One of the most successful performance ensembles in Israeli popular music history, The Idan Raichel Project, announces they will tour Australia for the first time in March 2008.

Beauty in diversity, The Idan Raichel Project performs an astonishingly bold and wide-ranging palette of musical influences. Layer upon layer of sounds form an infectious style, which connects people with cultures.

The power of The Idan Raichel Project’s music lies in the combination of ancient and modern. Traditional instruments, alongside guitars and electronica, live vocals and sampled sounds. Ethiopian songs, Arabic poetry, Yemenite chants, ancient Jewish psalms with rhythmic influences from the Caribbean and Africa are weaved into a new and inspiring expression of a multi ethnic tour de` force.

Different traditions, different countries, different generations all come together offering a message of love and tolerance that resonates strongly in a world where headlines are dominated by conflict. Idan Raichel, the architect of this unique musical Project, is a handsome 30 year old musician, composer, producer born in Israel of Eastern European heritage.

From a young age, Raichel was attracted to the exotic sounds of Gypsy and Ethiopian music, which became the basis to the distinctive cross-cultural experience that is The Idan Raichel Project. The Idan Raichel Project’s self titled CD, released in 2006, attracted high critical acclaim and has established a large and loyal international following.

These are concerts of music full of rhythm and surprises that show the musicians’ awareness and respect for each others’ talents and their enthusiasm for the wider musical world. For lovers of exotic, rich musical experiences, these concerts are not to be missed.

The Australian tour kicks off at the Sydney Opera House on 5 March. The Project continues on to perform as one of the headline acts for WOMADelaide 8-9 March, then at the Canberra Theatre 10 March, Melbourne’s Prince Theatre 12 March with a final performance at Byron Bay’s Community & Cultural Centre on 14 March.  

BOOKINGS:
Sydney Opera House www.sydneyoperahouse.com.au
WOMADelaide www.womadelaide.com.au
Canberra Theatre www.canberratheatrecentre.org.au
The Prince Melbourne www.ticketmaster.com.au
Byron Community & Cultural Centre www.byroncentre.com.au