This event is presented in partnership with the Rady Jewish Community Centre as part of the Tarbut: Festival of Jewish Culture. For more information, please visit their website at www.radyjcc.com/cultural-events/tarbut/
Gili Yalo is one of the most intriguing musicians in the music scene in Israel. Gili combines Ethiopian roots with Soul, Funk, Psychedelic and Jazz music. Gili Yalo incorporates sounds from traditional Ethiopian music into a contemporary music production. The result is an exceptional, rich, vivid melody accompanied by Gili’s unique voice with lyrics in both English and Amharic.
The music made by Gili Yalo embodies his own personal story, which inspired the rhythm and flow of the whole project. And what a story he has to tell: Operation Moses was the covert evacuation of Ethiopian Jews from Sudan during a famine in 1984. These Ethiopian Jews fled from their native land on foot to refugee camps in Sudan.
Together with his family, Gili Yalo made this perilous trip, walked through the desert towards the “Promised Land” and sang to his beloved ones. In the course of this exhausting and emotional journey, the music encouraged Gili and his family to keep on moving.
Gili Yalo’s band is made up of five musicians, including guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and trumpet. An entrancing rhythmic motion is apparent when listening to Gili’s music, from the groove, beat and flow, and up to the lyrics, concept and style of the project. Today Gili Yalo's music gives a new meaning to traditional Ethiopian music. The expression of his story through an advanced music production represents his own personal triumph.
Gili's debut album received worldwide attention and high critical praise internationally. After the release Gili Yalo has been touring and performing on the some of the biggest stages and festivals around the world.
In 2019 Gili collaborated with Grammy Awards nominees “Niles City Sound” to create his exciting EP “Made in Amharica”. The songs are a collaboration between Gili and Dallas-based musicians in the high-end, vintage-equipped Niles City Sound recording studios in Fort Worth.