A world music masterpiece Idan Raichel, the project leader, learned to play as a child and his first performance was as a member of the Israeli Army band. His passion for music remained when he returned to civilian life and he decided to pay closer attention to what was going on in the world of performing arts.

This was how he discovered the music of Ethiopian Mahmoud Ahmed (winner of the Radio 3 Award in 2007) and he became fascinated by the typical sonority of his native land. He then decided to seek out suitable partners for a music project among the Ethiopian community in Israel.

Having made a name for themselves and done a world tour, they made history by being the first Israeli band to play in Ethiopia, meaning that the two Ethiopian musicians could return home for the first time in many years.

Today, the Idan Raichel Project is one of the best-known bands in its country of origin, Israel, and their début album, launched in 2006 and distributed throughout Europe, has gained them many admirers in the Old Continent. The critics have already defined the band’s sound as “a world music masterpiece”.

Official Site - http://www.idanraichelproject.com/en/index.php
MySpace Site - http://www.myspace.com/theidanraichelproject