The Idan Raichel Project

Idan Raichel, recently voted Israel’s musician of the decade in polls conducted by Israeli news media, is no ordinary ambassador for his country. He has worked with about 100 different musicians and singers to fuse traditional Middle Eastern instruments with electronic sounds, and to combine Jewish music with that of regions ranging from West Africa to Latin America and India. And while Hebrew dominates his lyrics, his songs are peppered with languages including Arabic, Amharic, Swahili, Spanish, and Creole Portuguese. His first album was a commercial success, selling 200,000 copies. With a seven-member ensemble, Idan makes his Cleveland debut in a special acoustic performance.