1. Idan Raichel was born in Kfar Saba, Israel, to an Ashkenazi Jewish family.
35 Facts About Idan Raichel
1. 2.
Idan Raichel began to play the accordion at the age of nine.
3.
Idan Raichel was attracted to gypsy music and tango, and studied jazz piano in high school.
4.
Idan Raichel played in the Israel Defense Forces army band at the age of 18, performing covers of Israeli and Western pop hits at military bases around the country.
5.
Idan Raichel began working on a demo recording in Kfar Saba and invited other singers and musicians to collaborate with him to create a new synthesis of sounds and styles.
6.
Idan Raichel released two albums locally before signing an international deal.
7.
The diversity of the Jewish diaspora and Israeli citizenry interested Idan Raichel and influenced his musical career.
8.
Idan Raichel has worked with Ethiopian Jews, Arabs, traditional Yemenite vocalists, a toaster and percussionist from Suriname, and a South African singer, among others.
9.
The Idan Raichel Project's self-titled first album focuses on these cross-cultural collaborations.
10.
The Idan Raichel Project has released four albums as well as a collection of live recordings in Israel on the Helicon Label.
11.
The Idan Raichel Project issued its second international release, Within My Walls, in 2008.
12.
Idan Raichel recorded much of this album while he was on tour in impromptu settings.
13.
Shimon Peres, then-president of Israel, asked Idan Raichel to compose music for a poem Peres wrote about Israel's Ethiopian community.
14.
Idan Raichel was invited by pop star Alicia Keys to perform a duet with her on stage at the Nokia Stadium in Tel Aviv.
15.
One month later, Idan Raichel shared the stage with Patrick Bruel.
16.
Idan Raichel was named "Musician of the Year" in 2013 and 2014 by Galgalatz radio station.
17.
Idan Raichel toured extensively, including December 2015 shows in Japan with the Project, a series of concerts in Germany with Andreas Scholl, and an appearance at the Jazz a la Villette festival in Paris with The Toure-Raichel Collective in September 2015.
18.
Idan Raichel incidentally met Vieux Farka Toure, son of Ali Farka Toure, at an airport in 2008.
19.
In September 2014, The Toure-Idan Raichel Collective released their second album, The Paris Session, with Daby Toure on bass, Israeli trumpeter Niv Toar, Malian singer Seckouba Diabate, and others.
20.
In November 2014, Idan Raichel toured the United States and Canada alongside Vieux Farka Toure with the Toure-Idan Raichel Collective.
21.
January 2017 saw the release of the single "Spinning Wheel", followed in May by "A Love Like This", for which Idan Raichel chose Zehava Ben as the vocalist.
22.
In February 2018, Idan Raichel released a single called "And If You'll Come to Me".
23.
Idan Raichel released his second solo studio album, And If You Will Come to Me, on 31 January 2019.
24.
Idan Raichel supported the release of the album with four arena shows in Tel Aviv, followed by an extensive international tour in March 2019, including shows in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and the US.
25.
On 18 May 2019, the Idan Raichel Project played at the Grand Final of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.
26.
Idan Raichel's style has Middle-Eastern influences but draws on Latin American and African music.
27.
On 16 January 2014, ACUM announced that Idan Raichel had won the ACUM Prize as Composer of the Year 2013 for Quarter to Six.
28.
On 1 November 2014, Idan Raichel received the MTV role model award, introduced by Alicia Keys.
29.
On 6 June 2016, Raichel was awarded an honorary fellowship at the Israel Museum: "Idan's creative commitment to cross-cultural connections very much reflects the museum's own commitment to the singular power that is achieved by recognizing the ways that all things connect across time and geography, merging local and universal cultural strains to achieve global expression".
30.
On 7 July 2016, Idan Raichel received a special citation from B'nai B'rith International: "The international musical cooperations that Idan Raichel has created throughout his career have turned him into a cultural ambassador for millions of fans, representing a world full of hope in which musical collaborations remove boundaries between people coming from different backgrounds and cultures".
31.
In 2020, Idan Raichel was chosen to light the Independence Day torch.
32.
On 30 May 2021, Idan Raichel was awarded an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University for his contribution to the world of Israeli and international music.
33.
Idan Raichel has expressed the view that real peace can come when people understand and learn about each other's culture.
34.
In 2013, Idan Raichel expressed his view that Israeli artists have a duty to play an active role in public relations for the Jewish state.
35.
Idan Raichel asserted that Israeli conscientious objectors are at the very bottom of Israeli society.