Hatav Hashmini opens mega-store

Hatav Hashmini opens meg

By JACK TONHABEN
music store 88 (photo credit: )
music store 88
(photo credit: )
Hatav Hashmini, a music store that began more than a decade ago by importing CDs at cheap prices and has since grown into a massive chain with its own music label, recently opened a massive, 340-square-meter store in downtown Jerusalem. Designed by architect Menashe Rimon and interior decorator Edna Ben Shalom, the space now boasts the largest music CD and DVD store in Israel. The care that went into the design is in evidence all around, from the chic futuristic design of the furniture to décor touches such as an oversized turntable arm situated right above the cashier. There are also ten listening stations that allow visitors to sample virtually any CD in the store, one of them in a room dedicated entirely to classical music and opera. During the grand opening last Thursday, Hatav Hashmini's stated commitment to "music you can hold in your hands," as opposed to downloadable MP3 files, was in strong evidence, as several big names on the label's roster assembled for brief impromptu concerts. And the store certainly lives up to its name. CDs on offer, whether from the home label or imports, are sold at rock-bottom prices: most cost no more than NIS 39 and even the few full price discs rarely exceed NIS 59. Hatav Hashmini's label boasts such artists as pop performers Micha Sheetrit, David Broza and Shlomo Gronich, as well as jazz saxophonist Danny Zamir. The store promises to host its artists for small-scale performances in the future. The venue is certainly spacious enough.