May 2019

By: Malina Saval, Variety

The group included Vector’s Ken Levitan, S-Curve Records’ Steve Greenberg and Warner Music Group’s Aton Ben-Horin, among others.

This past weekend, squeezed between a string of Eurovision Song Contest parties, Tel Aviv’s posh Norman hotel played host to an intimate, invite-only dinner of music industry delegates from the United States. The rooftop-set event was designed as a highlight on the itinerary of the Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) weeklong trip to Israel. CCFP, an entertainment industry non-profit organization dedicated to promoting music and the arts as a bridge to peace and artistic freedom, brought 15 delegates to Israel for Eurovision week.

Among the guests were veteran manager Ken Levitan, founder and co-president of Vector; Craig Balsam, the co-founder of Razor & Tie; manager James Diener, co-founder of Alignment Artist Capital; Aton Ben-Horin, global vice president of A&R for Warner Music Group’s labels; Dan Rosen, CEO of Australian Recoding Industry Association; and Steve Greenberg, president and founder of S-Curve Records.

The event was organized by Jeremy Hulsh, founder and CEO of Oleh! Records, and doubled as a tribute to Seymour Stein, the Sire Records co-founder and veteran executive. Stein, a longtime supporter of Oleh! Records, was unable to fly in from New York to attend the dinner, but will be present at a party in his honor hosted by the music org, Israel’s chief music export and development office, at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on June 19.

“Oleh! Records was founded nearly 15 years ago as a simple idea — to vitally support export-ready and active Israeli and Palestinian musicians to develop opportunities abroad, showcase at music industry events, develop investment opportunities for Israel’s artists, music technology, and as a means to counter the Boycott Divest Sanctions [BDS] movement,” said Stein by way of a letter he wrote to accept his Lifetime Achievement award. “I have seen thousands of incredible talents supported by Oleh! over the years both in Israel and abroad.”

Hulsh, noted Stein, has employed “his talent and networks to build a successful and continual platform for Israel’s music community to thrive at home and abroad. There is great talent here (both Israelis and Palestinians). It might even help toward a peaceful solution. Music has great power and strength.”

“Seymour supporting our cause adds legitimacy and weight to Israel’s music sector,” added Doron Gabbay, general manager of Oleh! Records. “When the man who discovered Madonna and the Ramones says he believes in your organization and in Israeli musicians, it means a lot.”

The dinner provided an opportunity to not only fete Stein, but the work that Oleh! and its annual Tune In Tel Aviv music conference has achieved in putting Israeli artists on the global map. Said Gabbay: “We aim to ensure that the robust, talented community of Israeli musicians are able to overcome Israel’s small population and geo-political situation to attain opportunities that have previously been out of reach.”

Balsam (pictured above, at right, with Hulsh), who is a board member of CCFP, spoke of how the Eurovision-timed mission to Israel underscored the imperative need to maintain a creative space in which artists can freely express themselves — regardless of their home countries’ government and policies.

“It’s important for artists to exchange ideas, it’s crucial to understand each other,” said Balsam. “We are the anti-boycott and we believe that artists should play everywhere.”

“We believe in the power of artists to affect lives and effect change,” echoed CCFP national director Ari Ingel. “Collaborating with Tune In Tel-Aviv and Oleh! Records to bring together artists from all different backgrounds in Israel and the Palestinian Territories — black, white, Arab, Jewish, Christian and more — truly works to further greater understanding between these
different communities.”

To that end, following the dinner, guests headed to Tel Aviv hotspot Teder for a showcase featuring such Israeli acts as singer-songwriter Noga Erez and A-wa, a Yeminite-Israeli band made up of sisters Tair, Liron, and Tagel Haim.

Erez, whose debut album “Off the Radar” received rave reviews when it was released in Israel in 2017, and whose single “Dance While You Shoot” was used in an Apple computer campaign that same year, performed an hour-long hip-hop-heavy set for some 600 fans in attendance.

“We’ve been working with Noga for years,” said Hulsh of the choice to add her to the line-up. “She was absolutely the right artist to showcase for the international industry we had attending because she represents the cutting edge of Israeli musical talent and has her hand firmly planted on the proverbial button of Israel’s pop cultural scene.”

