“From somewhere in the Mediterranean, this is the Voice of Peace.”
Bringing peace through music sounds naive, but then again, all the sophisticated politics doesn’t seem to have done all that much for this region either. In The Voice of Peace, broadcasting offshore in the Mediterranean for twenty years (1973 – 1993), Abie Nathan gave people the music they wanted to hear, and with the music was hope. Call me a hippie chick, but music, feeling free to hear the music you want to hear wherever it may come from, free to connect to others, whoever they may be, that is how I imagine peace feels, and it gives me hope.
Rockfour, one of the best Israeli bands ever, brought that groovy peace and love feeling back in a tribute to the Voice of Peace in a special production of the Piano Festival at Suzanne Dellal last Friday, November 8, 2013. DJ Leon (Napoleon 106FM & KZRadio) Feldman gave the concert the authentic live “on air” feeling, as well as telling the audience about Abie Natan and the Voice of Peace between songs and the familiar VOP slogans: “Peace is the word, and the Voice of Peace is the station, 24 hours a day.” The great Rockfour crew – Baruch Ben Izhak (Guitars and Vocals), Marc Lazare (Bass and Vocals), Issar Tennenbaum (Drums and Vocals), Yaki Gani (Keyboards and Guitars) were accompanied by vocalists Sarit Barkan and Hadar Schecter, and a sweet line-up of guest vocalists gave the concert that extra kick: Hemi Rodner, Nitzan Horesh, Iggy Waxman, Emily Karpel, Maor Cohen.
It was a terrific concert, and it’s not just about nostalgia. Nothing can compare to the experience of a good song heard live, and Rockfour know how to get into a song and make it their own. What did I hear on Friday? Year of the Cat, Eye in the Sky, Day Dream Believer, Without Your Love, Airport, Heart of Glass, Alone Again, You’re So Vain, Breakfast in America, To Sir with Love, Feels Like Heaven, Twilight Time, Save a Prayer, and for an encore: Video Killed the Radio Star, Serenade, Wish You Peace.
Highlights? It was all one great, glorious high. I wish I could hear it all over again, and I wish we could all be so naive as to believe that we can bring peace through music.
