In 2010, singer & composer Ravid Kahalani founded the rare combination of top musicians we now call Yemen Blues. From the start, Yemen Blues created an original sound that became a new language in contemporary music. The intense musicians hail from NYC, Uruguay & Tel Aviv. This includes the core members of creation: Rony Iwryn, Itamar Doari & Shanir Blumenkranz. Each member comes from a different background and brings their own sound and arrangements to Ravid's compositions. The result of this amazing group is a powerful energy that mixes Yemenite, West African & Jazz influences and what Ravid likes to call "New Age Culture Music". The mambo and North African rhythms create a joyful and deep foundation, while the vocals remind the listener of ancient Arabic chants mixed with funk & blues. For their first album, the group collaborated with the well-known maestro Omer Avital who served as a musical director & producer. Since then, Yemen Blues keeps magic alive with a constant stream of new songs and their world-renowned exciting live performances!!
Dubi Lenz, the well-known Israeli journalist, was the first to listen to Yemen Blues’ music. He immediately felt the power of the project while the band was still in its exploration phase. He helped to get Yemen Blues’ first who at the influential festival and expo - Babel Med - in Marseille, France. It was then that something truly incredible happened. The band received a hugely positive respond from people all over the world and the name “Yemen Blues” began to spread like wild fire. The band was hailed as the biggest success story of the festival by the well-known newspaper Liberation. Since then, Yemen Blues has been called “the most exiting and unique live show you can see” by several news outlets including National Geographic, Time Out Chicago, NPR and many more. We were amazed and thankful when we started to tour and have performed over 150 shows from 2011-13! These performances have taken place all over the world on some of the biggest and well known stages including: Womex World Expo, Roskilde Festival Denmark, New York Central Park’s Summer Stage, Grand Performances Los Angeles, Millennium Park Chicago, Luminato Toronto Canada and many, many more. Top musicians from around the world are taking notice as well including Kronos Quartet, Oxmo Puccino, Matisyahu and more.. Yemen Blues first album was also named The Best “world music” album of 2011 at "Le Devoir" Canada, and the Best album of 2011 by Sweden’s SvD newspaper.
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February 2011 marked Yemen Blues’ first tour – and what a blessing it was. The band transitioned into its new role as the hippest thing in “World Music” scene. The newfound success has seen subsequent tours all over the world - most extensively throughout Canada, USA & Europe. In 2012 Yemen Blues continued their touring, beginning the year by headlining NYC’s "GlobalFEST" – an industry expo and festival featuring the planet’s top ‘world music’ acts. The band followed that up with a tour of China including large-scale shows in Shanghai and Beijing. Later that year, Yemen Blues headlined shows including: the big stage at The Lincoln Center Out Doors NYC, Royce Hall UCLA and many many more of the top stages and greatest festivals all around Europe, North America & Asia. Since then YB has performed over of 400 successful live shows.
2015 Yemen Blues recorded their second album INSANIYA (HUMANITY) produced by the legendary producer Bill Laswell. The visionary collaboration between Laswell and Yemen Blues focusing on hard groove, rich vocals, clarity and heavy sound, featuring one of the greatest voices of the Sahara Mariem Hassan, as well as the Yemenite star Tziyon Golan and One of the greatest rappers in France history Oxmo Puccino.  Yemenite tradition of Muslims, Christians of Jews, with contemporary overlays of rock & roll, jazz & blues. After touring the world with over of 300 live show at the last 4 years Yemen Blues presents The new show “INSANIYA” (Humanity) based on Laswell’s sound from the upcoming album. The full live show includes a collaboration with the talented Ori Ben-Shabat from the group of artists “Maria Kong” who created an original video art on 5 screens inspired by the newsound of Yemen Blues. Yemen Blues is also touring these days with few types of live shows from Intimate closure shows to the full impressive “Insaniya” show.
Ravid Kahalani - Founder / Composer / Writer / Leader & singer.
Ravid has become an important star in the Israeli music scene and an exceptional performer and a breaking through musician in contemporary music around the globe over the past several years. Via a series of detours, Ravid was drawn to music first and foremost through his love for African-American soul and blues, roots music and traditional religious songs. Ravid’s diverse singing talent instilled an enthusiasm for the music of the Sahara and North Africa. in 2010 Ravid created the music act “Yemen Blues” based on his composition, together with Omer Avital Co- founder and the musical director for Ravid’s compositions, Yemen Blues became an important act around the world and got many great reviews from most important magazine’s as well as an out standing performer. After over of 500 shows since with Yemen Blues Ravid is now working on his solo project and continuing performing and creating more music with Yemen Blues.