A-wa (pictured above), whose moniker comes from the slang word meaning “yes” in Arabic, was discovered by Tomer Yosef, lead singer of Balkan Beat Box. Known for its mix of traditional Yeminite music, hip-hop and electronica, the trio’s single “Love of my Heart,” nabbed international attention back when it was released in 2016. The band is now signed to S-Curve records, with a new album dropping this summer.

Their mission: to bring Israeli music to the global stage as a way to promote inclusiveness and diversity amongst all types of people and ethnicities.

“We wanted a name that would be very positive, that would represent our music and also something that people could say to others that sounded positive,” said the sisters. “The whole A-wa experience is about bringing people together and embracing our many identities and celebrating life.”

Original Article

By Kelly Hartog, J Post

LOS ANGELES – In 2008, a 24-year-old singer by the name of Hind Laroussi Tahir represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest in Serbia. She didn’t even make it to the semifinals.

But 10 years later that singer – who now simply goes by the name Laroussi – is living in Los Angeles; hit the American Billboard’s Top Dance Music Chart at No. 5 in December 2018 with her single “Lost,” and is about to launch her first English-language album.How To Turn Your Smartphone Into a Smart Glucose-Meter (Dario)

Will she follow in the path of international stars such as ABBA and Celine Dion, who got their first worldwide exposure at the annual competition? It’s a matter of luck and talent, but the Eurovision ladder to success sure doesn’t hurt.

While Laroussi has been a star in her native Netherlands for years (she placed third in her country’s version of American Idol in 2003 and has released three albums there), she said her success in the United States after moving here three years ago would not have been possible without her Eurovision experience.

“The exposure I got helped my career 100%,” she said. “First of all, I gained a lot of fans, but most of all it was one of the best learning experiences on how to prepare yourself to be on such a big stage; how to deal with nerves; the large amount of interviews and press conferences.”

Laroussi got her big US break through singer/songwriter Philip Lawrence, who had just finished rehearsing with Beyoncé and Bruno Mars for the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show when he met her.

“When I talk about Eurovision here in the States, I always compare it to the Super Bowl, to let Americans know how big it is,” Laroussi said.

Today, Laroussi is managed by Adrian Miller, who has a long history in the industry, and who is responsible for the meteoric rise of Anderson Paak, who won a Grammy this year for his rap single “Bubblin.” Miller also helped launched the careers of dozens of other artists, including Flo Rider, Sugar Ray and Korn.

The Eurovision Song Contest, Miller said, “absolutely came to light by way of [my] relationship with Laroussi. It tells the story that you can reach an executive by any means necessary all the way in Los Angeles.”

Miller said he believes the value in Eurovision is similar to the value American Idol, America’s Got Talent and The Voice had. “It’s now a new format and an opportunity for the common folk to become involved in the industry,” he said.

And while he believes that Eurovision is very much a part of Laroussi’s own story “with respect to the navigation of her path and journey,” he added, “It’s not like I’m looking at Eurovision on a regular basis, but I’m not running from it either.”

When it comes to discovering new talent, Miller said, “We, as Americans, have to look at the platforms in Europe when we are thinking about breaking out artists here. Music is pretty much something that flows on any continent.”

Miller said he is someone who likes to try to break in artists from outside the US, and Eurovision could be an opportunity for something like that.

“But it’s a little tricky,” he said, “because it’s not like programming that anybody can participate in.”

However, he added, thanks to Laroussi, there is a track record. “She’s created a gateway. Why would you discover gold and not look to see if there were other natural resources available? I’m a miner of sorts. I mine talent. I should be all over the globe doing it.”

THAT SENTIMENT is something that David Renzer and Ari Ingel agree with. Renzer is the former chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group. He is co-founder of Creative Community for Peace, and Ingel is the organization’s director.

CCFP was established in 2012 and is an entertainment industry nonprofit organization that represents a cross section of the creative world dedicated to promoting music and the arts as a bridge to peace, while supporting artistic freedom and countering the cultural boycott of Israel.

“The entertainment industry is very interested in seeking out talent wherever it is,” Ingel said, “whether it’s Europe or the UK or even some African artists who have recently been making a lot of noise. Drake has been influential in bringing [Nigerian artist Wizkid] to light.”

