Idan Raichel

Idan Raichel (, ; b. 12 September 1977) is an Israeli singer-songwriter and musician known for his “Idan Raichel Project” (Hebrew: ), distinctive for its fusion of electronics, traditional Hebrew texts, and diverse musical influences. Prior to the project, Raichel was a keyboardist, collaborating with artists such as Ivri Lider. Biography Idan Raichel was born in Kfar Saba, Israel, to an Ashkenazi Jewish family. He began to play the accordion at the age of nine. He was attracted to gypsy music and tango, and studied jazz piano in high school. As the musical director of the band, he learned to do arrangements and produce live shows. Following his military service, Raichel worked as a counselor at Hadassim, a boarding school for immigrants. There he met young Ethiopian Jews who took him to Ethiopian bars and clubs in Tel Aviv and introduced him to Ethiopian folk and pop music, including that of Mahmoud Ahmed, Aster Aweke, and Gigi. Music career After working as a backup musician and recording with some of Israel’s most popular singers, Raichel struck out on his own. He began working on a demo recording in Kfar Saba and invited other singers and musicians to collaborate with him to cr