Itamar Doari - Percussionist /Arranger / producer.
Itamar Doari is a percussionist specializing in traditional Middle Eastern percussion such as frame drums & dahol / Tabla and many other instruments. Doari started to play at the age of 6 and by the age of 15 he was already performing in large-scale productions all over the world. Doari is also known as having one of the best and most unique percussion set-ups in the world today! He has performed and recorded with top musicians such as Idan Raichel, Avishai Cohen, Bery Saharof and many more…
Rony Iwryn - Percussionist /Arranger / Producer.
Latin Percussion Artist, born in Uruguay. Iwryn music source comes from his roots and that is why Iwryn connection to “World Music” is so strong, Iwryn was playing and recording with many known artists around the world such as Ofra Haza, Idan Raichel, David Broza, Gidi Gov, Yoni Rechter, Lara Fabian, Shir’el just to name a few.
Shanir Blumenkranz - Bass & Oud /Arranger / Producer.
Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz — Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass, Oud, Gimbri — Was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1975 to Egyptian and Polish parents. He was given his first instruments, the pots and pans from the kitchen and a three-string guitar at the age of two. Shanir is featured on over 30 releases on John Zorn's Tzadik record label since 1999 - producing and arranging many of the bands he works with, including Rashanim "The Gathering", Edom "Hope And Destruction", and Pitom "Blasphemy And Other Serious Crimes". Shanir has performed in concert halls and festival stages all over the world, recently joining Yo-Yo Ma for a US tour playing oud and bass with the Silk Road Project. Other activities include performances with Marty Ehrlich (Israel), Miho Hatori (Brazil, USA), Bill Frisell (USA), Cyro Baptista's Banquet Of The Spirits (Japan, USA, Mexico, EU), Uri Caine (USA), Eric Friedlander (USA), Charles Gayle (USA), Kasu Uchihashi (Japan), Michiyo Yagi (Japan), Makigami Koichi, (Japan, USA), Yoshida Tatsuya's Ruins (USA), Trey Spruance (EU), Dave Douglas (USA), Steve Coleman (USA), Sylvie Courvoisier (USA), Joey Baron (USA), Mark Feldman (USA), John Zorn's Masada, Masada Sextet, Electric Masada, Cobra, Masada String Trio (USA, EU), and a special concert with John Zorn for BBC radio (UK).
Quotes & Articles:
La success story du Babel Med Music 2010 s’appelle Yemen Blues (Liberation)
"Led by the ridiculously charismatic singer Ravid Kahalani, the ensemble combines traditional Yemenite melodies and instruments including all sorts of percussion, even empty jerry cans with jazz, blues and funk to come up with a sound that's like nothing we've ever heard before." (National Geographic)
GlobalFest NYC “The first notable act was Yemen Blues, who drew the biggest crowd of the evening” (NY Daily)
http://newyorkmusicdaily.wordpress.com/tag/yemen-blues-review/ “With Kahalani’s soulful vocals alternating between the grit of Mississippi Delta to the falsetto of Prince-style funk, Yemen blues was one of the breakout favourites from this year’s GlobalFEST lineup” (NPR Music)
“10 International acts to watch for in 2012” (Paste) http://www.pastemagazine.com/tag/yemen_blues\
“Some acts are so unique, so hard to describe, they even go so far as to invent their own language” “Quite simply, it’s one of the most exciting bands in world music right now” (Time Out Chicago) http://www.timeoutchicago.com/music-nightlife/music/241969/yemen-blues-at-old-town-school-of-folk-music-concert-preview
Please enjoy some videos from our moments from the beginning until today:
Satisfaction - Yemen Blues Ft Oxmo Puccino:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHC-OOMCf5A
Yemen Blues Live promo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4fkqO5ieuk
Studio recording:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEG2SQ_BlAU
Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSVLYP2I194
First show in NYC:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIAV4iuCDOU
Live in Tel Aviv:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DGajk8JMpQ
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