004 BUILDING BRIDGES AND BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS: SHEVA LIVE AT THE MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL July 2005
BUILDING BRIDGES AND BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS: SHEVA LIVE AT THE MONTREAL JAZZ FESTIVAL July 2005
By M Wooderson
Photos by Jewish Mayhem & M Wooderson
VIDEO by SHEVA and Globalev
So I’m stuck for the summer in exile in Toronto – severely bummed that I’m missing out on the one-of-a-kind heat inspired fun and chaos that is Tel Aviv in the summer – when Jewish Mayhem calls me up and tells me they want me to go to Montreal, just a few hours up the 401 highway to do a piece on Israeli world music outfit Sheva where they?re playing at the super cool Montreal Jazz Festival. Never one to pass up a road trip, let alone one to see my favourite band and catch a taste of home, I was more than happy to oblige.
With very little surrounding fanfare, Sheva?s free, early evening open-air concert attracted thousands of people to the ?Stella Artois? World Music Stage (you know you?re in for a treat when the show is sponsored by high quality imported beer!) for what was easily one of the hidden gems of this year?s festival.
With a Grateful Dead like grassroots fan base at home in Israel (and the similarities don?t end there), Sheva can really not be appreciated until you have seen them live – where their boundless and infectious energy overflows onto the crowd creating an instant and direct line of communication between band and audience that breaks down the barriers of distance, language and culture.
Over the last six years Sheva have also played in Spain, Switzerland, France, Belgium the Czech Republic, America, and Australia often at peace and world music festivals, where they regularly steal the show and leave not only to rave reviews, but with the audience gaining a new understanding and perspective on an Israel they usually only hear about on CNN.
Totally jet-lagged after some crazy flight delay in Europe, the guys seemed a little out of their element and disoriented setting up for the show – not that its hard for a bunch of guys wearing Jalabiyehs, Keffiyehs and various other forms of Middle Eastern, Indian and African traditional garb to seem out of their element. However, by the time they sauntered up on stage for the show, it was clear we were in for something special.
The crowd was a mixed bag of expat Israelis, local Jews and refreshingly, at least 50 percent local Montrealers and festival goers who were intrigued enough to come check out this exotic band of Jewish and Arab gypsies bringing a message of peace, love and unity from the heart of the war torn Middle East. It appears that no one went home disappointed as about five seconds into the first song, the whole crowd was up on their feet dancing, remaining that way for the duration of the show. Indeed a few were probably caught more then a little off guard, blown away by the unexpected musical metamorphosis that unfolded in front of their eyes and ears. This was a tribal dance party, pure and simple.
In fact, after seeing the reactions of the Montreal audience, it is clear that Sheva could sell out shows all over the place if that is what they wanted to do. It appears that the near future could see many more Sheva concerts abroad as they are poised to make, according to singer, percussionist, storyteller, Jewish Gypsy and all around good guy Gil Ron Shama, ?one big push? over the next few years to try and boost their stature abroad.
One of Sheva?s most endearing qualities live is their ability to spontaneously crack into intense deep-groove ragas or to embark on flowing instrumental jams like the mind expanding, neo-shamanic track Ayahusca, evoking images of a Sinai desert oasis that incidentally is the opening track on the just released Live in Australia ? a highly recommended release that gives you an authentic taste of the Sheva live show experience. SHEVA LIVE
Keeping in line with Sheva?s quest for Jewish renewal and a reclamation of our ancient Temple culture is the aptly titled Shir Chadash (New Song), abiding by the ancient tradition of composing a new song of prayer to please God before ascending to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Crafted and honed on the road over the last few years, New Song, with its Baruch ata adonai aloheinu? refrain has quickly become a concert favourite with its juxtaposition of modern pop and reggae sensibilities with ancient Jewish prayer.
Having lived in Israel for the better part of a decade, it was a great treat to share Sheva?s music with a very assimilated childhood friend who coincidentally happened to be in attendance. You could tell he was feeling quite emancipated by hearing those once embarrassing Friday night prayers actually sound cool to the blonde shiksa he brought with him? and hey ? he actually knew some of the words too, which impressed her to no end.
