It's no secret that while we are being pumped by the international career aspirations of names like Noa Kirl and Static and Ben-El, there are Israelis who have already done so considerably and are maintaining a lower media profile.
One such is Uri Naftali, a musician and founder of the band Southern Avenue, who has been doing corps in the United States for 6 years, lives in Tennessee and leads a successful and highly regarded blues-soul band in its field.
Appreciated enough to be nominated last year for the prestigious Grammy Award for her second album "Keep On".
But Naphtali, a good boy from Even Yehuda, is not really bothered by the focus given to others who have not yet cracked America in the way he did. "All of these artists you mentioned are truly amazing," he says, on the eve of the release of his band's third album, Be The Love You Want. "Uri Russo, for example, who is the producer of Noga Erez, is a good friend of mine from high school. She is amazing, he is amazing. Static and Ben-El, I do not know how much international success they have, but in terms of talent they are amazing and so is Noa Kirl. You are talking here For such talented artists that not only do they deserve it, they have also worked and are working very hard. So it makes a lot of sense to me that they got this publicity.
"As for - I'm not a person of ego, but of doing. So of course when I see Israeli musicians getting publicity, I say to myself 'Walla I also give here in my head'. But I do not pursue it, I do not upload any success to Facebook or Instagram I do not need my people to come to me and say, 'Walla Uri, you played it.' "Literally. But I do not do it for ego but net for creation. Here in Memphis I am very famous. Much more famous than I am in Israel."
It is no coincidence that Naftali, 34, found himself a popular player in the blues arena of the southern United States.
With all due respect to the Israeli blues scene (and there are quite a few), in Israel Uri felt that the genre he loves has a glass ceiling that is hard to break.
He flew to the United States 6 years ago with the goal of performing with an Israeli band he formed, and on the way settled more and more in America.
Today he lives in Memphis, a place associated with names like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Otis Reading, Morning Tea, and other giants and musical legends.
How did a guy from Even Yehuda come to buy a house in Memphis, Tennessee?
"I play, hear and study black music all my life. I play soul music, whether it's blues, soul or R&B. In 2012 I released a debut album in Israel with 5-6 Israeli singers and it was my local breakthrough. We did tour in Europe. , And during that time I heard that the Israel Blues Association is sending a representative to represent Israel in Memphis in a blues show. So I took the band, we came to Memphis, we did the showcases and it went very well, I made a lot of connections. Here to perform for five or six months, and in fact I kept making appointments all the time and stayed here.It was not an informed transition.
"As long as they want me here I'll stay."
Naftali with the other members of Southern Avenue, Photo: Michael Weintrob
"At some point after about two years, my mom asked me 'Say, are you coming back?'
And I told her I think not. As long as they want the band and I do festivals, share the stage with artists I grew up with and make dreams come true, as long as they want me here I will stay. I listen all my life to music written and composed in Memphis: Aretha Franklin, Elvis, Bee "Bee King. Memphis is the place for soul music. But I never thought I would live here."
"Yeruham of the United States"
Among the dreams he fulfilled was also a tour with Dead & Company (the Grateful Dead with John Mayer), in front of an audience of 100,000 people.
Southern Avenue, a band that is all about magic, rhythm and groove, he formed with international musicians he knew during his stay in the southern United States. One of them is the soloist Tirani, who gradually became from a band member to a life partner.
"It started with the fact that after two years with my Israeli band, some of them returned to Israel or went to do other things," he says.
"I went to some drummer I know here in Memphis very well, and I asked him who is the best singer in Memphis who writes songs, not just covers. So he showed me a video of Tirani and flew over her. I brought her to my band, she told me her sister is a drummer and she wants to join too. So basically Tirani and Tikira, her sister, joined my band. After a few months I felt there was something very special here and that our previous title, "Uri Naftali Band", was not so appropriate. I said 'let's form a band together, a project we are partners in'
"I am learning to appreciate the beauty of Israel."
Southern Avenue, Photo: Michael Weintrob
And on the way you became a family, with her two children and one of your own in the way.
"We went hundreds of thousands of miles together, dozens of countries, and after a few years together the whole band became basically my family. I'm here alone, so we became very close. Tirani and I became very good friends but also very platonic. At some point she came to me and simply said: "Hey, I love you, I do not want to see you hurt more than women." And suddenly I upgraded my best friend to a partner. In 2019 we came to Israel and got married on the beach in Netanya. "
What did she think of Netanya and Israel?
"I told her, 'You know Jesus was born an hour from here.' An Israeli says you're a star. Here in the south you die for Israel, it's like the mercy of the United States. I really like it. When you think America you think Hollywood and New York, but in the south here it's a completely different atmosphere. I do not feel anti-Semitic here. David in the car, I have the Israeli flag in the garage, I live in my mouth very openly. I would not do it in New York or other areas. These are people who identify more with the localities we face, people are much more religious. They are devout Christians, for them they need "Our love for Israel comes from Christianity, from religion."
Do you have plans to perform in Israel?
"When Tirani and I came to Israel to get married, we performed with Gal de Paz and two other such cool jam nights in Tel Aviv. We were supposed to warm up an artist from abroad in Israel, but then the corona arrived.
I really want to bring the band to Israel and it will happen very soon.
We just need the right opportunity to build an audience in Israel as well.
All members of the band are dying to visit the country.
I dig for them about Israel all the time, showing them stand-up clips of Shahar Hasson with an English translation.
I play them Mercedes Band, Guy Mazig, the pastimes, Natasha's friends, and they love it.
I caught my wife listening to Arik Einstein! "
You are very different from anyone who moves abroad and tries to convince Israelis to join him.
"The farther I get from Jerusalem, the more I learn to appreciate the beauty of Israel. I did not leave because of evil. Every Israeli has this resentment towards Israel and I had, but it passed me by. After a year here, I suddenly realized that Israel is an amazing country, Tel Aviv an amazing city. , And this is after I've been to every city in the world.
"I do not feel anti-Semitic here."
Members of Southern Avenue, Photo: Michael Weintrob
"I'm not the Israeli who moves to America, speaks ill of Israel and says 'suckers, you are left behind,' absolutely not. There are many places in the United States that are much worse to live in than in Israel.
Do you think language has no problems?
There are gas stations here in Memphis that I know I should not stop at, because there are shootings (shooting incidents) all the time.
There are shots everywhere.
You can not leave Israel and expect her to live in some perfect world.
Israel is better than so many places, that I just learned to appreciate my love for the country and culture.
When I lived there, I only had criticism, but now even my dog has a vest with the Israeli flag. "