Discover the pleasures of piyut with Israeli musicians Eran Tzur, Rona Kenan, Daniel Zamir, Efrat Gosh, Micha Shitrit, Erez Lev Ari, Dudi Levi, Etti Ankri and Din Din Aviv! Presenting ancient texts in contemporary and traditional arrangements, Piyut (Jewish liturgical music) along with contemporary Israeli songs, the Zman Piyut festival will take place from February 5 – 14, 2012.
Initiated and produced by the Brodt Center for Jewish Culture of the Tel Aviv – Yafo Municipality in collaboration with Yedidi Hashachacta?! – Friend, Have you Forgotten?! – a project of Hillel Israel that brings piyut to contemporary audiences through concerts and workshops, the festival took place for the first time last year in Tel Aviv. The success of the first festival has inspired the organizers to make this an annual event, and Zman Piyut returns in an expanded version in its second edition, with four days of music in February.
The Festival Program:
Sunday, February 5, 2012 – Shtetl for a Day
Saxophonist Daniel Zamir and Ilan Damari, soloist of Hamadregot, with The Heart and the Wellspring Ensemble will present Ashkenazi piyutim and nigunim. Piyut has enjoyed an awakening of interest in the past years, but this reawakening has often neglected to look at Ashkenazi piyut, perhaps because nigun (music) features more prominently in Ashkenazi culture than piyut (text). Zamir researched the nigunim and piyutim of European Jewry to create this unique concert. Brodt Center Auditorium, 22 Tzeitlin Street at 21:00, tickets: 60/40NIS.
Monday February 6, 2012 – Tzama’a Nafshi
Piyut ‘N Roll – Eran Tzur, Dudi Levy and Erez Lev Ari, will host Micha Shitrit, Efrat Gosh and Etti Ankri for an amazing concert, the festival’s main event. The concert will feature traditional versions of piyutim and new arrangements as well as the popular singer-songwriters originals to create a continuum of Jewish/Israeli music spanning hundreds of years. Tel Aviv Museum, Recanati Hall, tickets: 80/60 NIS.
Thursday, February 9, 2012 – Kol HaPiyut Hanashi
Presenting the unique voice of women in the world of piyut as composers and performers. Singer/composer Maureen Nehedar researches the sacred songs of Iranian Jews at the Hebrew University. Nehedar will be joined by leading Israeli singer-songwriter Rona Kenan to present an intimate performance of contemporary songs and piyut. Brodt Center Auditorium, 22 Tzeitlin Street, at 21:00. Tickets: 60/40 NIS.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 – Simu Lev el Haneshama
Din Din Aviv and Dvir Cohen will share stories of their family musical influences and their journey back to those roots through music. Dvir comes from a family of Yemenite paitanim and is a soloist of the Diwan Project and King David’s Strings; Din Din Aviv grew up with Balkan influences and her music is infused with ethnic motifs. Brodt Center Auditorium, 22 Tzeitlin Street, Tel Aviv. Tickets: 40/30 NIS.
All tickets may be purchased through Castel.