Nonetheless, Ingel said it’s important to note that the Eurovision contest is very much a pop-driven contest, “and it’s a different sort of sound that they have in Europe: Europop.”

Ingel’s introduction to the contest came through a client of his – Fredrik Thaee – who cowrote and produced the Danish song “Rainmaker” for Emmelie de Forest, who won Eurovision for Denmark in 2013.

“When Frederik showed me the impact [“Rainmaker”] had in Europe and he showed me the tens of millions of views on YouTube it had, it really struck me,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s something the American music industry is paying close attention to, but they’re getting a greater understanding of it.”

Ingel said he believes the perception about European music is changing because of producers like Thaee and others from Sweden, Denmark, Scandinavia and Germany who have moved to America and are working here. He cited Toby Gad, the German music producer/songwriter, best known for cowriting John Legend’s “All of Me,” Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and Beyonce’s “If I Were a Boy.”

When Netta Barzilai won the contest last year, “that song got some traction here,” Ingel said, “but it’s difficult [for Americans to get really involved], because they’re not seeing the lead-up to it and getting involved in the excitement of it.” It doesn’t help, he added, that you can watch Eurovision in America only via the online stream of an LGBT website.

He and Renzer both noted that what could drive awareness of the competition and its potential this year is that Madonna plans to perform and unveil two of her new songs.

“CCFP is actually bringing a high-level music entertainment executive delegation to Israel, including African-American executives, and they’re going to be touring the country, and that will include attending the finale of the Eurovision contest,” Renzer said. “We’ve timed [the visit] purposefully around Eurovision.”

Ingel added, “Part of it is to show [the executives] the power and size of Eurovision.” Echoing Laroussi’s comments, he said, “Last year, 198 million people watched the Eurovision, and just 110 million watched the Super Bowl. The size of Eurovision is massive, so we’re doing our part to expose the industry to some of that.”

While they would not reveal any specific names, Renzer said there would be “senior executives from Warner Music Group and Sony on the Israel trip.”

“Executives are looking for talent wherever it can be found,” Ingel said, “and them being able to see these artists live is a huge opportunity for the artists, and I think it’s going to expose American executives to the type of music there is throughout Europe, because a lot of the countries – like Lithuania and Bulgaria and Ukraine and these smaller countries in Eastern Europe – don’t have much access to the American music industry.”

As for Laroussi, she’ll be watching the contest as she does every year.

“I’ll actually be watching with my Israeli friends this year,” she said.

And yes, she’ll be rooting for the Netherlands.

“Their song is really, really good,” she said. “I think they have a real chance of winning this year.” 

Original Article

By: Andrew Trendell, NME

“Building bridges through music and the arts as a means to achieving greater understanding and peace in the region”

Stephen Fry, Sharon Osbourne, Scooter Braun and KISS’ Gene Simmons are among the names leading a letter speaking out against a suggested boycott of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Israel.

Set to take place in Tel Aviv in May with Madonna confirmed to perform, the annual competition has sparked much controversy due to its location.  Earlier this year, Vivienne Westwood, Wolf Alice and Peter Gabriel were among the signatories of an open letter calling for the BBC to boycott the contest in solidarity with Palestine – arguing that taking part would be “a dubious honour” for “any artist of conscience”.

The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement argue that Israel is “shamelessly using Eurovision as part of its official Brand Israel strategy, which presents ‘Israel’s prettier face’ to whitewash and distract attention from its war crimes against Palestinians.”

Now, over 100 public figures including music mogul Scooter Braun, Stephen Fry, rock veteran Gene Simmons, comedian Al Murray and Countdown co-presenter Rachel Riley have signed a letter arguing against a boycott, claiming that it would only work against the show’s “spirit of togetherness” and ultimately “subverting the spirit of the contest and turning it from a tool of unity into a weapon of division”.

“We believe the cultural boycott movement is an affront to both Palestinians and Israelis who are working to advance peace through compromise, exchange, and mutual recognition,” the letter continued. “While we all may have differing opinions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the best path to peace, we all agree that a cultural boycott is not the answer.”

