Israeli mando player

[Rich Michaud]

I just got back from a trip to Israel. In Jerusalem, I spotted a street musician playing a mando-an eight stringer strung with 4 strings. Mandos are everywhere...Here's a cool shot. (The orange plastic strips shows his opposition to the Gaza pullout).

[Keith Erickson]

Richard,

Great Pic. #I'm kind of History/ Georgraphy Nerd and I eat this stuff up like crazy.

I was wondering, since mandolins are common in that part of the world, what are the most commons names you saw being played?

Did you get a chance to stop in to some of the music shops in Israel?

If you have more pics, keep 'em coming.

Thank you for sharing #http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Rich Michaud]

Hey Keith, I looked in every music shop I could find-three or four shops only-and found only one mandolin-a cheap one at best along with a few roundbacks-also not great. This pic was one of kind as far as I could see. I don't think mandos are big in Israel. But I was only there for two weeks. If anyone knows better please let us know. Rich

[Keith Erickson]

Richard,

Thank you again for sharing the picture.

I also wanted to Thank you for sharing the information on the orange ribbons. Kind of interesting to see history unfold before our eyes.

Again Thank you for your one of a kind pic http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[ira]

hey rich,
what was he playing? israeli pop? political tunes? traditional jewish music?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif?

[Avi Ziv]

I was raised in Israel and spent half my life there. Mandolins are not common - certainly not in music shops, or the radio for that matter. #There is an active, but somewhat below the commercial surface, BG and Irish music scene. You can see some related ethnic string instruments around - #balalaikas and ouds - but again, you don't have many shops at all that carry them. Most of the popular music is played on western pop/rock instruments. When my brother (who lives and performs in Tel Aviv) wanted a good guitar for finger picking, he came to the US and bought it at Mandolin Brothers. That's not unusual. Good musical instruments in Israel are very expensive, considering the relative income and the exchange rate. Some Middle Eastern instruments are built and sold there but you have to get connected with the builders and go visit them. Still - a couple of months ago, when I was playing in my Irish session in New Jersey, a woman came up to me and introduced herself as Israeli. She said that she was a mandolin player as well and was as surprised as I was to find another Israeli player. At my session I'm an oddity - An Israeli, living in the US and playing Irish traditional music.

Avi

[Joe F]

My brother, who has lived in Israel for 20 years, says that mandolins are popular in the Irish or country music clubs and pubs. #One such club he mentioned, "Mike's Place" in the Tel Aviv shore area, was destroyed by suicide bombers about 2 years ago.

[Rich Michaud]

Mike's Place is up and runnning on the beach strip in Tel Aviv. No mandolin players though. Rich