Since the start of the war against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, among others, despite a continuous stream of alert sirens warning of the presence of rockets coming from neighboring Lebanon, the singer Ayelet Uri Benita and the master of Oud Emad Dalal met every Sunday in his private studio, in the Arab village of Kafr Yasif, to prepare their ode to a Tunisian Oud diva.
“Each time, these three hours spent together uplifted me,” Benita said. “I left Emad’s studio full of hope, faith and spirit. »
The show, entitled “Everyone’s Favorite, A Tribute to the Songs of Tunisian Diva Habiba Msika”, will be performed on Friday, November 22 at the Maison de la Confederation of Jerusalem, as part of the 25th Oud Festival, which will be held from November 21 to 30, with Benita, Dlal, Yuval Tobi playing Turkish saz, the percussionist Omri Zichron and Basil Hleihel playing flute and violin.
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This concert is part of the unusual mix that often characterizes this annual festival, which this year includes the famous hip-hop group Hadag Nahash performing Music from the Book of Psalms, the rock group Tractor’s Revenge creating trance music with the Piyyut ensemble, as well as multiple combinations of Oud masters, singers and performers, bringing to Jerusalem the sounds of Armenia, Tunisia, Yemen, India and Israel.
Performances will take place at Confederation House, the National Library of Israel, the Jerusalem Theater and the Mazkeka Bar and Performance Space.
“I believe in music,” said Effie Benaya, who manages Confederation House and the Oud Festival and decided to organize the event despite war-related difficulties.
“I believe in its power to heal the heart – of the individual and of society as a whole. I believe that music brings comfort and hope, especially in bloody and unbearably difficult days like ours. »
The songs of a Tunisian diva may seem idiosyncratic, but this collection of musical works is directly linked to the fusion of East and West and the shared existence celebrated by Habiba Msika, a Tunisian Jewish diva from the early 1900s, during her brief life, before being murdered by a jealous suitor.
Benita, of Tunisian origin, had discovered Habiba’s unusual story in a book, and the percussionist, vocalist and performer felt a surge of inspiration. She found recordings of Habiba on YouTube, but needed help in Arabic to better understand and arrange the songs.
Benita and Dlal had already performed together in the past. Benita knew that Dlal, a seasoned Oud player and performer, could help her understand what Habiba was saying, and together create something more accessible for audiences.
The two musicians, who live in neighboring northern towns, applied for and received a local grant for artists working on musical creations of all genres, which allowed them to dedicate time to this project over the past year .
“It’s therapy for us,” Benita said.
“We work well together,” Dlal added.
“It’s not my music, but I love music, no matter the genre, I play whatever comes to hand. »
Ayelet Uri Benita and Imad Dlal trapped in the safe room of Benita’s house during a rocket attack, November 4, 2024. (Screenshot)
They fell in love with their muse, Habiba, born in Tunisia in 1901 into a poor Jewish family, orphaned at a young age and raised by her aunt, a singer. Habiba broke through many barriers as she rose to fame, demanding higher salaries and taking different lovers – Jews, Muslims and Christians.
“She is a woman who did not agree with anything in her time,” Dlal emphasized. “I like this type of woman. »
Both artists sought to channel Habiba’s spirit, especially as some of Benita’s friends asked her if she was sure she wanted to perform in Arabic, given the sensitivities in Israel after the pogrom perpetrated by the terrorist group Palestinian Hamas on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel.
“They asked me if I was sure it was the right time,” said Benita, the granddaughter of Tunisian immigrants, who grew up hearing Arabic spoken at home.
“I put that aside. Nobody says that today, but a few months ago, we heard this kind of thing. »
Dlal believes in continuing to live as much as possible, whether that means working or welcoming Israelis into your village to do their shopping or get their hair cut.
According to Dlal, it is important to leave religion and politics aside during the conversation.
“We must educate children at home, teach them not to be racist. You also have to learn the other’s language. You must consider that the other is a human being like you, and pay homage to them. »
On November 22, they will once again perform Everyone’s Favorite, A Tribute to the Songs of Tunisian Diva Habiba Msika, a work they have previously performed at Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetaot and the Jaffa Theater. They intend to continue performing this work which means so much to them.
“People don’t know what they’re coming to listen to,” says Dlal.
One of the few artists invited to this year’s Oud festival is Rakesh Chaurasia, the Indian bamboo flute player who won two Grammy Awards in 2024 and will arrive again on November 23, despite several canceled flights.
“I said yes right away because I love this country, I love the food, I love the people, I love the view,” said Chaurasia, who performed in 2018 with the trumpeter Avishai Cohen.
“I know what’s going on there, but if I’m invited with love and respect, I’ll come. »
Chaurasia will perform classical Indian music, rather than her usual fusion or jazz.
“I take up the challenge of bringing peace and harmony,” Chaurasia said from India.
“Music is the only thing that knows no religion, no caste, no language. So why not give it a try? »
The Jerusalem International Oud Festival will be held from November 21 to 30. Tickets are available on the festival website.
