Esti Kenan Ofri

Born in Italy and raised in Israel, Esti Kenan-Ofri is a composer and a performer of music and dance. Her work is inspired by the diverse traditions of song and dance in Israel and particularly by the Sephardi-Jewish heritage.

She has performed music written and arranged especially for her by many composers including Luciano Berio, Andrei Hajdu, Betty Olivero, Noam Sherif, Oded Zehavi, Piris Eliyahu, Netta Aloni, Mark Kopitman and Israel Borochov.

She performed the leading role in Luciano Berio's "Ofanim" with numerous orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic under Claudio Abado. In Bologna, she sang the leading role in Fabio Vacchi’s opera “Il Viaggio”.

Her CD “Juego de Siempre” (“The Game of Forever”) is a collection of Judeo-Spanish songs arranged especially for her by the Israeli composers Betty Olivero and Oded Zehavi and produced together with the Museum of Jewish Diasora.
A further CD "Spirit of the East" includes some of Piris Eliyahu compositions.
Together with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta and Placido Domingo she sang "A Sephardic Passion" a work by Noam Sheriff, the best-known contemporary Israeli composer. 

In 1994 she founded the duo "Kol Tof", together with the drummer and percussionist Oren Fried. They since have been guests at several festivals throughout Europe, e.g. the festivities of the 50. anniversary of the UNESCO in Paris.  

With the addition of the Moroccan Oud player Armond Sabach some years ago, the duo became the trio "Kol Oud Tof", which is dedicated to the interpretation of musical traditionals of the northern African Jews - particularly the Moroccan -, whose music is based upon Sephardic songs and enriched by texts, instruments and stylistic elements of the Arabic culture.

At present Esti Kenan Ofri works with the Arabo-Andalucian orchestra of Tangier, with Kol Oud Tof trio and with keyboard player Slava Ganelin.
 
 

Oren Fried
Born and raised in Jerusalem, the drummer and percussionist Oren Fried studied with Jerry Garval and at the Jerusalem Rubin Academy of Music and Dance. He played with a variety of jazz groups and musicians, both Israeli (Tzlil Shachen) and foreign (Steve Grossman, Arnie Lawrence and others) and has worked with a wide range of ensembles and traditions from latin and jazz to traditional ethnic. His particular emphasis is on the Jewish musical heritage.

In NY he studied Latin percussion with Frankie Malabe and played with John Sherman’s Zydeco band, Sam Bennet’s “Chunk” and the psychedelic funk band “Anabubula”.

At the 2000 Israel Festival he performed a selection of Piris Eliyahu’s compositions, together with singer Alim Kassimov.
He has also performed and recorded with various artists such as Ilana Eliya, Mendy Kahan, Ofer Calaf and the “Abidin” ensemble.



Armand Sabach

was born in Morocco to a Jewish-Maroccan family where he was introduced as a child to the traditional Arabic musical intruments, particularly the Arabic lute Oud and various percussion instruments. Having graduated from the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance in Jerusalem, he directed an ensemble specializing in Moroccan Jewish Music.

Since 1995 he composes music for the singer Ilana Eliya and the ensemble Jabalio which is specialized in Kurdian music and performs with them. Furthermore he directs the ensemble "My heart goes East" which is dedicated to traditional Arabic music.

Together with Kenan Ofri and Fried, he took part in recordings of Spanish Jewish music, and this encounter marked the beginning of the "Kol Oud Tof" trio, the unique repertory of which of rediscovered songs partly believed to be lost eternally, can also be attributed to Sabach's comitted search for traditional musical traces.