obituaries
Obituaries from page 69
The Father Of Israeli Rock
Jessica Steinberg
Times of Israel
W
hen an icon as beloved and
talented as Arik Einstein dies
suddenly, the reactions are
strong, emotional and raw
Einstein, 74, suffered a severe aortic
aneurysm at his Tel Aviv home on Nov. 26
and was declared dead soon afterwards.
Considered the father of Israeli rock, the
musician, who moved the country from
its early folk standards to a moderately
harder-hitting rock ethos, symbolized the
spirit of the State of Israel. He was not just
a musician but a musical icon who accom-
panied, and inspired, the country and its
people through its ongoing history and,
along the way, managed to resonate with
every type of Israeli.
"Arik is the soundtrack of my life said
Geva Alon, a rock/folk singer and song-
writer. "He was a musical father to me and
to so many others. What a huge loss."
Einstein's music was and is the
soundtrack of road trips, army bases and
American Jewish summer camps. His are
the songs heard in the car, at the beach,
during Independence Day events, after
terrorist attacks; his were the songs heard
throughout the dark days following the
assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin.
For many, he represented the musical
counterpart to Israel's steady development
— the sabra ability to bring something
new to the mix, but in a manner that invit-
ed the rest of society to participate. An
easygoing, modest personality, he was also,
in many ways, an early entrepreneur.
Einstein was known for his open-
mindedness and his massive knowledge of
music and how to produce what he heard,
consistently putting his ego to the side,
said entertainer Uzi Essner.
"What is Israeli? Arik Einstein:' he said.
"When I'm doing a night of Israeli music
and I want to draw a huge audience, I use
his music. They're songs that wouldn't
have gotten sung if it weren't for Arik
Einstein."
The son of actor Yaakov Einstein, Arik
got his start in the IDF Nahal Brigade
entertainment corps. Like other Israeli
musicians, he kept a foot in the act-
ing world, first joining the Batzal Yarok
entertainment troupe, together with the
now-legendary Haim Topol and Gila
Almagor, and then the Yarkon Bridge Trio
with equally renowned Yehoram Gaon and
Benny Amdursky
He also made films with Uri Zohar, who
directed the two in movies depicting life in
what was then bohemian Tel Aviv, set in the
northern parts of the city, near the beach,
an area that was then home to many artists
and musicians. Einstein was the one, say
many, who made Tel Aviv hip and cool.
Einstein collaborated with others. But
throughout, he produced solo albums
that remained true to his sound — a
folksy kind of rock sung in a firm but
gentle baritone in which each word and
concept was carefully enunciated. And
those lyrics often illuminate how every
Israeli feels about any given situation,
whatever the year or decade.
He sang about traveling abroad in "San
Francisco" but wanting to return home
"to the swamp:" He sang from the point
of view of soldiers on guard duty and
about the pleasures of a cup of tea drunk
on one's apartment balcony. He sang for
children and for optimists; he sang for the
Arik Einstein
elderly and the pained.
For teachers and educators, camp coun-
selors and youth group leaders, Einstein's
were the songs for around the campfire.
"I would teach Ani VeAta' (`Me and
You') because of its symbolism, about
leaving a mark for beginnings and inspi-
rations, and then `Uf Gozal' (`Fly Away
Young Chick') because it reflected on
so many situations in life said Moshe
Gold, who directs short-term programs
at Ramah Israel and has taught American
high school students spending a semester
in Israel.
"The thing is, Israeli kids love the same
songs. He would pronounce each word so
perfectly; it's like a speech. They became
songs that transcend cultures."
❑
111
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70
December 5 • 2013
Obituaries
SAM FIsh.