Yehuda Polikar (Walla system!)
In Ruben Östlund's film "Triangle of Sorrows", a cruise ship manager explains that a good cruise is measured on its first day and its last day.
This is naturally true for performances as well.
The start of the show often sets the tone for the entire evening, while the sounds that seal the evening will be the ones that the viewers go home with.
Yehuda Polikar's performance last night at the Culture Hall did end with thunderous applause, but it began with a completely different tone.
The show started in a sub-optimal way, to say the least.
With tens of thousands of good Israelis who came to demonstrate right outside the walls of the hall, and police cars that blocked the access roads to the area already in the afternoon - many spectators turned to social networks in an attempt to exchange the tickets for another date, or to try to get their money back - but in vain.
Polikar found himself stuck between his audience, who were hurt by the very existence of the demonstration - and the values of the protest, with which he publicly identifies.
Somehow, at the moment of truth, everything worked out and the hall was full to the brim.
I've been to Paris and Rome, but on evenings like these when Tel Aviv allows culture at the highest level there is alongside a democratic celebration in the streets - it becomes for a few moments the most beautiful city in the world, and a reason for real Israeli pride.
You don't need to understand Hebrew to enjoy it.
Polikar (Photo: Lior Keter)
The truth is that Policar itself is such local pride.
In the past, I was asked to recommend an Israeli music performance to a couple of tourists from the USA, and the choice of Polikar was easy. You don't need to understand Hebrew to enjoy a Polikar performance. His performances will always be of the highest level in terms of sound, decor, lighting and of course - the professionalism of the band on stage. Can Maybe there will be a day when we will say that Polikar's voice is not what it used to be, but it has not happened yet. Even today, at the age of 72, when he spends most of the performance sitting, he radiates more charisma on stage than most of the young artists of the country.
Poliker's new show, "Thessaloniki - Haifa - Tel Aviv", is probably the most expensive he has ever put on.
At certain moments there were 18 musicians on stage.
It's not a band, it's a musical army.
Beyond crazy video art, the ceiling of the culture hall is decorated with bright lights, American suburban house style for Christmas.
The sound was perfect, Polikar's vocals were wonderful as usual (although it was obvious he was carrying a slight cold, which only made his vocal precision more impressive) and the band was on another level.
Still, all in all, it was a pretty boring show.
You will also be interested: It
's embarrassing to admit, but there are no brave journalists like Ofira and Barko in
Israel
.
It was an unimaginable moment
More in Walla!
Hila Tzur confronted her brother who raped her.
It was a chilling, important and unimaginable moment
To the full article
Yehuda Polykar (Photo: Niv Aharonson)
On the ticket it was written "Yehuda Polykar sings in Greek" and that is exactly what was in the show.
A long, invested and highly professional performance - in Greek.
The feeling was as if we entered a tavern in Thessaloniki, where the best band in Greece is playing - and still, we probably wouldn't want to stay there for two hours to listen to music.
The fact is that many in the audience did not know the absolute majority of the songs, and those who were expecting at least some kind of encore with the best of Polykar's Hebrew (the name of the show still mentions the names of two Hebrew cities, along with Thessaloniki) were disappointed to find out that there would be none.
Not "face to face", not "less but painful", not "free is completely alone".
How strange it is to see a Polikar performance without these schlagers.
Yes, there were some highlights in the show, almost all of them in the second half, after the guitar legend Haim Romano joined as a guest, sat down next to Polikar without saying a word and gave his head on the bouzouki.
Then also came the well-known songs of Yorgos Dalares, who made a rise thanks to Polikar and made him one of Israel's favorite international artists.
"Elko", "My Eyes" and especially Eric Einstein's "Caravan Song" made the audience jump.
Later, "Poma Poma" and "Claps" in versions that include Hebrew and Greek left the audience with a lot of rhythm in their feet, and not only the well-wishers and lovers of Greek folklore.
Yehuda Polykar (Photo: Niv Aharonson)
Whoever thought that Polikar's "Greek show" would only include happy and bouncy songs that make you want to break plates has probably never been to a Polikar concert.
As usual, there was a morbid chorus of depressive songs about the World War - but those who got used to "Ashes and Dust" and "When you grow up" were surprised to hear "Songs from Smyrni", which describes the fall of Izmir in the First World War.
Later, "My Thessaloniki" about the longing of the Greek Jews after the "arrival of the tyrant" mentioned that no one sang the scars of that war more beautifully than Polikar.
At the end, Polikar surprised with an original mash-up between Mikis Theodorakis' "Sirtaki Dance" (the theme of the movie "Zorba the Greek") and Benzin's "Friday Day", Polikar's only Hebrew hit that managed to pass the selection and enter the Greek show.
At this point, the entire audience was already on their feet, dancing and clapping happily - something that only emphasized the miss in the first part of the show.
In the bottom line, this is a performance for Greek music lovers and heavy fans of Poliker, who will be happy to see him experiment with songs from Abba.
For the wider Polikar audience, it is recommended to wait for the more "regular" shows.
And if it is possible to make sure that the show is not at the same time as a huge demonstration of 100 thousand people, it is better.
culture
Tags
Yehuda Poliker
