Yemen Blues

The passionate and charismatic Yemeni-born Israeli singer Ravid Kahalani leads a roaring quartet making intoxicating music that merges West African rhythms and ancient Jewish Yemeni melodies, blues, and funk. They take the Miner stage for the first time in over eight years, bringing music from their newest release Shabazi – A Tribute to the Poet and more.

Begun by Kahalani in 2010, the group appeared in Paste magazine’s list of 10 International Acts to Watch and performed a captivating set at globalFEST in 2012, the most prestigious world music festival in America, turning them into a global phenomenon.

Since last performing at SFJAZZ in support of their Bill Laswell-produced sophomore album Insaniya, Yemen Blues has pared down from a sextet to a powerhouse quartet led by Kahalani’s yearning vocals and gimbri (Moroccan lute), and featuring founding Israeli/Uruguayan percussionist Roni Iwryn, bassist and oud master Shanir Blumenkranz, and drummer Dan Mayo.

Shabazi – A Tribute to the Poet is the band’s first studio release since 2015, a project that pays tribute to 17th century Yemeni poet Shalem Shabazi, setting his beauteous texts to powerful new compositions that blend the ancient and the modern, and the west and the east.

“Spirituality unites us,” Kahalani explains. “Love unites us. We move to extremes, but it’s soulful.”