Gili Yalo is one of the most intriguing musicians in the music scene in Israel. Gili combines Ethiopian roots with Soul, Funk, and Jazz music. The result is an exceptional, rich, vivid melody accompanied by Gili’s unique voice with lyrics in English Amharic and Hebrew. The music made by Gili Yalo embodies his own personal story, which inspired the rhythm and flow of the whole project.

And what a story he has to tell.

Operation Moses was the covert evacuation of Ethiopian Jews from Sudan during a famine in 1984. These Ethiopian Jews fled from their native land on foot to refugee camps in Sudan.Together with his family, Gili Yalo made this perilous trip, walked through the desert towards the “Promised Land” and sang to his beloved ones. In the course of this exhausting and emotional journey, the music encouraged Gili and his family to keep on moving.

Today Gili Yalo’s music gives a new meaning to traditional Ethiopian music. The expression of his story through an advanced music production represents his own personal triumph.

This opening concert of Tarbut: Festival of Jewish Culture will feature a pre-show Ethiopian coffee service and a post-performance vegan reception catered by Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant.