Eyal Wahab reconnects with Yemenite heritage at Jerusalem’s Hullegeb festival

Musician Eyal Wahab, a second-generation Israeli whose grandparents emigrated from Yemen, is set to lead the Ethiopian Yemenite Takzina ensemble at the upcoming Hullegeb Israeli-Ethiopian Arts Festival in Jerusalem. The festival, which runs from June 23-25, provides a platform for Israeli artists of Ethiopian descent and is hosted by the Confederation House.

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A dominant feature of the group is the instruments we play that I built myself – it’s a sort of upcycling. We also play original material, with colors of the traditional Yemenite music.

Hullegeb, meaning "All are welcome" in Amharic, reflects the festival's inclusive spirit. Wahab, currently based in Berlin, is known for his work with the El-Khat trio, where he crafts instruments himself and performs original material infused with traditional Yemenite music. For the Takzina ensemble, which translates to "family gathering" in Yemenite, Wahab serves as musical director and conductor.

Wahab, 42, draws inspiration from both his ethnic heritage and the rock music of the 1970s and 1990s. While his musical backdrop is more prominent in his work with El-Khat, he incorporates "more modern colors" into Takzina's arrangements, allowing for flexibility within the traditional Yemenite framework. The band is scheduled to perform at the Mazkeka venue in Jerusalem on June 24.

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That [musical backdrop] comes into play more with El-Khat, but there are quite a lot of things we do with Takzina which are less traditional, and the arrangements [which Wahab writes] take on those colors. We can call it more modern colors.

The festival's programming at Confederation House is eclectic, spanning various genres from Swedish folk songs and jazz to classical Iraqi music, aligning with the Takzina Troupe's unique blend of traditional and contemporary sounds. Wahab expresses openness to new ideas and improvisational flow in his musical endeavors.

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That comes into play more with El-Khat, but there are quite a lot of things we do with Takzina which are less traditional, and the arrangements [which Wahab writes] take on those colors. We can call it more modern colors.