Eran Madom

Eran Madom is a native-born Israeli. His father arrived in the country from Yemen and his mother from Morocco, both settling in the northern town of Maalot, nearby Safed, where Eran still lives.

Eran Madom plays and teaches classical and flamenco guitar as well as composing his own music. At least once a week Eran journeys to Safed to work with Anat Edry on their joint musical projects.

Early Years

Although Eran doesn't come from a musical family, he has absorbed the Yemenite rhythms of his childhood and this influence is evident when he plays. His father bought him his first guitar after his bar mitzvah when he was thirteen years old and he began his musical career learning to play rock music. While he was in the army he became inspired by the music of jazz guitarists John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain- a master of the tabla. Eran then sold his electric guitar and bought a classical guitar. He found the technique needed for this instrument very different from the electric guitar, but with perseverance, he taught himself to play, even teaching himself to play flamenco guitar from video cassettes.

Bands

After the army Eran felt his destiny lay in music and he began to play seriously. Although his mother was skeptical about his ability to earn a living from music, he started to jam with a variety of musicians. Forming his first band, a trio- Tiltan -the name comes from the club design in cards - he played concerts and festivals all over the Galilee. However, this wasn't enough to live on and so he also worked in a music shop.

Shimuna

Eran feels that music is very spiritual, coming from God, and that it allows people to connect to God in a different way. He searched for musicians who felt the same and his next band was called Shimuna. This name, which comes from the Hebrew word for the number 8, was inspired by the idea that there will be a new note when the Messiah comes. The band played and recorded together while striving to look for this new note.

Hallelu-ja Ensemble

Eran then joined the Hallelu-ja Ensemble working and playing with them for two years. The band plays ethnic music using traditional instruments such as the oud and the baglama, as well as guitar and flute. This enables them to put their own unique take on traditional tunes as well as writing their own music, composed by Eran and others. Although Eran is still recording with the band, playing both guitar and the baglama, he is now also working on his own projects as well as playing with Anat Edry's band Jacob's Knights.

Current Projects

He feels the inspiration he gets from being in Safed, and from working with Anat and her amazing voice, comes out in all his music. His new project, Magical Journey is a group of musicians who play a variety of ethnic instruments as well as violin, flute and flamenco guitar. The aim of the Magical Journey project is to explore the journey of life and the tribulations of the world.

As well as playing and teaching music, Eran works as a session musician and plays Moroccan style music in the Andalusian band of Maalot. He will be playing with Anat Edry at the Safed Klezmer festival.

CD's

Shimuna: B'Yom Haoo - This Day (i.e. the day when the Messiah will come)

Awakening: a CD of meditation music

At present he is recording with Hallelu-ja, Jacob's Knights, as well as Magical Journey.

Contact

For more information about when and where he is playing, his CD's or his teaching, contact Eran at 054 745 7999 or email [email protected].