And Speaking of Israeli Culture…

One of the bands raising the temperature in Israel and making waves in America right now is Habanot Nechama, a group of three super-talented women, all of whom have careers in their own right, making beautiful music together. I was privileged to attend one of their recent American tour concerts, at the Highline Ballroom (up-and-comer Chana Rothman opened with a beautiful set), and was wowed. Their ultra-tight harmonies, often-quirky sensibilities, multi-lingual lyrics, and comedic inter-song banter set them apart from the pack. And there’s nothing “girl groupy” about them, just three strong women creating really powerful music together.

So since it was recently Lag B’Omer, the day in the the counting of the Omer [the mourning period between Passover and Shavuot] when music traditionally becomes acceptable again, thought I’d share some YouTube clips of Habanot Nechama. These were obviously taken from someone’s cell phone, but bear with the shaky camera and horrible lighting. It’s all about the music anyway.

“Lovers” a.k.a “Meah Achuz Or,” Habanot Nechama, at a concert commemorating the 12th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin’s death.

“So Far,” Habanot Nechama

–Rebecca Honig Freidman