2006 Spring Concert

ESTA
March 27, 2006

Yarona Harel: Lead Vocals, Sagat
Amir Gwirtzman: Saxophones, Bagpipes, Zorna, Nay, Thai Mouth Organ, Penny Whistle. Ori Binshtock: Electric and Eight-String Guitar, Bouzouki, Jumbush, Suz. Shlomo Deshet: Drums, Percussion, "Pots and Pans". Bentzi Gafni: Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar.

The Village Voice: "The Israeli quartet Esta, with its chopsapoppin' technique, articulate melodies, and blatant disregard for generic distinctions, suggests Zappa on the Orient Express... Esta boasts impressive collective technique... and world-ranging curiosity."

New York Newsday: "[Esta's] high-spirited modal excursions dissolved boundaries and embraced ethnic sounds from Israel and Iraq to Ireland and Scotland."

Esta is a unique instrumental band from Israel with innovative music and an original sound that paves the way to a new era of instrumental music. Esta's music combines the aromas of World Music, the power of Rock, and the spirit of Jazz into a powerful, energetic new sound that crosses genres, styles and borders. Coming from Israel, a crossroads of different cultures, it is only natural that Esta embodies the variety of ethnic musical influences of their parents' generation (immigrants from over 80 different countries). With this background, the band has created a rich, hot musical "stew" simmering with Mediterranean, Balkan, African, Asian, Celtic and Western flavors.

Esta's music is fresh and uplifting: the band fuses East and West, traditions and modernity with unparalleled skill and style, and the result is warm and irresistible.

Proclaimed by music critics as "Israel's most original instrumental band", Esta has performed in various prestigious festivals and highly respected venues throughout Europe, Israel and the US, including Radio France in Paris, Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel, New Music Seminar in New York City, and Festival L'Art De La Paix (The Art of Peace) in Belgium. The band has shared the stage with artists such as jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan, Indian violinist L. Shankar, and Algerian Rai singer Cheb Mami. Its debut album, released by MCI Records, was greeted with critical acclaim, and is distributed in Europe by E.P.M. Buda Records. Currently, Esta is working on its next album at the Power Station Studios with Producer/Engineer Steve Boyer (Grammy Award winner for mixing Eric Clapton's MTV Unplugged Album).