פסטיבל גיטרה בים האדום

The Red Sea Guitar Festival kicks off with a tribute to an artist who laid the cornerstone for Greek and Mediterranean music in Israel – Aris Sun. Since arriving in Israel in 1957 at the age of 17, the life and work of Aristides Saisanas seemed like a something out of a soap opera. He arrived in Israel under mysterious circumstances, was very successful in the night-club scenes  of Jaffa’s and Tel-Aviv, he became a member of Israel’s elite social class, acted in films, had publicised love affairs, was even suspected of spying and eventually emigrated to America. Although his life ended on a slightly tragic chord, the man’s tremendous contribution to Israeli and Mediterranean music, cannot be denied.

Twenty-eight years after his passing, “From Aris to Eilat”  will be live off the coast of Eilat, an electrifying and joyous tribute dedicated to the work of the mysterious Greek. With performances by Barry Sakharof, Yehuda Caesar, Esther Rada, Shai Sabari, Erez Lev Ari and Uri Browner Kinneret. Because a man so great and so loved needs a few people to tell his story.

Based on “Aris’s Guitar” which premiered at the Mekudeshet Festival 2019 in Jerusalem, from an original idea by ​​Saar Gamzo.

Ben Handler – Musical Production and Bass
Nir Mansour – Drums
Uzi Feinerman – Guitars
Mayan Dwari – Percussion
Sharon Mansour – Keyboards

Photo: Sharon Lupo, Ohad Romano, Miron Glazer, Erez Lev Ari, Yuval Arel, Roy Berkowitz, Zohar Ron

Ehud Banai, made his breakthrough at a relatively late age, but since the 1980s he has established himself as an important singer and composer in the Israeli rock and blues scenes, a guitarist who looks at the world around him with wondrous and loving eyes and then channels everything through the guitar and on to a mesmerised audience.

He is joined in Eilat by his colleague Nushi Paz for an intimate and acoustic guitar duet. Together, they will perform updated and acoustic versions of the best of a Banai’s work over the years and take his listeners on a journey from Eilat to the golden dunes of the desert, to a Holon cemetery. Receive a postcard from Kathmandu and roam Jaffa Road. Between David and Goliath, between Miss Ireland and the star of the Gush Dan district, between Eilat and the city of refuge – that is where the real magic resides.

Ehud Banai – vocals, guitars and harmonica
Nushi Paz – Guitars

Photo by Revital Topiol

Friday afternoon, will see three of the most important and influential Israeli musicians unite on one stage in Eilat: Shlomo Ydov, Ephraim Shamir and Alon Oleartchik. Together, the three canonical Israeli musicians carry decades of work with them, a bit from here, a bit from there, the three will take the audience on a journey through their hits, from Kaveret to Tzlil Mechovan, featuring the biggest songs of each of them.

Shlomo Yedov – vocals / guitar
Ephraim Shamir – vocals / guitar
Alon Olarczyk – vocals / bass
Adi Rennert – Keyboards
Amir Bressler – Drums

Photo: Ilan Bashor

Micha Shitrit, one of the most influential artists in Israeli music culture, invites the audience to get intimately acquainted with his songs and the stories behind them.

The performance consists of songs he wrote that became milestones in Israeli music. Micah Shitrit and Ron Bunker, accompanied by their guitars, manage to present the songs and stories from Micah Shitrit’s career in an exciting way.

Featuring songs from  his Band, “Ha-Chaverim shel Natasha” (Friends of Natasha) as well as  hits he wrote for other artists – Mi ohed otach yoter mimeni, Shtei sipuri ahava, smechot ktanot and songs from his solo album “Masmerim ve notzot”, “Cuba” , “Shilhei hakayitz”.

Micha Sheetrit: Guitars / vocals
Ron Bunker: Guitars

Photo by Gabriel Baharliya

On the evening of Valentine’s Day Singolda will take to the stage with singers and a band and will perform songs from the 1960s to today in special arrangements. Singolda has recorded with most Israeli artists and for the past thirty years has accompanied Shlomo Artzi.

In 2011, he debuted the show “Singolda and Friends”, in which he performs personal interpretations to the classics he grew up with: Deep Purple, Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Queen and more.

A fascinating and energetic performance that is a celebration of many musical styles.

Photo: Or Manny

After incredible sold-out performances all over Israel,”Shalaho” arrives at the Eilat Guitar Festival for a special live production that will host guitar legends Haim Romano and Shmulik Budgov.

In “Shallaho” the audience becomes part of the show, on the journey from Erez’s Balkan roots, through Israel of the 70s-80s to his performances in Los Angeles.

“Shalaho” was built and inspired by the story of his grandfather and his wanderlust family, the Hakmov family.  From the city of Yerevan in Armenia, through Georgia, Turkey, Iran, then to Israel of the 70s and 80s and then to Los Angeles. Netz turns the Hakmov family’s journey into a rich and wild musical mosaic that transitions beautifully between the sounds of an electric guitar to the famous Georgian wedding song “Shalaho”, through Armenian / Caucasian pieces, to contemporary rock renditions that Netz and his band have either written or reinterpreted.

Netz, who has collaborated on some of the biggest rock productions in Israel, and taught some of the best guitarists in the country, has been working with “Infected Mushroom” for the last 14 years and as of recently works with Shalom Hanoch.

Netz will introduce the crowd to the musical influences inherited from his grandfather and his family, as well as others that he has come by during  his extensive experience as both an international and Israeli musician, composer, and guitarist. The show will feature instrumental pieces that have never been released, along with special adaptations for well-known and beloved rock songs, all with an ensemble consisting of musicians of the highest level.

At this exclusive performance for the Eilat Guitar Festival Netz will host his good friends, Guitar Legends Haim Romano and Shmulik Budgov!

The Band:

Guitars – Erez Netz
Bass – Ziv Harpaz
Drums- Daniel Acte
Keyboards – Yaron Bachar
Vocals – The Great Dror Lukach
Guests – Shmulik Budgov and Haim Romano

Photo by: Ricky Kendall

At night, when the desert calm comes in from the north and a cool breeze blows in the Gulf of Aqaba, the jam sessions begin. The Blues Messengers, the legendary cover band that has been injecting Israeli music with a dose of blues and rock & roll for more than two decades, will give a performance that will open your ears, your heart and your appetite. Joining them will be Mordy Ferber, an Israeli guitarist, currently considered one of the best jazz guitarists in the world. Throughout his illustrious career has worked with a host of talented artists from Israel and abroad, from Arik Einstein, Esther Ofarim and Shlomo Artzi to Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine and Jack Bruce. Afterwards, they will host the other festival artists at an improv Jam Session until the small hours of the night.

On the first evening, they will pay tribute to the greatest guitarists of all time – Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and many more and on the second evening the atmosphere will heat up with tributes to great bands that left their mark on classic rock – Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Queen, Deep Purple and The Who. An energetic and electrifying live performance featuring surprise performances from the festival’s various guests – not something you can afford to miss.

Niv Hovav – Vocals and Keyboards
Chelly Sigalsky – Guitars
Idan Sigalsky – Bass Guitar
Shaul Eliahu – Drums
Special guest: Mordy Ferber

Photo: Daniel Gan-Or