Awarded in the year 2000 the Legion d’Honneur by the French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin as well as the Ethics &Meaning Award (Ethics &Meaning Fundation, N.Y.), Laureate of the Smithsonian Institute, Sara Alexander – an all Mediterranean world music writer, composer &performer – is the first Israeli singer to have started advocating Israeli Palestinian rapprochement in the very beginning of the 1970s.
Born in Jerusalem from Jewish emigrants of Turkish and Romanian origins, she grew up in a kibbutz in Galilee. As the elders of the kibbutz used to say this “little dark gypsy sang before talking and danced before walking”, it is difficult to know when she became aware of her attraction for music. What is sure is that, at the age of 14, she was picked by the community to benefit from a special musical training. She chose to learn accordion for it was the most popular instrument of Israel at that time and because she loved the friendly feeling of it.
When the age of the army came, she was selected to be the accordionist of the most famous performing band of Tsahal, Leakat Ha Nachal, where she had the unique chance to develop her talent under the direction of two mythical figures of Israeli art : the composer Sacha Argov and the Director Naomi Paulani.
After representing Israel in a band that toured all Easters and Northern Europe, she came back to Israel to finish the Conservatory of Haïfa (first prize of accordion) and started to perform alongside with Uri Zoar, Chaim Topol, Arik Einstein…
But soon the Six Days war broke out. Looking to the procession of Palestinian refugees crossing the Jordan River, Sara Alexander got crowded with a feeling of injustice. She decided to leave Israel for a while.
Through long journeys in America, Scandinavia, and finally France, meeting with Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen… she discovered herself as a writer and a composer, and created a new repertoire almost fully dedicated to Israeli Arab Peace.
She started to meet and work with Arab artists, such as Mahmood Darwish, Kamal Boulata, Hedi Guella…
Unfortunately, by that difficult time for peace (70’s and early 80’s), her commitment for peace forbid her to develop her career in Israel. She became voluntary exiled in Europe to remain faithful to her music and ideal.
In 1985, she performed the first joint Israeli-Palestinian tour in the U.S. alongside with the Palestinian sociologist and singer Imad Saleh.
From the Intifada till the Oslo process, parallel to her artistic career she met a lot of Palestinian official and Israeli peace activist, performing in peace meetings and refugee camps.
Since the Oslo agreement, Sara Alexander has not renounced to her commitment for peace but has more time to dedicate to her music.
On the edge of roots and progressive music she is creating with some of the most gifted world musicians in Paris (Anello Capuano, Nedim Nalbantoglu, Philippe Briegh, Pierre Rigopolous, Tzvika Voltoch…) and abroad (gnawa M’jid Bekkas) a unique all Mediterranean repertoire full of Jewish, Gypsy, Balkan and oriental influences.
Discography:
Peace Shalom Salam Paix (Sapem, 1980)
Nomade De L’Espoir (Sapem, 1984)
Hamsin (Kardum, 1996)
Café Turc (Al Sur, 1999)
Cosmopolis (Mosaic Music, 2006)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
