{"id":13275,"date":"2011-06-29T03:36:44","date_gmt":"2011-06-29T10:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=13275"},"modified":"2012-12-24T04:42:03","modified_gmt":"2012-12-24T11:42:03","slug":"intercity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=13275","title":{"rendered":"InterCity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Liron Teeni, Shaanan Streett, Quami, Tamer Nafar, Kalkidan\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019ve spent more than half a minute on the Israeli cultural scene, chances are you\u2019ve heard the word \u201cperiphery,\u201d (periferia<\/em> in Hebrew) which loosely translates as \u201canywhere but Tel Aviv.\u201d Last Tuesday, June 21, 2011, there was a meeting of extremes at InterCity<\/strong> – music critics and rappers – broadcaster Liron Teeni<\/strong>, Yoav Kutner<\/strong> of Galatz, Shaanan Streett<\/strong> of HaDag Nachash<\/a>, Eyal<\/strong> (Quami & the Halvoth<\/a>) Freedman <\/strong>(Hakatze radio<\/a>), Tamer Nafar<\/strong> of DAM<\/a>,\u00a0 and Kalkidan<\/strong> discussed hip hop culture and the relationship between the periphery and the center at the First International Bank of Israel, followed by an outdoor rap concert.<\/p>\n

The facebook commentary preceding the event revealed that some music fans and social activists questioned the presence of rappers at such a venue. Produced by Eyal Vexler & Koby Even Haim, InterCity is part of a series of cultural events sponsored by the bank \u2013 free and open to the public.\u00a0 Previous events have included screenings of Israeli documentary films relating to social issues. From my perspective: if banks and other profit-making organizations decide to allocate money to music and other cultural events \u2013 I\u2019m all for it. There is no doubt in my mind that banks and other organizations are involved in these events in order to improve their public image \u2013 so what? In fact, one might argue that the big money-makers of our society should <\/em>be concerned about their public image.<\/p>\n

InterCity brought together onstage a terrific group of creative thinkers and musicians, and rocked Rothschild Boulevard with the sound of rappers from Petach Tikva, Jerusalem, Lod, Yavneh and Nazareth. These are people with something to say, and the bank gave them a platform. What did they say? Read on\u2026<\/p>\n

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Liron Teeni\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Moderator Liron Teeni opened with the comment that hip hop is not just music; it can be an instrument for social change, for artists in places that don\u2019t have much money, saying \u201cIn hip hop all you need is a brain.\u201d He asked the panel members the word \u201cperiphery\u201d means to them.<\/p>\n

Yoav Kutner replied that \u201cMost of Israel is periphery.\u201d Shaanan Streett said, \u201cIs it a question of geography? I think it is a state of mind more than anything else. Being a member of a minority is also puts you in the periphery. Whoever does not embrace the mainstream narrative has a hard time with the Israeli mainstream. Quami spoke of the peripheral places within the center, \u201cdiscovering how many cities exist within Tel Aviv \u2026and sometimes its enough to walk one street over.\u201d
\n<\/object><\/p>\n

