EL KHAT

A four-piece from Tel Aviv, all with different backgrounds – Iraq, Poland, Morocco, and Yemen. In reference to the addictive leaf that has been chewed socially in Yemen and the Arabic peninsula for over 600 years, the band’s choice of name can be interpreted in various ways. Yemen’s situation in 2019 is dire – in the grips of war, famine, and with little sign of change from these extremities – yet the Khat leaf provides a feeling that promotes community and relaxation, a safe and welcoming connotation. Yemeni communities, old and young, chew the leaf in Israel every Thursday night and bandleader Eyal has spent many evenings with his compatriots. Despite the camaraderie, the realities of living as a Jewish Yemeni in Israel is something that Eyal has battled with for many years and which has in recent years taken its toll, feeling lost in a state that flys the flag read more...