Kobi Farhi is currently relaxing at his home outside of Tel Aviv, but in a matter of days, the vocalist for Israeli progressive rock pioneers Orphaned Land will board a plane and fly over 7,500 miles to Australia. This jetlag-inducing trip will precede the band’s first ever tour of our shores, a worthy cause for celebration amongst local fans. Nevertheless, it’s a journey laced with a hint of irony.
“We can fly all the way to Australia to play a show, but we cannot go around the corner because of bans in the Middle East,” Farhi says of the political red tape that frequently blocks Orphaned Land’s entry into their neighbouring countries.
“If you take the borders of Israel, from north to south, you have Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt, and in all those countries, we simply cannot go and play. We have Israeli passports but, politically, we are enemies of those countries.”
Emerging from a region marred by ongoing conflict, the self-dubbed “Metallica of the Middle East” have pushed against and redefined both tangible and intangible boundaries imposed on them for the past 23 years. Political, territorial, and religious stalemates may be a reality in their homeland for now, but Farhi is determined to change this.
“We come from Israel, and the whole Middle East is a conflict area between Israelis and Arabs, or Muslims and Jews,” the musician explains. “And it appears that by making music as a global language we have succeeded to create a huge fan base of Arabs and Muslims, despite the fact that we are Israelis and Jews.
“I mean, I know you’re in Australia and you’re probably familiar with the Middle Eastern conflict, but I don’t know if you can understand how significant it is for Arabs to follow an Israeli band.”
This message of coexistence was spread across Europe late last year when Orphaned Land teamed up with Palestinian rockers Khalas for an 18-date tour which, again somewhat ironically, happened to coincide with the first organised peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials in over a decade.
“Just imagine: an Israeli band and a Palestinian band sharing a cramped bus and living together,” the singer quips. “How great is that?”
“I know you’re in Australia and you’re probably familiar with the Middle Eastern conflict, but I don’t know if you can understand how significant it is for Arabs to follow an Israeli band”Light-hearted anecdotes aside, the heavily tattooed and shaggy-haired frontman continually reiterates Orphaned Land’s modus operandi of peace, respect, and acceptance. The frontman, who co-founded the band (originally called Resurrection) when he was just 16 years old, says they would never have achieved anything if they tried to be “just another American band shouting into a microphone.”
Weaving strands of traditional Middle Eastern music with the aural muscle of progressive rock has allowed them to create something unique, something which metalheads of the Middle East “can be proud of.”
“We’ve never declared that we’re pro-Israelis or pro-Arab,” Farhi says of his lyrics, which slice through prejudice and preach unity, most recently on last year’s All Is One album. “We’re speaking a universal language, so whether it’s a Palestinian or an Israeli, they can find themselves in our music.
“Sometimes I do want to sing songs about other topics, but I feel that Orphaned Land is my main goal and the main thing in my life. Living in Israel, that’s reality. Living in such a small country where the only friendly border is the sea: that’s our reality here and I want to do all in my power to change that.
“You probably have your own problems in Australia, but you can’t believe how lucky you are to live in a country where someone won’t come to kill you, where there isn’t any terror threats, or any wars. That’s something I wish for the people of my region. That’s not possible with what’s going on these days in Syria. I find that talking about it, singing about it, is more important than my own personal issues with my ex-girlfriend or love stories or stuff like that.”
The vocalist is often recognised and stopped by strangers on the street who tell him that, although they’re not fans of heavy metal, they approve of the messages he conveys in his music. He says 90 per cent of the time the comments people make are positive. But, and it should come as little surprise, being in a band so politically-focused as Orphaned Land does expose Farhi to a great deal of criticism too.
“I’m not singing about my personal life, my ex-girlfriend, or something like that. We’re always talking about politics, without taking sides, but still, it doesn’t matter what we do: this is a political statement however you look at it. There’s always criticism and we always have to explain ourselves.
“Sometimes people are like, ‘Why are you embracing Arabs while all they want is to kill us?’ Or the Arabs that are working with us, touring with us, or coming to our shows, they are always questioned: ‘Why are you killing Israelis?’”
He pauses, before continuing:
“There’s always criticism but we always try to explain a very simple thing: the conflict has been there for over a century now; it goes back to the bible times of Isaac and Ishmael, the sons of Abraham. Isaac is the father of all Israelis and Ishmael is the father of all Arabs. Maybe the conflict didn’t start back then. We simply want to overcome this conflict, and the only way to do it is by becoming brothers again. I don’t see any other way.
“Living in such a small country where the only friendly border is the sea: that’s our reality here and I want to do all in my power to change that”“It takes politicians over six years of pre-conversations and conditions just to bring themselves to the table. I don’t trust politicians; they’ve failed me again and again and again throughout history. I trust myself. I trust the people. And I want the people to start embracing one another, which is what we’re doing in our music.”
So would Orphaned Land’s quest to unite be as effective if they were a pop, punk, or polka band? The answer: probably not.
“There is something about metal that reminds me of religion, but in a good way,” Farhi says. “If you go to Wacken Open Air, for example, you can see people from all countries and they’re together as a global village. Coexistence in its simplest form is prevailing there and that’s amazing.”
It may be contentious to claim that religion causes division while heavy metal brings people together – but that’s how Farhi sees it. A metal disciple since the ‘80s, he ditched Dirty Dancing soundtracks and Michael Jackson when his soul was stirred by the blazing, harmonised leads of Iron Maiden; a “life-changing” discovery. These days he preaches the good word amongst writhing seas of black t-shirts, tattoos, and long, unwashed locks.
“If you want to learn about coexistence, you should learn it first from metal people. That’s what I’m always telling people in Israel: those people you think are Satanists are actually doing more for peace than the politicians. It’s another example of how a stereotype – how Arabs stereotype Israelis, how Israelis stereotype Arabs, and how people stereotype metalheads as Satanists – it’s something that we need to change from the source. And it’s a matter of education, of course. Metal has the ability to really teach people about coexistence.”
And he’s right – well, at least according to fans of Orphaned Land, who’ve championed the metal band for the Nobel Peace Prize since 2012 through an online petition.
There may still be a long way to go in achieving peace in the Middle East, but Orphaned Land – alongside many other emerging Middle Eastern metal visionaries – are continuing the crusade by using music, not violence, to make a difference.
“I would give up all the rewards if you could promise me that children would stop dying in the Middle East, or in Syria, or that the Israeli conflict would stop today,” concludes the artist . “I would prefer that more than any prize…. we’re really dealing with music and with influencing people to other ideas and other way. That’s the most important thing for me.”
Orphaned Land Australian Tour 2014
with Voyager (WA) and Orsome Welles (VIC)
THU 20 MAR 2014 – THE FACTORY THEATRE, Sydney
SAT 22 MAR 2014 – THE EPSY GERSHWIN ROOM, Melbourne
SUN 23 MAR 2014 – THE REV, Brisbane
Tickets and info at http://www.orphaned-land.com
