It’s virtually an unbelievable story, however that is what makes it so compelling.
A troubled Jewish boy from Jaffa types an Israeli steel band that crosses borders, breaks taboos with followers from Israel’s enemy nations, and creates a window of sunshine for reconciliation by music. Then, when October seventh arrives, the whole lot returns to actuality within the Middle East.
That boy, Kobi Farhi, now 50, makes use of that story as the place to begin for his new autobiographical ebook, Goodnight, Orphan Country. The title comes from the title of his band, which is now celebrating its thirty fifth anniversary, and regardless of being pressured to begin from scratch with its assist efforts within the Arab world, it continues to insist that music can break down political and social obstacles.
The band’s title, based mostly on a music by Yehuda Polikel, is a twist on the normal “Holy Land” or “Promised Land” and is about in opposition to the backdrop of the battle and bloodshed that Israel has endured since its founding.
When the members of Orphaned Land first met as Bat Yam highschool college students in 1991, it wasn’t to advertise world peace, however to play heavy steel. However, based on Farhi, the band’s vocalist and lyricist, they quickly grew uninterested in the usual and, realizing that being Jewish and Israeli set them aside from practically each different steel band on the earth, Orphaned Land started to replicate on the area they lived in and the impression faith had on its inhabitants.
Together, they developed a brand new musical style, “Oriental Metal,” that mixed aggressive guitars, drums, and growls with Middle Eastern imagery corresponding to Middle Eastern scales, the oud, darbuka, Jewish, Islamic, and Christian prayer texts, and the ever-present keffiyeh of farhi.
The band’s 2004 album Mabul depicts three sons (one from every Abrahamic faith) trying to warn of an impending flood, incorporating Yemeni chants and quotations from Bible verses. And ORWarriOR’s acclaimed 2010 “The Never Ending Way” continued the epic theme, that includes Nazareth’s Arabian Orchestra and conventional Middle Eastern devices such because the saz, santur, Arabic flute, kumbas, and bouzouki.
Over the years, the band grew to become common amongst listeners within the Arab and Islamic world. Since steel music is frowned upon in lots of nations, lots of them secretly hearken to steel music, particularly if it is an Israeli band. Over the years, they’ve offered out reveals in Istanbul attended by followers from Iran, Syria and Lebanon, the place flags of these nations had been flown alongside Israeli flags.
“Good Night, Orphan Country” is a uncooked and trustworthy take a look at his turbulent youth, his arduous army service that noticed him imprisoned with out day without work to carry out in reveals, and his unlikely journey to turn out to be a logo of hope and unity for Jews and Muslims within the area.
Farhi spoke to Jpost.com’s Jerusalem Sessions journal about what impressed him to write down the ebook, revealed in Hebrew this month, and whether or not the band’s current rift with a good portion of its fan base will be repaired.
Below are some excerpts from the interview.
How did Orphaned Land initially discover its manner into the Arab world?
We launched our first two albums within the 90’s. Those albums use loads of motifs from that area. I’ve by no means written a music about an ex-girlfriend. It was written everywhere in the battle and area, utilizing footage of mosques and synagogues, utilizing Arabic and Hebrew, and utilizing phrases from the Koran.
In 1994, he even wore a keffiyeh on stage. At the time, I used to be one of many first to do it. These days, everybody buys from Ali Express. But I have not worn this since October seventh. Because we all know it will likely be a set off for the Israelis.
But whether or not it is the stage costumes, the visuals, the music, the lyrics, the devices, all these customs… Even although my start line is Israeli and Jewish, our Arab followers additionally see us as a band that represents them.
And then I began listening. Our CDs had been smuggled into the Arab world within the 90s. And I do know of followers who went to jail as a result of the police discovered our CDs of their properties. I do know of followers who’ve tattoos of our symbols and lyrics. I do know a Palestinian fan who has a tattoo of the lyrics of one among my songs.
This band had an enormous following in Türkiye. Now, within the present hostile environment between Israel and Türkiye, will it even be attainable to carry out there?
He was scheduled to play in Türkiye two weeks in a while October seventh. I consider the live performance was scheduled for October twenty third. Initially, the live performance was postponed, however then canceled utterly as a result of our security couldn’t be assured.
Turkey was like residence to us. I imply, we acquired an award as soon as from Erdoğan’s celebration – a peace award with an Israeli flag on it. Can you think about? However, I’m now unable to set foot in Türkiye. That’s actually unlucky. Because it was a spot the place Syrian followers, Lebanese followers, Jordanians, Saudis, all of the followers from the Middle East used to come back and see us.
They all got here to Türkiye, which had financial energy. It looks like we’ve got misplaced Türkiye in the meanwhile, which is absolutely disappointing.
Have the occasions of October 7 and its aftermath modified your emotions about our efforts to succeed in out to the Arab world?
