We’ve already written a lot about Positive, the intercultural community concert series organized by students from the Arab-Jewish Community Leadership program at the University of Haifa. For the past eight years, Positive concerts have been a place for intercultural connections and understanding, all in a fun, relaxed atmosphere rooted in a love of music, art and life.
Unfortunately, due to Covid-19, the events that students had worked so hard to put together never came to be. However, thanks to the drive and tenacity of Mabat’s staff, student leaders and participating artists, we instead got a whole month of weekly live, online concerts with a slew of talented musicians. In case you missed them, we recorded all of the concerts, and you can check them out here.
Below is a roundup of the show-stopping performances at the first online Positive event.
Agada
Agada blends Turkish, Indian and Middle Eastern music, creating an original, intimate encounter with different worlds and harmonies.
The virtuosic duet of cellist Mayu Shviro and musician Ofer Mizrahi showcases original works written and composed by Ofer. The songs present a spiritual exploration of the intersections between jazz, Turkish, Indian and Western music that yields an explosion on intercultural narratives.
Ido Segal and Ram Hadar
Ido Segal – Hansa veena and Afgani rebab: Ido is one of the most prominent hansa veena players in Israel and the world. The hansa veena is a relatively new string instrument that combines between a slide guitar and a sitar. Ido began studying Indian music in 2001, in Varanasi, India, under Govina Goswami. Later, Ido studied with Ustad Shujaat Khan, one of the greatest sitar players in the world. Ido is a virtuoso performer who plays in the Gayaki Ang style, which uses string instruments to imitate the human voice.
Ram Hadar – Tabla (Indian drum) and other percussion instruments: Ram teaches the tabla and about Indian rhythm. Ram started to study the tabla in 1996. He studied under the late master Shankar Ghosh of Calcutta, and today continues his study with Subhajit Brahmachari. For years, Ram has recorded and performed with many musicians in Israel and around the world.
Moondrops
Music heavily influenced by Indian traditions and the music surrounding us here and in far-off locations.
Ben Dagovich – Ben is a veteran performer, composer and teacher who has worked in Israel and around the world. Ben specializes in Middle Eastern percussion instruments and the Hang (drum).
Madhav Haridas – Madhav is a wind musician who started off as a jazz saxophonist in France. At age 23, he traveled to India and ever since, has focused on Hindu music. Madhav currently performs in Israel and around the world in a wide variety of ensembles.
‘Positive’ project is produced by The Program for Arab-Jewish Community Leadership in The University of Haifa and by the support of Levi Lassen Foundation. ‘Mabat’ Community events is sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.