Tamer Nafar expressed a different perspective, saying \u201cFor me it is a geographic issue. Ten years ago I began representing the problems in Lod. In the beginning I had to do it in Hebrew in order to be heard.\u201d (link here to the lyrics to “Born Here” in English<\/a>) While Kalkidan said, \u201cIt is not geographic. It\u2019s much deeper.\u00a0 It\u2019s wherever I see large concentrations of Ethiopians, lots of people who look like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is the periphery something that can be heard? Teeni asked the panel members if they feel something different in the music itself, when they hear music that comes from the periphery. Once more, the diverse panel presenting diverging views. Nafar said, \u201cIt happened when I heard Bayan (Alex, an immigrant to Israel from Russia, known for the song HaAretz Hamuvtahat (Hebrew \u2013 the promised land) who has since left Israel, read more here<\/a>). As someone who knows Hadag Nachash, suddenly I heard someone who didn\u2019t speak Hebrew. As a member of a minority it empowered and challenged me.\u201d While Kutner said, \u201cAs a listener I don\u2019t care about anything other than the music. I either like it or I don\u2019t like it. Other than Arik Einstein who was born in Tel Aviv, everyone is in the periphery. Coming from the periphery gives you an incentive to succeed.\u201d For Kalkidan, \u201cidentifying with someone like Tupac you feel a kind of connection.\u201d The slippery complexity of these definitions was pointed out by Quami, who said, \u201cThe Clash is a working class band but Joe Summer was a rich boy, his parents were some kind of aristocrats. He left it all and did all he could to conceal his past, but you don\u2019t always know [if someone is really working class etc]. Technically – the music was, he wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Shaanan Streett and Quami\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cPeriphery is a state of consciousness,\u201d said Streett, \u201cAs a listener, a consumer of art, I look for truth, and it shines more when it hurts. The voices from the periphery are not just marching alongside the mainstream, they are leading it. The function of the center is to sell tickets and crown kings; the role of the periphery is to discover the new sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kutner further deconstructed the notion of periphery, saying, \u201cI lived in Jerusalem and I came from a broken home. I lived in Rehavia (an affluent neighborhood) – it doesn\u2019t matter where you come from.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the dangers of success, Teeni asked whether happy, successful artists are doomed to become less interesting. Streett thinks not, presenting the view that the principle remains the same: \u201cIf you tell your story, as it is today.\u201d He also pointed out the advantages of success, \u201cyour possibilities of quality production \u2013 producing tracks on a level of quality that you couldn\u2019t aspire to previously\u2026there are ways of expressing yourself in a true way.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Yoav Kutner, flanked by Quami and Tamer Nafar\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reflecting on the state of hip hop in Israel, Kutner said, \u201cThere are artists who took hip hop and castrated it, turning it into a ma\u2019afan [Hebrew slang \u2013 lame] kids\u2019 game. Here in Israel hip hop is shoko [Hebrew \u2013 chocolate milk], it\u2019s Carlos [a brand character related to shoko], it\u2019s entertainment at a Bar Mitzvah.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quami was in agreement, saying, \u201cHip hop in Israel has become part of the establishment, something nice for the whole family. Is it a form of protest \u2013 I don\u2019t know\u2026 it is style of counterculture. In the US it has become a subculture, like identifying with metal, in Israel it soon become polite.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that the people who adopted hip hop are those who have MTV at home,\u201d said Nafar, reflecting a different perspective, \u201cMost of the people in my neighborhood don\u2019t have MTV. I think that Mizrahi music had an element of social protest in the beginning, the \u201ccassette music.\u201d In terms of being an effective channel of social protest in Israel, Nafer noted, \u201cHip hop didn\u2019t come from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teeni asked the panel members, \u201cWhen you go on stage your truth as an Arab, as an Ethiopian – if I were to walk in your shoes, would it be hard?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kalkidan quipped, \u201cIt depends on what day\u2026not all my music is about being black.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teeni added, \u201cSometimes people don\u2019t want to hear someone else\u2019s truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nafar referred to Andersen\u2019s familiar fairy tale, saying \u201cUltimately, the winner is the child who shouted out the Emperor has no clothes. The hip hop scene in Israel was immediately translated into Zionism and Israeli flag-waving. Like Subliminal\u2019s Hafred umshol<\/em>. Compare that with Gabby & Debi<\/em> by Hadag Nachash. Its subversive message places them in a minority. If I write songs about sex, that places me in a minority among Arabs. Being a minority is also what you say and what you bring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kutner stated the situation plainly, \u201cThe Israeli audience usually seeks escapism. In the US if 3% of the population likes you then you are already selling\u2026Zeev Tene \u2013 who heard of him?\u00a0 Most Israelis don\u2019t do protest music. Most Israeli music is \u201cme, me\u201d or dahkot (Hebrew slang \u2013 kidding around, gags).\u201d Kutner cited the Hadag Nachash \u201cAni Ma\u2019amin<\/em>\u201d (Hebrew \u2013 I believe) song saying \u201cthat we are also to blame that we don\u2019t have peace. No one takes notice, no one cares, our audience is indifferent.\u201d
\n<\/object><\/p>\n

Quami added, \u201cAs opposed to the daily violence of our lives, in music we expect a lot of politeness. People can\u2019t accept something daring, that protests. There are exceptions – Hadag Nachash, Portis, Saharof – people making music with a subversive fire, but most musicians try to make friends with the audience \u2013 come to my concert, I\u2019m no threat. The audience doesn\u2019t like it when the music butts into their lives – \u2018how dare you!\u2019<\/p>\n