The final a part of the ebook tells what occurred after October seventh. Obviously, since October seventh, we’ve got supported the folks. There are two shut followers of the band who had been brutally murdered on October seventh – one in entrance of their youngsters and the opposite at a Nova celebration. It’s black and white, however in conflict, the grey areas actually disappear.
We posted a message of assist for Israel at a time like this. But I additionally mentioned that I’m not in opposition to the Palestinians. I’m not speaking about Hamas, a barbaric group of madmen and murderers, I’m speaking in regards to the Palestinian folks as a complete.
But that was sufficient. Just supporting Israel was sufficient to trigger hundreds of followers to depart the web page, abandon the band, and throw themselves out. We acquired messages from folks saying they had been going to burn our albums. They throw them within the trash. They promote at the most effective worth.
And you possibly can see that you’re dropping hundreds of followers on Instagram and Facebook. Even on the finish of my ebook, I’m wondering if this band nonetheless has a spot on this world…and if we nonetheless make sense, or if the concepts we had been selling nonetheless make sense.
I do not know the reply. I do know that the forces of inertia preserve us transferring ahead. However, I nonetheless marvel if there’s a place for us on this world after October seventh.
What made you resolve to write down this ebook?
It was principally the conflict that made me resolve. And above all, it was my try and boycott the present in Barcelona after the conflict began, and my try and reverse that call.
I imply, I wakened one morning on tour and my tour supervisor instructed me there have been no reveals in Barcelona. And I believed, “Why?” Are there only a few tickets accessible? Or what’s the downside? And he mentioned, “No, it was BDS who threatened the membership.” The membership would not need this sort of headache. And the logic of this resolution is comprehensible. But I mentioned, “Please give me the e-mail handle of the proprietor of this membership.”
And I began writing him emails day after day. And what did I say in these emails? Everything that is mentioned on this ebook. I instructed all of the tales.
I mentioned, look, I’ve to speak about my work and what I’ve finished and completed with my band. I instructed him in regards to the Palestinians with tattoos. I instructed him in regards to the many collaborations he has finished with Palestinian musicians. I instructed him that I wore a Palestinian keffiyeh in 1994, earlier than Greta Thunberg was born. All these tales needed to be written one after one other till I really satisfied him
And I believed it could be good to have a gap for the ebook based mostly on the story I despatched him. And then I spotted I needed to write it. These tales should be accessible to folks in order that others can inform them. And I believed it was an vital ebook. I might not be goal, however I really thought these tales had been distinctive and a greater different to BDS. The ebook is revealed in Hebrew.
But we all know how vital this ebook is, in order we converse, we’re working to get an English model of this ebook. One of my principal targets is to translate the ebook into as many languages as attainable. That contains Arabic, French, Spanish, and extra. I feel this ebook ought to be translated into 30 languages.
What do you concentrate on the music world being so vehemently anti-Israel since October seventh?
I do not like waving the flag of anti-Semitism at everybody who’s hostile to Israel. You have the appropriate to criticize Israel. You have the appropriate to distance your self from Palestinians. that is okay.
But from my perspective as a peace activist and a musician who has been lively for the previous 35 years, it is simple to inform when it is anti-Semitic. And what BDS is doing is totally anti-Semitic. Because artists are those who ought to elevate questions, carry folks collectively, spark dialogue, and construct bridges of dialogue.
And it seems that many artists who weren’t even a part of this battle had been talking out in opposition to Israel. Irish bands, or Massive Attack, or Kneecap, or Bob Villain, had been shouting dying, dying to the IDF. They usually are not specialists on this space. They by no means wrote a music about this battle. They by no means misplaced a buddy. Their mother and father by no means took half on this conflict.
The reverse might also be true. So this contains musicians who’re pro-Israel in some sense. I feel the identical factor occurred when David Draiman signed the cannonball in Disturbed. [earmarked for attacks on Gaza]he made a mistake. Because at that time he had closed off the ears that he may have on the opposite facet as a musician. As a well-known musician, I feel he may discuss it, write songs about it, and focus on it. But when he went to signal the bomb, he misplaced.
And it goes each methods. And once more, as a musician who has devoted his life to this, I feel fashionable artists make loads of errors. And they take sides and fall into the entice of politicians and politics.
Because we’ve got the privilege of bringing folks… I imply, I feel musicians are one of many solely individuals who can get people who find themselves thought of enemies into the identical room as a result of they mutually love the band and the music. I do not assume politicians can do this. I do not assume athletes can do this.
Orphaned Land will rejoice its thirty fifth anniversary on January twenty first at Tel Aviv’s Hangar 11 with a 360-degree in-the-round present with particular visitor Berry Sakharov. Tickets can be found at to-mix.co.il/product/orphanedlandhangar-tlvshow2026/.
“Good Night, My Orphaned Land” is obtainable at orphaned-land.com/product/good-night-my-orphaned-land/.