musical scenesters: Israeli ladyyy bands HaBanot Nechama + Karolina (my love)

Habanot Nechama, a charming folk trio of Israeli female singers, were formed in 2004. Yael, Karolina and Dana met in a local Tel Aviv designer's boutique and started up this musical trio soon after. They exploded onto the scene with their self-titled debut album in 2007. With lovely layered melodies and poetic lyrics, their musical appeal was broad enough to sell to indie hipsters and coffee shops alike.




This album has a reggae-soul- folk vibe that you don't often find from Israeli performers. Their track So Far was one of my favorites on their debut album as well as being hit with the coffee shop crowd- the English lyrics are not the strongest (I generally frown on any song that mentions rainbows) but the Hebrew lyrics are satisfyingly romantic and soulful.


While I have only good things to say about their debut album, I must admit I always had a soft spot for Karolina. I mean really- that afro should make it all clear. I truly feel that singers with afros are to be trusted intrinsically. Learning that she performed with (goddess, queen etc) Lauryn Hill on her recent tour has only deepened my love.









Karolina recently had a concert in Tel Aviv at the venue Barbie, which I tragically missed. The silver lining to this dark musical cloud is that a friend bought her Cd, which is now the soundtrack to my city bike rides (also: new bike! its mint green with a puppy-safe basket, and now I am unstoppable). So here is some Karolina for you and remember- always trust the afro.

it's like Xmas/Hannukah come early- Israeli jewelers Orly and Nitza

I love these designers! I love goldsmithing, and shiny things, and jewelry, and art, and these two talented jewelers are doing everything at once. And, for better or for worse, I live right next to their boutique in Basel Square. This could be dangerous...

Both these designers bring their backgrounds to their aesthetic approach. Orly was raised in Africa, where she fell in love with the locally-crafted, brightly hued beads. Now she fashions her own pieces after this style, with intense colors and often traditional materials. Nitza, a graduate of the New York Fashion Institute of Technology, has worked for over 12 years in design and brings her background of goldsmithing with precious metals and stones to the table.

Look how pretty!



They also make them in silver and black leather, which I heart only slightly less as they do not satisfy my magpie-like desire for all things golden.




Hannukah is coming up around the river bend, and its almost time for gift shopping (I always find this a great excuse for any impluse buys up to three months prior to the holiday season). So go ahead and milk it!

Sukkah Art. also: from the dinosaur to the turkey, an evolutionary tale

Ok bear with me here. Yes, I did find these decorating ideas on a blog meant for mothers. Yes, these are arts and crafts ideas meant for young children, or perhaps anyone with poor motor skills. BUT- you can't tell me you don't love a good finger painting project. I mean really, don't even try to dispute that this was the best part of kindergarten through grade 4. Actually, come to think of it, why did we ever get rid of finger painting? Escandalo.

Anyway, another reason why these are excellent is because they are kind of like Thanksgiving decorations. Which, even though I grew up in Canada, where Thanksgiving is at the "wrong" time of the year (October), and actually commemorates the giving of thanks as opposed to manslaughter through smallpox, I am still into those hand print turkey decorations. They are so clever! and entertaining! Who would have known that your palm=turkey? Also, did you know that turkeys are direct descendants of dinosaurs? It's true, I saw it on the National Geographic channel. And TV never lies. Remember that children.

finger painting 4 lyfe

Look Ma! No hands

Aaaaaaaaaanyways, these projects look like fun, and they are pretty, plus require almost no motor skills to put them together. So there you have it- easy mitzvah points for us all. Happy holidays!

post script: special thanks to the blog 'Kosher on a Budget' for these holiday tips

ars in tractus

spotted: wall mural in Jerusalem


it could have been twee but I think its location (it is in an observant neighborhood better known for babies and religious schools than artistic touches) saves it, and instead it is charming and unexpected street art

also, I love street art that has an element of audience interaction... in this particular neighborhood (well all over Jerusalem really) people come to observe the old style architecture and particular religious lifestyle, so there is a lot of standing around and picture taking

this sassy lass catches you in the act and gives it right back to you.

sass+art= double win

audio art: eviatar banai

The Banai artists are a veritable clan of artistic force, a pack of crazy talented musicians with distinct voices and styles. I love them all, but I recently saw Eviatar in concert and he stole my heart. Really he just stole it all in one fell swoop- got up there on that unassuming kibbutz stage and KILLED it, stole my breath away and stole the show.

I was literally mesmerized by him. His voice seemed to capture all the space around him, and for a solid hour there was only EVIATAR, crooning his heartbreaking, slightly sinister lyrics. I haven't seen an artist who seemed to grab the very air around them like that since I saw Regina Spektor silence a room of rowdy Russian fans with an acapella version of 'Poor Little Rich Boy'. With his inspirational tale of spiritual redemption (former, maybe current pothead who found God and is now religious) and complex lyrical compositions, he cuts a fascinating figure in the Israeli music scene.

we wish you a merry yom kippur and a happy new year

First official email from Programma Magazine! No party invites just yet, but these well wishes will do just fine.

