The Idan Raichel Project Presented by the UT Cultural Attractions Committee

The Idan Raichel Project (Hebrew: הפרוייקט של עידן רייכל) burst onto Israel’s music scene in 2002, changing the face of Israeli population music and offering a message of love and tolerance that strongly resonated in a region of the world where headlines are too often dominated by conflict. With an enchanting blend of African, Latin American, Caribbean, Ethiopian, and Middle Eastern sound fused with Hebrew texts, the Idan Raichel Project has become one of the most unexpected success stories in Israeli music history.

While most of the Israeli labels considered his work to be too “ethnic” and too outside the norms of the formulaic Israeli pop scene, one A&R man, Gadi Gidor at Helicon Records, instantly heard the potential in Idan’s work and quickly signed him on to the roster. The subsequent album was an immediate hit. The haunting Ethiopian chorus of the first single, “Bo’ee” (Come With Me), sounded completely unlike anything most Israelis had heard before, yet, coupled with Idan’s richly poetic lyrics of love and devotion and sophisticated production techniques, the single was a huge success. The album went on to sell over 150,000 copies (triple platinum) and firmly established Idan as a new type of Israeli pop star.

In the fall of 2006, the record label Cumbancha released the music of the Idan Raichel Project worldwide, bringing even more renown to this inspirational collective. Billboard Magazine called their international release “One of the most fascinating titles to emerge in world music this year…a multi-ethnic tour de force.” The New York Times selected the album as one of the top world music releases of the year, and media from Peru to Portugal was unanimous in their praise. The album also received a nomination as one of the best world music albums of the year by the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music.