ASAF AVIDAN Presented by World Music/CRASHarts
Saturday, February 22, 8pm, Somerville Theatre For Tickets and Information: 617-876-4275 or www.WorldMusic.org BOSTON, MA — World Music/CRASHarts presents the Boston debut of Asaf Avidan on Saturday, February 22, 8pm at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville. Tickets are $28, reserved seating. For tickets and information call World Music/CRASHarts at (617) 876-4275 or buy online at www.WorldMusic.org. Perhaps the most interesting voice in the Israeli music scene today, 32-year-old Asaf Avidan has become a huge sensation in Israel and Europe. Singing primarily in English, Avidan¹s powerful voice is unmatched. He has been called “a hoarse angel,” a “force of nature,” and “the love child of Dylan and Joplin.” To watch Asaf Avidan perform is to experience a sensory disconnect. Standing on stage is a skinny, mohawked man, but what one hears is the craggy, whiskey-soaked voice of a woman. ³The human voice has a whole spectrum we just don¹t use because we have these weird taboos and manners, and these ideas about masculinity,² he explains. While Asaf Avidan has drawn comparisons to Janis Joplin, Jeff Buckley and Nina Simone, he possesses a voice that is utterly singular. As London¹s The Independent recently put it, ³If you haven¹t heard Avidan¹s music, prepare to be astounded.² Avidan shot to worldwide fame when his track ³One Day / Reckoning Song,² performed with his band, Asaf Avidan & The Mojos, hit number one in 14 countries as a remix by a Berlin DJ. DJ Wankelmut took the delicate acoustic lament and dressed it up for the dance floor with synthetic beats and voice distortion. The video has 150 million views on YouTube. Asaf Avidan & The Mojos went on to release three albums between 2008 and 2010, topping critics¹ year-end Best Of lists in countries around the world. The band announced they were taking an indefinite break in July 2011, following a tour that saw them sharing the stage with Robert Plant and Lou Reed among others.
Avidan recently released his debut solo album, Different Pulses, to much acclaim in Europe. In the new work, Avidan focuses his passion and poetry into a tight suite of songs linked by robust melodies and intriguing psychological ambivalence. Avidan pushes his remarkable voice to its limits. The new album has already sold over 200,000 copies in Europe, where the remix single ³Reckoning Day² has sold over 1.5 million. Avidan has filled prestigious 5000-seat venues such as Olympia and Zenith, and played to crowds of 250,000 in European festivals.
For More Information: http://www.asafavidanmusic.
About World Music/CRASHarts World Music, a non-profit organization established in 1990, is New England¹s premier presenter of global culture, featuring music and dance from the far and near corners of the globe. In 2001, World Music launched CRASHarts as a division of World Music dedicated to presenting a contemporary performing arts series in greater Boston. World Music/CRASHarts strives to offer audiences an opportunity to share in many different cultural and artistic expressions and seeks to foster an atmosphere of discovery and exploration. The organization presents approximately 70 concerts and 15 educational programs per year. For more information, call (617) 876-4275 or visit www.WorldMusic.org.
World Music/CRASHarts is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
