry Sakharof and Rea Mochiah in conversation with Stanford graduate students.
The Bay Area visit kicked-off with several community events: Shabbat services with the band drew 150 people, and dinner afterwards at Stanford Hillel saw the band, crew, and students hanging out well into the night for more singing; Sakharof and Mochiah also took part in an intimate conversation with Stanford faculty and graduate students to explore the conceptual aspects of their current work. After a weekend like this we're sure Berry and friends will be back soon! Want to see which Israeli stars are coming to the Bay Area next? It's easy:
- Keep an eye on the Israeli events calendar at www.jewishfed.org/israelinthebay
- Sign up for the Israel Center's newsletter and get weekly updates
- Visit the Israel Center website, www.jewishfed.org/israel
