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1.2.23 | Haifa, Beit HaGefen
17:00-18:30 Workshops for choirs and singing groups.
Free entrance, by prior registration

18:30 Gathering: “Feel the Gospel”.
You are welcome to wonder around and enjoy special screenings of Gospel documentaries and background music.
19:00 Community Gospel workshop
20:30 Gospel Marathon
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19:00-20:15: Community Gospel workshop with Shai Portugaly

Hands-on workshop for the broad public. Together we will create a mighty gospel choir! No previous experience required. Free entrance.

Shai Portugaly is a pianist and singer, she is a graduate of Berkley College of Music in Boston, USA. As a student, she was a member of the college gospel choir and played in churches. Just like in a church, Gospel music is learned intuitively, by hearing. This is exactly what we will do during the workshop: learn to sing gospel classics in a fun, intuitive way. No previous singing experience is required!

Gospel Marathon:

The New Jerusalem Fire Choir
(Black Hebrews from Dimona)

The New Jerusalem Fire Choir was founded in 1983 by the Black Hebrew Community in Dimona. Its repertoire includes various genres and is characterized by optimism, uplifting spirit, love and hope distinct of Gospel music.

They have produced three albums, countless shows, and musical collaborations with the biggest stars, such as Stevie Wonder, Whitney Huston, Rita, and Boaz Sharabi. They performed for the U.S. President George Bush and for the late President of Israel Shimon Peres.

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"Warriors of Peace"
Portugaly’s Gospel Choir hosting
Yael Deckelbaum

Special prodution for the festival

The Portugalys host the famous singer-songwriter Yael Deckelbaum, member of “HaBanot Nehama” band.

 Among the songs tonight: Mothers’ Prayer, Warriors of Piece, War is Not a Woman’s Game, and more- in dynamic gospel arrangements.

Yael Deckelbaum- voice, guitar; Iris Portugaly- voice, percussions; Ofer Portugaly- piano, arrangement, musical direction; Yaniv Taichman- drums; Shai Portugaly- voice, keyboard; Guy Portugaly- bass guitar; Chen Yamin, Liora Hanukoglu Gonzalez, Tamar Taich, Reut Levi- soprano; Vered Ovadiah, Galit Polatchek - alto; Ofer Emmanuel Lazar, Daniel Weiss- tenor; Idan Sasson- bass.

 

For over 30 years, Iris and Ofer Portugaly are leading one of the prominent Gospel and Jazz ensembles in Israel. They combine African American music tradition with local flavors creating a new music style: Israeli Gospel Jazz.

The Portugalys have produced seven albums and countless musical collaborations, recordings, and performances with the leading Israeli and international artists.

For this special festival production, the Portugalys will host Israeli popular singer -songwriter Yael Deckelbaum, member of the “HaBanot Nehama” band. Yael has released four solo albums and an EP with Mothers’ Ensemble, she created multiple musical collaborations in Israel and abroad with Shlomo Artzi, Machina, and Suzanne Vega. She became the voice of the Movement for Social Change “The Way Home” and “Women Know” movement. These days she is the director of the Mashira project- a public choir that connects women from all sectors of Israeli society through singing.

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Speak Life!
Oscar Williams and the Band of Life (USA)

Oscar and The Band of Life believe that music is a universal language that unites people no matter what their ethnicity, beliefs or background may be. Their motto is: Your words create your world so always SPEAK LIFE!

The band effortlessly fuses multiple genres together to form a harmonious mix of style and performance under the unifying theme of creating “LIFE MUSIC”.

Dr. Oscar Williams is an accomplished musician, composer, educator, author, artist, and U.S. cultural ambassador. He is the founder of the Speak Life Music and Art Academy in Texas and the musical director of the Potter House Church. Together, Oscar and the Band have traveled all over the United Stated and to more than 20 countries around the world. This is their first visit to Israel, and they are looking forward towards meeting Israeli audience with great excitement.

Dr. Oscar Williams, Niya Cotton, Alicia peters-Jordan, Darian Elliott, Tracy Smith.

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