The Confederation House, Jerusalem will present “Days of Hullegeb” from December 23 – 26, 2023. This series will take place instead of the traditional Hullegeb Israeli-Ethiopian Arts Festival, which has been postponed this year due to the war. Days of Hullegeb will feature original Israeli-Ethiopian works, in music, dance, and theatre. Performances will take place at the Confederation House and other Jerusalem venues. There will be a discounted ticket price of 10 NIS for evacuees from the South and North. All events will be held in accordance with the guidelines of the Home Front Office.
Effie Benaya, Artistic Director of Days of Hullegeb, released a statement: “In the midst of the sorrow and deep pain we all feel, and from a desire to strengthen our resilience, the Hullegeb Festival which is dedicated to Israeli-Ethiopian creation, takes place in a modified version. The program continues to provide a platform for the best of Ethiopian arts in Israel, as well as creative collaborations.”
Opening Days of Hullegeb will be a performance by Yair Dallal and Abate Berihun on Saturday, December 23, 2023 at the Yellow Submarine, Jerusalem. Violinist and Oud player Yair Dallal and Abate Berihun, saxophonist and vocalist, who have performed together on many stages, return to the festival with an ensemble of musicians from the Ethiopian community and the Bedouin community in the Negev. Making connections between Bedouin and Ethiopian music, evoking winds of sorrow and pain, yet also of hope.
Festival highlights include:
Two works by dancer/choreographer Dege Feder. The solo “BeIma Sheli” explores the relationship between mother and child, while “Knafayim Shvurot” is a duet that looks at the hand that reaches out to seize the world, and the other hand that erases dreams…and the attempt to grow new wings.
Avi Vesa, who was part of the Idan Raichel Project, will present a new show at the Confederation House with new arrangements of traditional Ethiopian songs as well as popular contemporary songs, and originals by Avi Vesa.
The full program may be found on the Confederation House website. Tickets are available from Bimot, or call: *6226.
