Song of Songs

The performative concert “Song of Songs” is dedicated to the multifaceted artistic traditions of the Mizrahim, the Jewish inhabitants of the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the traditions that director Ariel Efraim Ashbel and his team spotlight is the “Song of Songs” (a.k.a. the Song of Solomon) – a sensual love poem from the Tanach, or Old Testament, which has inspired numerous Jewish and non-Jewish artists alike. Even the Yemeni pop diva Ofra Haza has put the text to music. The singer, who gained international acclaim for her album “Songs of Yemenite Jews” (1984) is a key figure and the musical inspiration for the project.

The team’s research efforts led them to the heart of Mizrahi culture. The performance incorporates film material produced by documentary film director Iris Zaki. “Song of Songs” is dramaturgically based on a concept by the Egyptian-Israeli author Jacqueline Kahanoff, who defines “Levantinism” as a positive expression of the cultural hybridity and multifaceted character of the eastern Mediterranean countries. 

“Song of Songs” is funded through General Project Funding by the German Federal Cultural Foundation.

Artistic direction: Ariel Efraim Ashbel 
Music: Studio LABOUR and Ravid Kahalani, ft. Riff Cohen

Concerts: HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin: spring 2027; FFT Forum Freies Theater, Düsseldorf: autumn 2027