Israeli hit maker to appear

DANA SCHLANGER

Flashing lasers in the background, smoke machines, large orchestra, pounding bass and a roaring audience. All the hallmarks of a successful rock concert are there in the video – with some notable differences. Walking onto the stage of the famous Roman amphitheatre in Caesarea is not a typical rock star, but a young man dressed in black clothing, wearing a black kippah on his head. The audience greets him with a loud cheer and immediately sing along with him.

Gad Elbaz was the first religious Jewish singer to perform a sold-out show in Caesarea and he clearly has a loyal and enthusiastic following. His voice is a rich and modulated tenor that can convincingly sing ballads as well as highly ornamented Mizrahi melodies, catchy pop as well as deeply felt prayers. Therein lies the secret of his success: in the sincerity of his feeling and the versatility of his voice and style.

Elbaz was born in Tel Aviv, the son and grandson of Mizrahi singers, and they noticed his precocious talent, as he began to sing and write music at the age of four. He first appeared with his father, Benny Elbaz, singing together “Father, I Love You,” which was a big hit in Israel.

When Gad Elbaz was nine, his family became religiously observant, and he has remained religious, his faith a very important element of his music and his performances.

Elbaz’s show in Vancouver is presented by WestCan Sephardic Association, whose stated mission is “support of the Sephardic community in British Columbia. By organizing cultural, religious and social events, we aim to strengthen and unify the Sephardic Jewish community of British Columbia and connect it to Sephardic communities in the rest of North America.” The association’s president, Amir Marciano, and Beth Hamidrash Rabbi Ilan Acoca are instrumental in bringing Elbaz to the Rothstein Theatre for the Sept. 24 show.

The Jewish Independent caught up with Elbaz on his way to a wedding performance in Israel and he immediately mentioned how excited he was to appear in Vancouver (and Edmonton the day before). He has toured extensively through the United States, but has only performed in Canada once, in Montreal – and he is very happy the local community made the invitation. As to the wedding to which he’s driving, Elbaz said he performs at Israeli weddings, mostly chuppah songs, offering a personalized musical backdrop to accompany a bride and groom to the chuppah.

“Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of weddings,” Elbaz explained. “These are secular people who want something holy in their wedding day and they invite me to walk them, through song, to their chuppah, their wedding canopy. I love performing in all kinds of settings. In Israel, I’ve been doing mostly big shows, like the Caesarea one, but, with my new album, I will also be singing in smaller, more intimate venues, for 150-200 people.”

It is part of a new, more mature style that he feels he has achieved in the past few years. “After several quite successful albums, my style today is quite different, and I’m releasing a new album in this newer style. In the past three years, I have matured a lot, and my music has a defined new line. The goal is to elicit an emotional response in any Jew, whether secular or religious. I want my music to connect to every soul. The connection to the soul is my style, and it comes from the connection with the lyrics – and only then all the rest.”

His wife, Moran, is the author of most of the lyrics and he spoke briefly about their relationship. “She is extremely supportive of my career; it would never have happened without her,” he said. They have three children together and he already sees talent in his eight-year-old son, who is “very much into drama and acting,” said the proud father. Connecting through the generations is as vital as ever, he explained. “My father always listens to my music and examines it, always tells me his honest opinion. Our styles and voices are very different, but that doesn’t matter. Without my family, I would never have been doing what I’m doing, it’s all thanks to them.”

However, the talent is really all his. Elbaz writes his own music, plays piano and sings, working together with the ensemble that often accompanies him on tour. In Vancouver, he will be performing “lots of well-known songs,” he noted. “Some Chassidic, some Eretz Israel and some Mizrahi, but mostly my own songs, that are well known in Israel and abroad. I will definitely be showcasing songs from my new album and, for now, they’re some of my favorites. It’s like bringing a new child into the world, it’s very special and it completely fills your world at that moment.”

Elbaz’s concert here will take place on Sept. 24, 8 p.m., at the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. Tickets are $44 (plus service charges and HST) and are available at JCCGV reception, by telephone at 604-257-5111, or online at ticketstonight.ca.

Dana Schlanger is a freelance writer and director of the Dena Wosk School of Performing Arts.

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