The letter was shared by Creative Community for Peace (CCFP). CCFP director Ari Ingel added: “The members of the entertainment industry who have signed this statement, along with the thousands of individuals who have endorsed its message, all believe in building bridges through music and the arts as a means to achieving greater understanding and peace in the region.”Volume 0% 

Speaking against the BBC supporting and broadcasting the event from Israel, an open letter from artists published earlier this year read: “Eurovision may be light entertainment, but it is not exempt from human rights considerations.” They added that any “claim to celebrate diversity and inclusion must ring hollow”.

“We cannot ignore Israel’s systematic violation of Palestinian human rights,” their letter reads. “The BBC is bound by its charter to ‘champion freedom of expression’. It should act on its principles and press for Eurovision to be relocated to a country where crimes against that freedom are not being committed.”

Responding, the BBC denied that Eurovision had any political associations.

“The competition has always supported the values of friendship, inclusion, tolerance and diversity and we do not believe it would be appropriate to use the BBC’s participation for political reasons,” the broadcaster said. “Because of this, we will be taking part in this year’s event. The host country is determined by the rules of the competition, not the BBC.”

Lorde was scheduled to play Tel Aviv in June last year but cancelled the concert in December 2017 in the face of overwhelming pressure. Lana Del Rey also recently pulled out of Israel’s Meteor festival following controversy about her appearance.

Nick Cave, however, went on to play two shows in Israel despite opposition. In sharing a lengthy letter he sent to Brian Eno, the Bad Seeds frontman stated that he had “received a number of messages broadly relating to this issue”. Cave said that Eno had “emailed me in the hope of persuading me to reconsider [the shows]” after they were announced.

Within the message to Eno, Cave labelled the boycott as “cowardly and shameful”, while defending his decision to perform in Israel as a “principled stand against those who wish to bully, shame and silence musicians”.

Nick Cave

“I do not support the current government in Israel,” Cave said, “yet I do not accept that my decision to play in the country is any kind of tacit support for that government’s policies.” The singer added that he is “aware of the injustices suffered by the Palestinian population”, and hopes “that their suffering is ended via a comprehensive and just solution”.

Radiohead also played a show in Israel in 2017 despite opposition. “Music, art and academia is about crossing borders not building them, about open minds not closes ones, about shared humanity, dialogue and freedom of expression,” said frontman Thom Yorke of their reasoning.

The first run of semi-finals for Eurovision 2019 begin on Tuesday, May 14, before the final takes place on Saturday, May 18.

Original Article

By: Malina Saval, Variety

As Tel Aviv gears up for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, taking place in the coastal Israeli city May 14 through 18, the entertainment industry non-profit Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) has released a statement in support of the internationally-attended and globally-televised event, which promotes musical acts from all over the world.

The statement, signed by over 100 entertainment executives and personalities — among them: “The Talk” host Sharon Osborne, KISS’ Gene Simmons, music attorney Donald S. Passman, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande managers Scooter Braun and Allison Kaye, Propagate Content chief Ben Silverman and WME co-founder and head of television Rick Rosen — comes in response to efforts by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which includes vocal supporters like Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame.

(Pictured below: Protesters outside London’s BBC demonstrate against the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest being held in Israel.)

“This year, approximately 200 million people will watch, visit and take part in the Eurovision song contest, celebrating music and the diversity of our different cultures,” said Ari Ingel, Director of CCFP. “The members of the entertainment industry who have signed this statement, along with the thousands of individuals who have endorsed its message, all believe in building bridges through music and the arts as a means to achieving greater understanding and peace in the region.”

Nearly 15,000 people from around the world signed a similar statement on Change.org, asserting that a cultural boycott of Eurovision does not work to advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Additionally, the BBC released its own statement supporting the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel this year for its embodiment of the “values of friendship, inclusion, tolerance, and diversity.”

Israel won last year’s Eurovision contest held in Lisbon, Portugal with the song “Toy” by Netta Barzila. The quirky electronic tune, which features English lyrics and a scat-like vocal, claimed the country’s fourth victory in as many decades. Barzila, a singer who won the TV show “Hakokhav Haba,” Israel’s version of “American Idol” format, completed her mandatory military service in the navy band, called Nahal, and was accompanied by a military band during her performance in the grand finale.

It was Israel’s fourth time winning Eurovision after previous victories in 1978 and 1979, and in 1998 with trans performer Dana International.

Original Article