ISRAEL: Singer-songwriter Yael Naim is happy to perform to a crowd that understands her Hebrew lyrics

Record ID: 396318

  • Title: ISRAEL: Singer-songwriter Yael Naim is happy to perform to a crowd that understands her Hebrew lyrics
  • Date: 7th August 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SINGER AND SONG WRITER YAEL NAIM SAYING: "It feels so good I am becoming crazy you know like when the dogs do this with the....(tail), no really. I find it really nice because it's really symbolic it's the country that closed the tour so for us it's like going all over the world and then coming back home."
  • Embargoed: 22nd August 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA5WLB0BD7ZIH1JYRPA55OCV95N
  • Story Text: In an intimate setting at a beachfront concert hall in the heart of Israel's hip Herzilya, Yael Naim sang in her native language but it was no longer foreign.
    Naim was born and raised in the Jewish state but was unheard of until her song "New Soul" featured in Apple's MacBook Air laptop advertisement.
    The 30-year old singer-songwriter moved to Paris where she recorded the album entitled "Yael Naim". It was when she agreed to commercialize "New Soul" that she was put in the spotlight in France.
    Naim began a world tour after her new hit sprang to the top of worldwide music charts. Her current tour to the U.S. and Europe ended in her homeland, Israel.

    "I find it really nice because it's really symbolic it's the country that closed the tour so for us it's like going all over the world and then coming back home," Naim told Reuters Television.
    In three concerts over three days, Naim summed up the experience and said she was happy to sing to a crowd that understood the lyrics. Naim's songs merge three languages: English, French and Hebrew.
    Her percussionist, David Donatien, said they have no concrete plans after the tour but may decide to return to Naim's Paris apartment to work an a new album in the beginning of next year.

    "Now we are out of France we can say this project coming from here because it's the story of Yael but we want to say thank you so much to the French people because it's a beginning of all the story of her and it's a beautiful link," said Donatien, as he sat by Naim's side.
    Israelis were proud of their Israeli born star. "We got great artists here," said David, after the concert.
    Another spectator, Rosio, acknowledged the difficulties Israelis face in succeeding outside the small Mideast conflict-torn country.

    "I'm proud of her because it's not easy to get out of her country and just like be a great singer outside so for her I'm sure it's a great thing to come home to her homeland and to be here a big artist".
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register