The first time I heard Akedah (The Sacrifice) off the Day and Night album, I was just blown away. There are actually flamenco, African and Cuban beats in here, but somehow the meld makes it a completely indigenous Israeli composition with Avishai Bar-Natan?s wailing, trilling, piercing work on his oboe-like Indian shanay, totally putting you over the top, bringing the ?sound from the east? that the song?s narrator hears in his dream. Live, this is always one of the crowd-pleasingcentrepieces of the show and Montreal was no exception.
According to McGill University Professor, Dr. David Cornette, who hosted Sheva in a powerful session the following day in his class ?The Soul and Soul Music? that I attended with the band: ?No concert at the festival had the impact beyond music to emotions and messages that Sheva had. They have an incredible ability to convey emotions.? A little overdramatically, though no doubt sincere in his feelings, he goes on to speak of the Rimbaudian concept of conveying the unutterable and that Sheva?s music was the most important message of peace he had heard in a long time, if not ever.
The scene at McGill was a strange one indeed with this group of jetlagged rainbow coloured Israelis waltzing into one of Canada?s most prestigious and pretentious houses of higher learning. The ?Harvard of Canada? I explained to the boys in the band – who really had no idea where they were going. Taking it all in stride, they joked to guitarist and bassist Mosh Ben-Ari as he pensively puffed on a Marlboro Red: ?Hey they finally are gonna let you in to university eh? And a good one too?your parents would be so proud!?
After about two hours in a sweaty, stuffy room, being bombarded both with questions of heavy spiritual import and absurdly flattering complements of their music, Shama and percussionist Ahmed Taher could take it no more. Just as the session was about to break up, they were infected with a tension-breaking laughing attack that hopefully reminded these awestruck students that at the end of the day these are just regular dudes who play extraordinary music.
From this (not-so) humble writer?s perspective, the class questions conveniently made up for the ones I neglected to ask in my time hanging out with the band where it seemed more natural (and productive) to just have fun and shoot the shit then get into any sort of conventional interviewer/interviewee discourse. Gonzo journalism at its finest?Hunter S. Thompson would be proud.
Walking out of the intense scene in the classroom, Sheva are greeted by Israeli Consul-General in Montreal Marc Attali who realizes he?s just seen this band of musicians and seekers from the Galilee put on a better show of public diplomacy and relations for Israel then anyone in his office with their multiple diplomas and academic degrees could ever do. One has to wonder why other consulates around North America, who were indeed informed of Sheva?s arrival in Montreal, didn?t jump at the chance to bring them to their town too.
Though we didn?t get a chance to talk much as he and a local friend booted off immediately after the show to go camping on Mount Tremblant, I knew multi-instrumentalist Amir Paiss was a man after my own outdoor adventurer?s heart when the next day he comes back to the hotel just in time for the McGill engagement enthusiastically getting everyone to take a swig of this crystal clear Canadian mountain spring water out of his Nalgene water bottle – clearly pleased with his discovery.
After the surreal scene at McGill, and with their flight back to Israel leaving in just a few hours, I joined Mosh and band manager/Lev HaOlam CEO Ariel Rom in a cab heading back down to the main Place Des Arts festival site so they could pick up the proceeds from their new Live in Australia CD that was easily one of the hottest sellers at the festival store for the day and half that they had it available.
While Ari took care of business, Mosh and I browsed through the impressive world music collection of artists who were appearing over the two weeks of the festival. Mosh was literally like a kid in a candy store and picked up a few discs of African music ? even taking my suggestion on Nigerian afro-beat pioneer Femi Kuti after I alleviated his only concern that yes, there was indeed a lot of African drum and bass going on (not to mention a lot of booty shaking).
Not being one for elaborate goodbyes I took my leave of the band right there, slipping into the crowd at the Place Des Arts to take in some more music. Goodbye would be an inappropriate salutation anyway, since no doubt I will be seeing Sheva again soon back in Israel. Thrilled with the reception their music received in Montreal, hopefully those in the Diaspora will get that same chance. Then again, you could always just move to Israel?
