FEATURED MUSICIANS
AVI VAKNIN
Avi Vaknin is a singer, composer, writer and music producer, born and raised in Sderot, Israel. His critically acclaimed debut album Square of the Lost was published in the summer of 2008. Music critic Amos Oren wrote: “A pearl in a sea of attempts by unknown artists. Vaknin has a unique voice that sounds rough and angelic, with fragile vocals and delightful melodies, with ethnic colors and soul music.
ROBBY ELMALIAH
Born in Sderot in 1980 Robby Elmaliah, musician and director, is a graduate of Sapir College’s Film and Television School. He directed 4 short films during his studies. Some of his first films dealt with life in the border town of Sderot. Hula and Natan, his highly acclaimed graduate film, was the winner of Israel’s Cinema South festival. It was screened in documentary festivals around the world, including True/False, and Visions du Reel. Robby directed the Israeli side of the ARTE new media project Gaza-Sderot, which was nominated for an international Emmy Award. His recent feature documentaries include Fearless, and The Unwelcoming. From an early age, Robby was the guitarist in several Sderot bands. He also served for several years as the manager of the Sderot youth rock club, Sderock.
MICHA BITON
Micha Biton is one of the early pioneers of the renowned music scene in Sderot, Israel. As a small child he performed in major festivals and competitions representing his city and was considered a musical child prodigy.
HAGIT YASO
Hagit Yaso is of Ethiopian Jewish descent. She was born in Sderot, and has two brothers and two sisters. Yaso’s parents immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia in the 1980s through Sudan. From an early age she loved to sing, and later on became a member of the band “Sderot Youth in which she participated along with her sisters. During her military service, Yaso served in a military band.
ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS/BANDS
Knesiyat Hasechel
Knesiyat Hasechel (Church of Reason) is an Israeli rock band from Sderot. Their name is a translation into Hebrew of Church of Reason; from Robert Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The band has existed since the early
1990s, and has been one of Sderot’s many musical messengers (along with Teapacks and Sfatayim).
Teapacks
Teapacks (also known as Tipex) is an Israeli band that formed in 1988 in the southern Israeli city of Sderot. Originally the band was named after the correction fluid Tipp-Ex, but the name was then changed so as not to infringe on the well-known brand, while keeping the pronunciation in Hebrew the same.
Sfatayim
Sfatayim is a rock band from Sderot, Israel. The name means Lips in English. The band is considered to have consolidated an Israeli Moroccan style, blending the music of the mostly Moroccan immigrants of Sderot with international rock. The lead singer was Haim Uliel.