For three days in December, Sderot will pulse with the sound of Israeli blues, as top artists, local jams, and rare blues films take over the southern city for the Music, Soul, Cinema and Resilience Festival at the Sderot Cinematheque.
For a city that’s seen more than its share of blues, with years of rocket bombardment from Gaza culminating in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, invasion and mega-atrocities, the musical release is one of celebration.
“Blues isn’t just music; it’s a way of expression. It’s both a cry and a comfort, sorrow and joy. Just like Sderot – a place that transforms hardship into strength and personal voices into a community choir,” said Benny Cohen, CEO of the Sderot Cinematheque.
Festival highlights
Ehud Banai with Nushi Paz, Karolina, Haim Uliel, and Avner Gadassi will present their unique interpretation of Mediterranean blues in a joint performance in a highlight of the festival.
Throughout the three days, free-entry performances will abound, featuring local performers, including gifted harmonica player Itamar Beck, David Peretz, Yaron Ben-Ami, and others. In addition, there will be Blues on Screen, special screenings of classic and contemporary blues films.
“With a little imagination, I can see the Negev as Texas and Sderot as New Orleans,” Banai said. “The blues is a lament born of hardship and pain, yet it opens a horizon of hope and comfort.”
Karolina added, “After two difficult years, walking with my guitar across the Gaza border region with the echoes of war in the background, I’m truly happy and even emotional to take part in a festival in Sderot. It feels like a dream coming true.”
For more information and tickets, visit: www.sderot-cin.org.il.