Israeli saxaphone and clarinet player, Eyal Talmudi, regularly tours the world with Balkan Beat Box and Oy Division. As a band leader and producer, he’s been responsible for the music and production of many experimental as well as traditional projects in Israel, and as an accompanying musician, he’s played alongside leading artists of the Israeli rock scene. He’ll be performing with Balkan Beat Box at this months Euromed Festival, in Budapest, as well as at July’s VOLT Festival, in Sopron. We caught up with him during his busy summer…
What brought you to the clarinet and the saxophone, and what does playing them give you personally and artistically?
The piano moved to my brother’s room, and I had to switch to clarinet when i was eight. Later, I changed to sax , and now i play both full-time. These instruments give my the freedom of expression and the loudness I like, but provide me with a continuous physical and mental challenge .
How has Israel inspired your music?
In Israel, I get the chance to practice all kinds of musical creations, from east to west, folk, rock, pop and alternative arts. The conflicts are so big that all the rest looks very peaceful; sometimes even surprising when put into perspective alongside the political reality. It’s a big clash !
Have you always wanted to be a musician, and how did you become involved in music?
Well , it just happened like that. I started as a kid , and the music just took me; I don’t really know anything else. I guess I just love it and am good enough to make a living out of it…
You work in so many international musical styles; which have you been most inspired by?
Good music, good musicians and good audiences are my inspiration….
You work in a huge number of musical genres. Do you have any favorites, and why?
They all sum up to freedom of creation and expression. I can improvise or play written music, as long as I like it!
This will be the second Euromed Festival. What do you think this kind of event brings to the international music scene?
Historically, musicians meet and share styles and techniques with their colleges; nowadays, you can get a music lesson on the web, but there’s nothing like a few musicians in one room learning and creating – I think the festival is all about that.
Which acts are you most looking forward to seeing at the Euromed Festival?
I’m looking forward to meeting the people I’ll be playing with… other than that, I don’t really know what’s coming…
Could you describe the Klezmer style of Oy Division, for people who aren’t familiar with it?
Oy Division recreate the Jewish folk music that was played in pre-World War II Europe, mostly in the eastern parts, for centuries, at weddings, theatres and other cultural events. This style had lots of influences from eastern and western musical traditions. We try to play it as fresh and real as possible so people can have the feeling that they’re in one of the village parties of 100 years ago…
You’ve performed all over the world. Where has the most memorable performance been, and why?
The most? It’s hard to choose, but one of the best was with Oy Division at the Krakow Jewish culture festival, with 15,000 people in the audience, last summer. It’s not only the fact that we came back from Israel after 60 years to Poland (three of my grandparents were originally from Poland) and played the music, but also the understanding that things can change for the better in such a short time, and that naturally gave me the feeling and hope that it can happen in Israel too.
Balkan Beat Box are playing at The VOLT Festival in Sopron this month. What can people expect from a live show?
Total craziness! Don’t miss it, I wont… we’re gonna make you dance and scream…
If you weren’t a musician, what would you like to be doing?
I would probably be a farmer with a nice farm and plants and animals of all kinds!
For more information on the Euromed Festival, see our article here. For more on the VOLT Festival, see our all you need to know guide, here.
Amy Weston
www.myspace.com/oydivision
www.balkanbeatbox.com