Throughout the discussion, Hadag Nachash came up so many times that the panel members suggested that perhaps the purpose of the panel was to award the Israel Prize to Hadag Nachash \u2013 not a bad idea. Kidding aside, it is clear that the group occupies a unique place on the Israeli scene, immensely popular despite (or because?) the fact that their music makes a strong political statement. Teeni asked, \u201cIf you really protest \u2013 who will listen? How is it that Israeli audiences \u201clet\u201d Hadag Nachash protest?<\/p>\n

Streett responded simply, \u201cWe started out that way, from our first album and people liked it. They expect it [protest] from us; they expect us to be that way. We will surprise them if we bring a song that doesn\u2019t talk about what\u2019s happening, that doesn\u2019t talk about these things.\u201d Ultimately, it\u2019s all about making good music – with a little help in referencing from an audience member, Streett quoted Emma Goldman, saying \u201cIf I can\u2019t dance, then I don\u2019t want to be in your revolution. If we didn\u2019t have funk in our veins then we\u2019d be doing something else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nafar concurred, pointing out the problem that protest songs have a tendency to the \u201cteachy preachy\u201d saying of Hadag Nachash, \u201ctheir music sounds good. Every cab\u00a0 driver knows Hahalifot and the Sticker Song.\u201d
\nComing around to the internet, Teeni said, \u201cOn Facebook and YouTube no one is on the periphery. Do you think that the internet puts the center and periphery on equal terms?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kalkidan\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cHell, yeah,\u201d said Kalkidan, recalling his origins in Israel, and in rap, \u201cI started rapping because of a problem. I came to Israel in 1989, when I started first grade the principal asked me \u2018what is your name?\u2019 and when I told her she said, \u2018You have to change it.\u2019 I lived with a different name and identity for years, until I was 13. I brought my name back through hip hop, resurrected it. I felt that she had killed something within me\u2026I don\u2019t need to wait until a broadcaster says \u201cI feel like hearing what this Ethiopian has to say.\u201d This [posting music to the internet] is the only way I came to be here now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe internet is a gigantic caf\u00e9,\u201d said Quami, \u201cand everyone hangs out there. The impact has the potential to be tremendous.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nafar pointed out succinctly, \u201cThe revolution in Egypt was not on the radio, it was on facebook.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the panel opened up to questions from the audience, it was no surprise that one of the first to surface related to their decision to perform \u201cat an event that is sponsored by a bank.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quami said, \u201cI usually take advantage of every stage I am given in order to say those things I want to say. And as someone who has something to say, I\u2019ll fucking say them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew that this would be a rare event,\u201d said Kalkidan, saying that 99% of the people present would not be likely to hear him, were it not for this event, \u201cIf there was a performance at the police station I would perform there because they [the police] would be there and hear me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Quami and Tamer Nafar\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt was more difficult for me,\u201d acknowledged Nafar, \u201cit\u2019s not just a question of the bank, it\u2019s also a question of appearing in Israel. I haven\u2019t done it since Gaza\u2026there is a boycott\u2026 Don\u2019t buy milk – it\u2019s from Israel, Ok, so I didn\u2019t buy milk. What do I drink now? I will take advantage of the stage \u2026 we always blame people for using money for the wrong things \u2026as soon as I have money, I\u2019ll love the bank.\u201d<\/p>\n

A woman from the audience responded, telling Nafar, \u201cBut you don\u2019t take advantage of every stage, you\u2019ve given up on us, on the Jews.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nafar said, \u201cLiron [Teeni] knows me. At first we sang in Hebrew. Perhaps I do need to choose sides\u2026yes I\u2019ve given up\u2026 there are more things I want to say\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

The second part of the evening said it with music, as rappers took the stage in the outer courtyard, drawing an appreciative crowd. Midnight East recommends \u2013 let\u2019s have more evenings like this.<\/p>\n

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La Cosa Nostra\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Sadyle\/Photo courtesy of PR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve spent more than half a minute on the Israeli cultural scene, chances are you\u2019ve heard the word \u201cperiphery,\u201d (periferia in Hebrew) which loosely translates as \u201canywhere but Tel Aviv.\u201d Last Tuesday, June 21, 2011, there was a meeting of extremes at InterCity – music critics and rappers – broadcaster Liron Teeni, Yoav Kutner […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13275","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culture","category-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13275","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13275"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13275\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}