A new jazz festival has appeared on the local horizon. This, at a time when the popularity of the discipline seems to be on the wane globally, particularly as more and more nominal “jazz” festivals feature musical genres and styles whose connection with the eponymous form is tenuous at best.
Mind you, there’s nothing new there. The jazz content of the Montreux Jazz Festival, for example, which has been taking place annually by the gently lapping waters of Lake Geneva, in Switzerland, since 1967, is paltry among all the rap, rock, reggae – you-name-it.
So, what does the brand-new event in Ra’anana have to offer?
In fairness, the three-dayer (December 18-20) comes clean from the off and calls itself World. Jazz. Music. Festival.
Artistic director and seasoned saxophonist Amit Friedman has, indeed, spiced up the jazzy stuff with sounds from here, there, and everywhere. He fronts an intriguing sextet lineup with pianist Katia Toobool balancing the jazz side of the encounter with a classical string quartet.
Toobool contributes to another jazz-classical meet when she joins flutist Hadar Noiberg and a string quartet on the first evening of the program.
There is plenty in the way of ethnic dynamics over the three days, too, some as a condiment to the jazz core, while other outings have cultural baggage from extraneous climes as the anchor. Veteran singer-songwriter Shem Tov Levi’s slot on December 19 springs to mind in the extracurricular context, but no doubt, Levi’s performance of numbers he wrote for Arik Einstein and others will bring in the crowds.
One shows that promises thrills-and-spills, top-notch musicianship, and no little joie de vivre is an interface between Israeli pianist Omri Mor and popular Moroccan artist Hind Ennaira and her band.
Over the past couple of decades or so, Mor has made a name for himself, here and around the world, as a genius talent capable of playing almost any style and genre, from classical music to jazz and much betwixt. His ace in the pack is what he calls AndalouJazz, which combines the rhythms and colors of jazz with the multi-stratified sounds that emerged in Andalusia in southern Spain and parts of North Africa.
Andalusian music informs Ennaira’s artistic evolution, with the Gnawa variety front and center in her performing ethos. In addition to vocals, she plays the guembri, a three-stringed goatskin and wood lute, beating out low rhythmic percussive lines accompanied by sidemen who provide backing vocals, play qraqeb (metal castanets), and do some hoofing to the onstage spectacle.
She says her earliest childhood musical memories come from a seemingly very different sonic area. “I remember listening to recordings of Jimi Hendrix and B.B. King, feeling completely amazed by their sound,” she says, although her indigenous music was never far away.
“At the same time, I was exposed to traditional Moroccan and Gnawa music, hearing the rhythms of the guembri and qraqeb during family gatherings and local ceremonies.”
That and chaabi music, a popular accompaniment to weddings and other festive events, infused her formative years not only with compelling sonic sensibilities but also captured her heart and imagination. She says the domestic and community soundtrack of her youth brought “joy and energy to everyone around.”
It has proven to be an enduring game changer. “These sounds stayed with me and sparked my curiosity and love for music from a very young age.”
Ennaira embarked on her hands-on musical road on percussion instruments, such as the bendir and the taarija, which feature prominently in the chaabi domain. That, she says, continues to color her instrumental approach. “This early experience still influences the way I play the guembri today. It gave me a strong sense of rhythm and a natural connection to the pulse of the music, which really shapes my approach to the guembri.”
The guembri, Ennaira explains, offers more than just alluring music and beats. “[It] is more than just an instrument. In Gnawa culture, it carries a spiritual role. It’s used for healing, for purification, and for creating a strong connection between the music, the musicians, and the audience. When you play the guembri, you’re not only making music – you’re also keeping a whole tradition and spirit alive.”
That feeds off the checkered history of Ennaira’s homeland and its sonic traditions. “Gnawa music is unique because it combines history, technique, and spirituality. Historically, it comes from the descendants of Africans brought to Morocco as slaves, and it tells their stories and traditions.”
That comes into how the player goes about the nuts and bolts of his or her business. “Technically, it is based on the rhythm of the guembri, the qraqeb (metal castanets), and repetitive patterns that create a hypnotic effect.”
Today, Ennaira is a fixture on the Moroccan and global music scene, but she has had more than just honing her musical skills and getting her name out there to deal with. She also had the added logistical challenges and sociopolitical prejudices faced by many a woman in all sorts of walks of life. It was tough to stake her place in her chosen field.
“In Gnawa music, it was even more challenging because the guembri and the music in general were traditionally reserved for men. Many men had trouble accepting that a woman could play the guembri, and I faced a lot of obstacles at the beginning.” Thankfully, she persevered. “Today things have changed, and they all respect me.”
Now fully established on the scene, Ennaira is determined to do her bit to help pave the way for current budding female artists.
“My work as a musician also aims to encourage women to express themselves freely and follow their passions. Every time a woman plays the guembri or performs on stage, she helps break stereotypes and open doors for the next generation. A woman’s success can have a positive impact on society and show that we can all contribute fully to culture and life.”
She says she is excited by the prospect of joining forces with Mor, who has performed in Morocco on a number of occasions, in Ra’anana.
“Omri Mor is a fascinating musician and a very talented pianist. I know his work well, and I’ve always been impressed by the way he naturally connects different musical styles, similar to what we do in Tagnaouite or gnawa music when we mix them with other traditions.”
Ennaira has seen him work his magic before.
“I went to two of his concerts: the first one was a long time ago at the Festival des Andalousies Atlantiques in Essaouira with an Andalusian group. The second was more recent, at the Gnaoua Festival, where he played with two close friends of mine, Karim Ziad and Mehdi Nassouli. I really appreciate his musical sensitivity and his openness to other styles. I am very happy to share the stage with him.”
Some might be – albeit pleasantly – surprised by a musician from a Muslim country expressing such enthusiasm about an Israeli fellow artist, not to mention actually coming here to perform for Israeli audiences, especially so soon after the end of the latest round of violence here and in Gaza.
Ennaira expresses nary a qualm in that respect and says she is thrilled to have the chance to realize some long-nurtured ambition.
“Besides performing, I’m really looking forward to discovering more of Israel. Jerusalem is at the top of my list – a place with such deep history and spiritual meaning. I would love to walk through its old streets and feel its unique atmosphere.”
She also wants to get out and about and to drop by the lowest point on Earth. “I also dream of visiting the Dead Sea. I’ve always wanted to experience floating in its water, something so special and unique to that place.”
Let’s hope Ennaira has fun with that. The audience at the World. Jazz. Music. Festival is in for a blast.
For tickets and more information: http://raananajazzfestival.com/