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process behind his most beloved albums. He’s also taken part in a documentary series about his work which will soon be broadcast on the Israeli cable channel Hot 8. The series, includes rare footage from Shlomo Artzi’s personal family archive and interviews with the singer himself, members of his family and people who’ve worked with him along the way. “The podcasts are basically conversations between Yaron Shilon and me about ten of my albums.” (Yaron Shilon has been Artzi’s stage director for the past 16 years - M.C.). “Yaron chose the albums, and we talked about the memories I have of making them. It was a lot of fun and I documentary. I’m merely one of its interviewees and haven’t taken part in the making of it. As always, this type of thing gets me nervous, but honestly, I’m as curious about it as I am nervous. As a matter of fact, this whole profession of mine has always inspired as much curiosity in me as it has sheer panic - every single thing you put out there, people are going to dissect and judge. This time, I’m not the one who’s behind the wheel, and I’m not the one deciding what’s going to be said about my career. But I believe the documentary’s main focus is on how I overcame certain struggles and evolved through the years”. The last two years have taught us a lot. What’s one thing you’ve learned? “I’ve learned that there are no guarantees in life. It’s important to keep that in mind, to stay humble, hopeful and keep praying for better days”. ■ think they came out great.” And what was filming the documentary like? “First of all, it’s not my

Photo: Lior Nir

about that. There’s something very touching about feeling the audience connect with me emotionally, in their hearts and spirit - it’s palpable in the air we breathe. I feel their presence intensely.” Making a new album via WhatsApp Through the darkness of the pandemic years, there were many moments of hope and light. One of them came in the form of a new album, soon to be launched. Artzi worked on it while he was housebound, in remote collaboration with musician Dudu Tassa. The pair never even spoke. The whole enterprise was achieved via WhatsApp text messages - a whole new creation process. “We recorded the album remotely. I was in my home, and Dudu Tassa was in his, texting each other via WhatsApp every now and again. Later, I reworked the album a little and added three more songs to it. The album, called “By the sea”, will include 14 songs. It has yet to be launched, as I’m still unsure about it. It’s not that I’m unsure about how good it is, it’s more a question of self-confidence. I keep wondering if this album will resonate with the

world right now. While we were making it, a very strong bond was formed between Dudu and me. Being apart, communicating solely via text, probably rendered it even stronger. There was something transatlantic about the whole thing, one person being in one country, and the other in another, and still, they manage to create something beautiful together”. Will the album include songs you wrote during the pandemic? “I’ve left one song on it that refers specifically to lockdown. It’s called ‘All’s quiet in the room now’. It’s a bit of a strange song, with eclectic lyrics, but I think it’s a great song to listen to when you’re traveling. Some of the songs were recorded pre-pandemic.” Adapting to a changing world Artzi knows a thing or two about self-renewal. For decades, he’s been adapting and readapting to a world in constant evolution, identifying new trends and discovering new realms of activity. In the past year, aside from the music he’s recorded, he’s also taken part in a series of podcasts available on the Israeli radio station GalGalatz app, that focuses on the creative

30 ATMOSPHERE JULY 2022