Dudu Tassa

David "Dudu" Tassa (Hebrew: דודו טסה‎; born February 10, 1977) is one of Israel's most prominent rock musicians,[1] singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer of Iraqi descent. Besides having had a successful solo career in Israel, Tassa has been the leader of the internationally acclaimed band Dudu Tassa and the Kuwaitis which plays new renditions of old Iraqi songs written and composed by Tassa's late grandfather and great-uncle, Daoud and Salih Al-Kuwaity.[2]

Dudu Tassa
Dudu Tassa in concert, 2017
Background information
Birth nameDavid Tassa
Born (1977-02-10) February 10, 1977
OriginTel Aviv, Israel
GenresRock music,
Pop rock,
Arabic music
Years active1992–present
LabelsHed Artzi

Life and musical career

Tassa was born and raised in Hatikva Quarter in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a Mizrahi Jewish family from Iraq.[3] He was active in the local community center during his childhood. He studied in the theater program at Ironi Alef High School, and at the age of 15 he released his debut album, "Ohev et Ha'Shirim" (Hebrew: אוהב את השירים, "Loving the Songs"), produced by Yishai Ben Tzur. In 2000, after finishing his military service, Tassa released the album Yoter Barur (יותר ברור, "Clearer"), which was critically acclaimed despite slim sales. in 2002 he joined the band of Israeli satirist Eli Yatzpan’s late night show as lead guitarist.

In 2003 he released his third album, Mitokh Behira (מתוך בחירה, "Out of Choice"), gaining larger exposure than its antecedents. The album also included Tassa's version of "Fog el Nakhal", a famous Iraqi folk song that was also performed by his grandfather Daoud El Kuwaiti. Tassa recorded the song for the film Turn Left at the End of the World, released a year following the album's release. In 2004 Tassa's released his fourth album, Bediyuk Bazman (בדיוק בזמן, "Just in Time"), was released, and in 2006 his fifth album, “Lola” (לולה).

In 2009 Tassa's sixth album, “Basof Mitraglim Le’Hakol” (בסוף מתרגלים להכל, “At the End You Get Used to Everything”) was released. The album featured Radiohead’s lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood. In the same year Tassa participated in Samuel Maoz’s film Lebanon, playing the role of a Syrian prisoner of war. He later participated in other Israeli films. In 2010 Tassa released a live album named “Akharei Layla Shel Ra’ash” (אחרי לילה של רעש, “After a Noisy Night”, recorded in his 2009 live concert in Zappa club, in Tel Aviv.

In 2012 Tassa released the album “Skharkhoret” (סחרחורת, “dizziness”),[4] and participated in Benny Torati's film "Balada La’Aviv Haboche" (בלדה לאביב הבוכה, Ballad Of The Weeping Spring).[5] Two years later, in 2014, he released the album “Ir u’Vehalot” (עיר ובהלות, “Terrors upon the City.”) for which Tassa was awarded the ACUM (Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers in Israel) prize as composer of the year.

In 2016, Tassa released the album “Hagoleh” (הגולֶה, "The Exile") most of the lyrics in which he wrote with he wrote in collaboration with Gilad Kahana. In 2017 a second live album was released under the name "Dudu Tassa Be'Hofaa" (דודו טסה בהופעה, "Dudu Tassa Live"), a double album recorded a year earlier in Hanger 11, a famous concert venue in Tel Aviv. In 2018 Tassa collaborated with Israeli poet Eli Eliahu in the production of the album "Igeret el Ha'Yeladim" (איגרת אל הילדים, "Letter for the Children") which included eight compositions by Tassa to Eliahu's original poems.

Dudu Tassa and the Kuwaitis

In 2011 Tassa released the album "Dudu Tassa and the Kuwaitis" was released giving the name to Tassa's new band. The album was based entirely on Iraqi classics from the first half of the 20th century, composed by Tassa's grandfather and great-uncle, Daoud and Salih Al-Kuwaity.[6] Tassa began working on the album about a decade before his release, when he was asked to record the Iraqi classical folk song "Fog el Nakhal" for the soundtrack of "Turn Left at the End of the World". Following this initial experience, Tassa began collecting songs composed by the Al-Kuwaity Brothers and arranging them for an album combining their music with modern music. The album included original recordings of the Al-Kuwaity Brothers and their Iraqi orchestra.

The album was very successful, selling thousands of copies in Israel and Tassa was awarded the prestigious ACUM Prize for the production of the album. The album featured Berry Sakharof, Yehudit Ravitz and Carmela Tassa, Dudu's mother and the daughter of Daoud Al-Kuwaity, who contributed her voice in some Arabic language songs. The single "Wen Ya Galub" from this album was the first song in Arabic to be play-listed on Israel's leading radio stations.

The recording of the first album was documented in the film "Iraq n' Roll" (2011) that tells the story of collecting and reviving the music of the Al-Kuwaity Brothers.[7] The film was screened in many international festivals and won critical praise.

In 2015, Tassa's band's second album, "Ala Shawati",[8] was released, featuring Ninet Tayeb in the single “Dhub Utfatar".

Dudu Tassa and the Kuwaitis toured in the US.[9] and Europe and participated in many rock festivals, such as Coachella Festival[10] and SXSW showcase in Austin, TX,[11] the Sziget Festival in Hungary, and WOMEX.[12] In 2017 the band were chosen by Radiohead as its supporting act for its 2017 USA tour and its concert in Israel.[13]

In October 2018 the band's new album "El Hajar" ("abandonment" in Arabic) was released.

Personal life

Tassa married Noa Kram on 30 September 2014. They had a daughter (2015) and a son (2017).

References
  1. Hird, Alison (1 February 2019). "From Daud to Dudu: Israeli rock star makes classic Iraqi songs popular again". Radio France Internationale.
  2. Varty, Alexander (19 February 2014). "Dudu Tassa rediscovers his musical roots". The Georgia Straight.
  3. Kohavi, Noya (4 March 2010). "Balance Check". Haaretz.
  4. Shalev, Ben (6 July 2012). "Between Kurt Cobain and Shalom Hanoch". Haaretz.
  5. Fainaru, Dan (9 July 2012). "Ballad Of The Weeping Spring". Screen Daily.
  6. Vox Tablet (11 March 2014). "From Baghdad to Tel Aviv and Back: an Israeli Star Digs into His Grandfather's Music". Tablet (magazine).
  7. Anderman, Nirit (22 July 2011). "The Sound of Silence". Haaretz.
  8. Denselow, Robin (31 January 2019). "Dudu Tassa: an Iraqi Revival". Songlines (magazine).
  9. Laufer, Yocheved Lauren (12 February 2018). "Dudu Tassa: from Israel to America... with a Stopover in Iraq". The Jerusalem Post.
  10. Roberts, Randall (21 April 2017). "How Coachella act Dudu Tassa, an Israeli-Iraqi-Yemeni Jew, resurrected his ancestors' music (and toured with Radiohead)". Los Angeles Times.
  11. "Dudu Tassa". Sxsw.
  12. "Dudu Tassa & the Kuwaitis (Israel)". WOMEX.
  13. Kaye, Ben (21 March 2017). "Radiohead confirm Jewish-Arabic band Dudu Tassa & The Kuwaitis as openers for US tour". Consequence of Sound.
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