Adam Ben Ezra, Israeli multi-instrumentalist, composer and educator, won the hearts of hundreds of Slovaks in his show at the “Trnavske Jazzyk” international jazz festival. Ben Ezra plays the violin, guitar, piano, clarinet, oud and flute, has garnered more than 20 million views of his videos, and has a very strong presence on social media.
The open-air jazz festival has become famous in its seventeen years, first for its location in Trnava, the oldest royal city of Slovakia, and for its high-quality, diverse musical program. For this reason, it is not surprising that Ben Ezra was invited to play his fusion of jazz with Mediterranean and world music.
Ben Ezra usually starts with a bas instrument, and using a looper device, he can then add rhythm and harmonica, all by himself. This was unique even by the standards of the festival, and the crowd, which rose to its feet in a standing ovation at the end of the show, appreciated the multi-instrumentalism.
Before the show, the host thanked the Ambassador of Israel to Slovakia, Eitan Levon, for the embassy’s support. Few Israelis live in Slovakia and introducing Israeli culture to the local public is not a simple matter. However, in the case of Adam Ben Ezra, there is no doubt he will be invited in the future.
