Idan Raichel

Biography

Idan Raichel was born in Kfar Saba in 1977 and studied accordion and piano as a child before playing keyboards in an Israeli rock band.

While working as a counselor at a boarding school for young immigrants — many of them Ethiopian-Israeli — he began collecting the melodies, languages and stories he heard there.

In 2002 he turned his parents' basement into a studio and invited dozens of musicians to record: Ethiopian singers, Yemenite and Moroccan vocalists, Arabic and Spanish speakers. The result, 'The Idan Raichel Project', changed what Israeli pop could sound like.

'Mimaamakim' (2005) became his signature song and an international hit, and Raichel has since collaborated with artists from Mali to India — including the acclaimed duo Touré-Raichel Collective.

Quick facts

Born

Kfar Saba, 1977

Breakthrough

'The Idan Raichel Project', 2002

Signature song

'Mimaamakim', 2005

Known for

Blending Ethiopian, Yemenite, Arabic and Latin sounds

Songs by Idan Raichel with Hebrew lyrics

• MimaamakimFrom the Depths · 2005

Culture quiz: Idan Raichel & Israel

Test what you know about Idan Raichel, the song's Hebrew words and Israeli culture.