Radiohead musician joins forces with Israeli rocker
"I do understand that as soon as you do anything in that part of the world it becomes political, even if it's just artistic. Actually, possibly especially if it's artistic."
Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist of the acclaimed band Radiohead and an Oscar-nominated composer, has made an album with Israeli rock musician Dudu Tassa.
Jarak Qaribak, or Your Neighbour is Your Friend in Arabic, features artists from throughout the Middle East.
“Israel is a small country between all those countries, so we’re very influenced by those cultures and by that music,” Tassa said. “And a lot of us in Israel – like my family – are descended from people who came here from elsewhere in the Middle East, so everything gets mixed up.”
The pair added that they didn’t want the album to include any political statements.
“We didn’t want to make out that we’re making any political point,” Greenwood, who is married to Israeli visual artist Sharona Katan said, “but I do understand that as soon as you do anything in that part of the world it becomes political, even if it’s just artistic. Actually, possibly especially if it’s artistic.”
Radiohead have been the targets of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, especially in the lead-up to their 2017 concert in Tel Aviv. In response, singer Thom Yorke called BDS protesters “offensive” and “patronising,” adding that “The person who knows most about these things is Jonny [Greenwood].”
Greenwood and Tassa’s album was produced by Nigel Godrich, the long-time Radiohead producer sometimes referred to as the sixth member of the band.
JTA
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