Happy New Year to one and all. Whether you are doing the whole sit-down dinner shpeil or just having a bbq (Mom stop looking at me like that- I literally could not FATHOM trying to clean my kitchen at this point), may your dinner be delicious, may your friends be witty, and your New Year as sweet as as a double stuffed oreo dipped in white chocolate

international women's film festival, rechovot

Summertime in Israel brings a slew of film festivals along with the sizzling heat. As I missed out on both the LGBT film festival and the Jerusalem film festival due to other, less exciting engagements, I thrilled at the prospect of attending the International Women’s Film Festival In Rechovot. Having fully developed my Tel Aviv snark in the last year, I was loathe to leave my northern neighborhood, but my fellow cinema-lovers prevailed upon me with promises of adventure. So, off I went to the train, journeying to the edge of civilization- Rechovot suburbia.

Before we delve into the films, I wanted to take a short break to address Marina Abromovic’s stunning self-portrait that graced the festival’s homepage. The image is at once bold, bringing up childhood images of a gallant prince on his white steed, but also humbling- is she holding a white flag for surrender? I could not figure out exactly how Abromivic was connected to the festival (Google had no answers and neither did the Hebrew version of the site). I wished upon a star to casually bump into her in the popcorn line but alas, twas not to be…

But back to the cinematic arts- with such a wide variety of films from both Israeli artists and international directors to pick from, I struggled to narrow it down to just one. My final toss up was between an Israeli film, Black Bus, and the Holland-based Polish director Urszula Antoniak's Nothing Personal. The topic of women’s life in the Haredi (ultra-religious) community is a heated one- Haredim are proud of their heritage and intensely private about their community secrets. The trailer indicated that it was going to be an emotional ride through these women’s turbulent personal lives, and I wasn’t too sure I could tackle the subject matter at the end of my train trek.

I opted for Nothing Personal, a lovely, subtle film that was artfully shot. The films tells the story of a mysterious loner who stumbles upon a kindred spirit and their ensuing unlikely relationship. Each scene resembled a watercolor painting, rendered in soft and blurred hues. So many of the scenes could have been distilled to a still life photograph, so precise was the composition and the lighting.

watercolors drip
hillsides lush with rain. alone.
still life; life is still

ars in tractus

golda meir stencil
keren hateimanim
tel aviv


"don't be humble... you're not that great."

-golda


you heard it here first kids. now behave yourselves.

haifa haifa ir amiti

Street art inspires a lot of “kids these days, get off my lawn ARGH” commentary but its getting harder to deny that contemporary art is moving out of hallowed museum halls and into the streets. With the international spray-painting rogue Banksy on the loose, and Louis Vuitton incorporating graffiti into their designs, it cant be long until a local art gang comes to a neighborhood near you. At once subversive and mainstream, commercial and of the people, street art is changing our space bit by bit.

The Haifa-grown group Broken Fingaz are taking a hands on approach to the Arts, capital A intentional. Not interested in thinking inside the box, this ragtag group of Israeli street artists have their fingaz in all sorts of cookie jars- music, street art, and fashion. Their home base is Masada Street*, where they have a nook of a store stocked with original print T’s, little stuffed monsters, and killer kicks.

Broken Fingaz intense designs are disturbing and fantastically beautiful. Rendered in exacting detail, their layered imagery is a mosh pit of cultural references and painting styles. Of course, their artwork is not limited to the medium of paint- I also saw an awesome tape installation on the Carmel subway stairs. If you stopped in your downward rush toward the train and looked upwards, a meticulously applied pattern of scotch strips revealed a reclining older gentleman, puffing away on his pipe. As well as all these visual art shenanigans, they are also involved in organizing concerts at the local underground venue City Hall. This venue is conveniently located right next to Wadi Nisnas, a old Arab neighborhood which is basically an open air art gallery.

an ode:
band of painting rogues
splash create deconstruct build
transmute space- art alters

*note to the intrepid wanderer: should hunger strike you on your path, stop for sustenance at Puzzle Café. Sit on the outside pillows and order a shakshuka and an absinthe (for the alice-in-wonderland-thrill of sipping an aqua hued drink that was only recently aflame)

artistic dialogue between Israel and the global village

Usually I write about a specific artist or body of work, but today I’d like to write about writing about art. My favorite breakfast reading (well mainly but also long sheriut rides or coffee breaks reading... but I digress) is Programma Magazine, a delicious assortment of thoughtful articles, artist interviews, and covers of exhibits. A repository of pure aesthetic delight, this magazine brings a couple hundred pages of solid insights and updates to art lovers inside and outside of Israel.



This magazine has a pretty lofty goal- the Programma team hopes to “give voice to all those who regard art as a necessary part of life and are searching for a place to meet, discuss, argue and promote artistic endeavors”. Their authors shy away from hi falutin art speak (AHEM I’m looking at you, Jerusalem Post weekend edition art section). The articles are crafted with a steady hand combining well-researched insights, selected interview bits, and analyses of the piece or body of work. The content is engaging, insightful and relevant, never missing a beat. With beautiful layouts and stunning images, Programma resembles a coffee table book more than a magazine. But the lovely editors at Programma really stole my heart with the tear-out reproductions of featured artists. I finally finished off my mood board with a stark Jan Tichy photograph of an orchid blanching in overexposed light and rearing sea green horses painted by Shai Zurim.



It’s only published once a year, so I’m waiting with bated breath for the next edition to come out in Fall 2010. Which is far too vague of a release date for me to be comfortable with. EXACTLY when and where can I get it? I am plagued by fears of standing in an Israeli "line" (read: uncontrolled mob scene) while I clamor for my beloved read. Their website sheds no light on this, so I was coerced into subscribing to their email list in the hopes of gleaning the release date. Hopefully I'll be rewarded with an invite to the release party... the last one had mini souffle cups... *fingers crossed*