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El Khat pays tribute to the Golden Age of traditional Yemeni music in a joyful and solid DIY-ish way. With a barrage of freaked percussion, whomping bass, hypnotic choral voices and detuned brass slightly, they take you at Grounds on a rousing, psychedelic and slightly addictive sonic adventure.In a search for his own roots, frontman Eyal El Wahab became intrigued by the culture of his grandparents, who had emigrated from Yemen to Israel in the 1950s. After listening to the LP ‘Qat, Coffee & Qambus: raw 45s from Yemen’, a new world opened up for him and he took up the goal of reviving traditional Yemeni music.
El Wahab gets this innovation in his music by playing mainly homemade instruments, such as the dli and the kearat. To do so, he recycles items ready for the junkyard and transforms them into musical gems, shaping El Khat's extraordinary sound. It is a practice that harks back to the time-honoured tradition of his homeland.
The result is retro-futuristic Yemeni folk music that both looks over the shoulder to the past and ahead to the world that lies outside. With two albums behind and a third to be released in 2024, El Khat is constantly on the move to spread their authentic sound around the world, creating a brotherhood among their audience.
Have a listen:
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Pieter de Hoochweg 125, 3024 BG Rotterdam, Netherlands, Pieter de Hoochweg 125B, 3024 BG Rotterdam, Nederland,Rotterdam, Netherlands
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