Drummer and composer Zohar Levy is inscribed in Israeli rock history and in the hearts of his many fans and friends. On Tuesday, October 15, 2013, a stellar line-up of musicians will gather onstage for a tribute to Zohar Levy at the Einav Cultural Center.
Dory Ben Zeev will host an evening featuring the talents of Matti Caspi, Shlomo Idov, Dani Litani, Itzhak Klepter, Yair Dallal, Mika Karni, Miri Aloni, Eli Magen, and Gabi Shoshan.
Born in Baghdad, Iraq (around 1945), where his father worked at the British Embassy, Levy immigrated with his family to Israel in the 1950s and grew up on a ma’abara (immigrant/refugee absorption camp) near Lod. He was the drummer on the album The High Windows (Hahalonot Hagvohim) recorded in 1967 with Arik Einstein, Shmulik Kraus and Josie Katz, and in 1968 began his collaboration with poet and dramatist Hanoch Levin.
Levy started his own band that year, Zohar Hashvi’i, that was also the accompanying band for singer Ran Eliran, but they broke up before recording a full length album. Another band, Cape of Good Hope (with Josie Katz, Eli Magen, Hanan Yovel and Shlomo Mizrahi), was started in 1970, but this one also disbanded before recording an album.
In 1969 Levy composed the music for Levin’s controversial political satire Queen of the Bathtub. The anti-war cabaret was received with anger and resistance. The play was taken off the stage after only 19 performances, but a recording was made with soloists Tiki Dayan and Israel Gurion. The songs, in all their power and aching beauty, were revived in a concert at Tmuna Theatre in July 2011, with Israel Gurion joining a cast of Israeli indie-musicians and Zohar Levy in attendance.
Levy started Aharit Hayamim (The End of Days) in 1971, with Miri Aloni, Itzhak Klepter, Eli Magen and Gabi Shoshan. Although this band shared the fate of the others and disbanded all too soon in 1972, they did record an album. The landmark album Aharit Hayamim unites Hebrew poetry with rock, with lyrics from Hanoch Levin, Dalia Rabikovich, Amos Kenan, Haim Hefer and Yaakov Rotbleit and music to all the songs composed by Zohar Levy.
“HaEtz Hu Gavoha” (The Tree is Tall) from Aharit HaYamim, lyrics: Hanoch Levin/music: Zohar Levy. Enjoy!
The Tree is Tall – A Tribute to Zohar Levy
October 15, 2013 at 20:30
Einav Cultural Center, 71 Ibn Gvirol Street, Tel Aviv
Tickets are 110/130 NIS and may be ordered online or call: 03-5745005.
