Jerusalem once again celebrates sacred music

Artists from different backgrounds and cultures will perform together in pairs under the same billing.

By JASON SHALTIEL
A SCENE from last year’s Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival at Tower of David Museum. (photo credit: MICHAL FATTAL)
A SCENE from last year’s Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival at Tower of David Museum.
(photo credit: MICHAL FATTAL)
Returning for its fourth year, the event, which runs August 30 through September 4, will feature 25 performances in a variety of locations around the city delivered by musicians and artists from 16 countries.
Artists from different backgrounds and cultures will perform together in pairs under the same billing.
Shye Ben-Tzur, an Israeli artist who studied Indian music, will perform with Johnny Greenwood, the London guitarist known for his work with the popular band Radiohead and scores to the films There Will be Blood and The Master.
The Rajasthan Groove Orchestra, known for its eclectic selection of instruments and sounds, will accompany Greenwood and Ben-Tzur at the Old City’s Tower of David Museum. Together, they evoke classical Indian music with tonal hints of Israel.
Omri Mor, a young, eclectic Israeli artist, will be taking the stage with Omar Sosa, a Cuban-born composer, bandleader and jazz pianist. The performance will take place at the Amphitheater in Liberty Bell Park.
Other higlights include performances from Addis Abeba- based folklore group Ethiocolor, American blues and reggae musician Corey Harris and Jamaican reggae singer Max Romeo.
The festival will also feature a variety of tours including a walk through the abandoned Palestinian village Lifta, located at the western end of Jerusalem. An audio guide app was developed specially for the festival’s tour of the town, which will cover the village’s history and rehabilitation. Festival organizers are hoping to raise awareness of the historical site’s possible demolition and encourage the municipality to rethink plans to build luxury apartments there.
A night stroll from midnight until sunrise and 16 final performances at the Tower of David will wrap up the festival.
For many, the Sacred Music Festival represents cohesion and unity in a city still divided by politics, race and religion.
Directors of the festival said that they decided to focus more on the festival itself this year and cut back on ancillary events that were planned as part of the Jerusalem Season of Culture.
For tickets and more info on The Jerusalem Sacred Music Festival visit www.jerusalemseason.com.