Izrael (band)
Encyclopedia
Izrael is one of the most popular and influential Polish
reggae
band
s. It was formed in March 1983 in Warsaw
by two well-known musicians of Polish underground: Robert Brylewski
(formerly of Brygada Kryzys
) and Paweł Kelner (formerly of Deuter).
According to Brylewski, "Izrael's creation was a consequence of the death of Brygada Kryzys
. During last rehearsals of Brygada Kryzys only three musicians were present: Kelner, me and Tomasz Lipinski. There was nobody else. It was the end of 1982, hard times for Polish independent rockers. At some point Tomasz put his guitar on the side and said "I quit."
Izrael's debut took place on April 25, 1983 in the "Hybrydy" student club in Warsaw
, where the band rehearsed. The first recording, Idą ludzie Babilonu, was made later that year and quickly gained popularity. The band started to play in numerous concerts (such as at the Festival in Jarocin
, and a series of concerts called God's Music in Babylon). It also supported the group Misty in Roots
when they came to Poland.
In May 1983, the first LP, Biada, biada biada was recorded, but it was not delivered to stores until many months later.
In 1986 Kelner decided to quit and was replaced by Darek "Maleo" Malejonek (formerly of Kultura
), with whom the second album, Nabij faję was recorded. At that time, Izrael's musicians decided to accept any person who would like to play with them and who would bring something creative. Several musicians therefore became members of Izrael, including jazzmen, which was unusual for a reggae band. Altogether, approximately 100 musicians have been members of Izrael at one time or another. In 1987, the third album, Duchowa Rewolucja, was recorded.
Around the year 1989, Izrael became an established band with Brylewski, Vivian Brylewska (Robert's wife), Maleo, Piotr "Stopa" Żyżelewicz and Alik Dziki. In the same year the band went on a tour to then-Communist Czechoslovakia
. Shortly afterwards, Wlodzimierz Kiniorski joined as a new member. He played several instruments, including the saxophone
and the flute
.
In 1990, the band went to Great Britain
on an invitation from Marcin Miller. There they played several concerts and, more importantly, recorded an LP, 1991
, which is regarded as one of the best albums in the history of Polish music. 1991 was recorded at a "Ariwa" studio, which was owned by Mad Professor
.
After their return to Poland, Izrael played numerous concerts and the band was enthusiastically embraced by fans. In 1994, the concert album Live 93 was issued, which included songs recorded live in Kraków
and Białystok. The band was at the height of its popularity, thinking about a new LP. In 1995, the band was suddenly disbanded. According to Brylewski, "[the band's] history was fulfilled", since it was not created to sell records and make money.
In 1997 Brylewski released the album In Dub—a dubbed mix of the band's best songs. In 2006, the band, temporarily known as Magnetosfera, played a few concerts. Izrael returned in 2007 and reportedly, it is preparing a new album.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
s. It was formed in March 1983 in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
by two well-known musicians of Polish underground: Robert Brylewski
Robert Brylewski
Robert Maksymilian Brylewski , born May 25, 1961 in Warsaw, is a Polish rock musician, lead guitarist of several punk-rock and reggae bands, such as Kryzys, Brygada Kryzys, Izrael, Armia and Falarek Band. He is one of the most influential rock musicians in Poland, and is considered a founding...
(formerly of Brygada Kryzys
Brygada Kryzys
Brygada Kryzys or BK is one of the most important and influential Polish punk/rock reggae bands. The band was founded in 1981 by two well-known guitarist/vocalists from Warsaw, Robert Brylewski and Tomasz Lipiński .-1981:* July - Robert Brylewski asks Tomasz Lipiński if he would be willing to...
) and Paweł Kelner (formerly of Deuter).
According to Brylewski, "Izrael's creation was a consequence of the death of Brygada Kryzys
Brygada Kryzys
Brygada Kryzys or BK is one of the most important and influential Polish punk/rock reggae bands. The band was founded in 1981 by two well-known guitarist/vocalists from Warsaw, Robert Brylewski and Tomasz Lipiński .-1981:* July - Robert Brylewski asks Tomasz Lipiński if he would be willing to...
. During last rehearsals of Brygada Kryzys only three musicians were present: Kelner, me and Tomasz Lipinski. There was nobody else. It was the end of 1982, hard times for Polish independent rockers. At some point Tomasz put his guitar on the side and said "I quit."
Izrael's debut took place on April 25, 1983 in the "Hybrydy" student club in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, where the band rehearsed. The first recording, Idą ludzie Babilonu, was made later that year and quickly gained popularity. The band started to play in numerous concerts (such as at the Festival in Jarocin
Jarocin Festival
Jarocin Festival was one of the biggest and most important rock music festivals in the 1980s Europe, by far the biggest festival of alternative music in the Warsaw Pact countries....
, and a series of concerts called God's Music in Babylon). It also supported the group Misty in Roots
Misty in Roots
Misty in Roots began life as a Southall-based British roots reggae band in the early 1970s. Their first album was 1979's Live at the Counter Eurovision, a record full of Biblical Rastafarian songs. It was championed by BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, helping to bring roots reggae to a white audience...
when they came to Poland.
In May 1983, the first LP, Biada, biada biada was recorded, but it was not delivered to stores until many months later.
In 1986 Kelner decided to quit and was replaced by Darek "Maleo" Malejonek (formerly of Kultura
Kultura
Kultura , sometimes referred to as "Kultura Paryska", was a leading Polish-émigré literary-political journal, published from 1947 to 2000 by Instytut Literacki , initially in Rome, then Paris....
), with whom the second album, Nabij faję was recorded. At that time, Izrael's musicians decided to accept any person who would like to play with them and who would bring something creative. Several musicians therefore became members of Izrael, including jazzmen, which was unusual for a reggae band. Altogether, approximately 100 musicians have been members of Izrael at one time or another. In 1987, the third album, Duchowa Rewolucja, was recorded.
Around the year 1989, Izrael became an established band with Brylewski, Vivian Brylewska (Robert's wife), Maleo, Piotr "Stopa" Żyżelewicz and Alik Dziki. In the same year the band went on a tour to then-Communist Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. Shortly afterwards, Wlodzimierz Kiniorski joined as a new member. He played several instruments, including the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
.
In 1990, the band went to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
on an invitation from Marcin Miller. There they played several concerts and, more importantly, recorded an LP, 1991
1991 (Izrael album)
1991 is album by Polish reggae band Izrael.In April/May of 1990 Izrael went to London to record its new album. The album, called "1991" was recorded at London's Ariwa studio and it is regarded as one of the best LP's in Polish rock history. The band mixes here various kinds of music, including...
, which is regarded as one of the best albums in the history of Polish music. 1991 was recorded at a "Ariwa" studio, which was owned by Mad Professor
Mad Professor
Mad Professor is a dub music producer and engineer known for his original productions and remix work. He is considered one of the leading producers of dub music’s second generation and was instrumental in transitioning dub into the digital age. He is a prolific producer, contributing to or...
.
After their return to Poland, Izrael played numerous concerts and the band was enthusiastically embraced by fans. In 1994, the concert album Live 93 was issued, which included songs recorded live in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
and Białystok. The band was at the height of its popularity, thinking about a new LP. In 1995, the band was suddenly disbanded. According to Brylewski, "[the band's] history was fulfilled", since it was not created to sell records and make money.
In 1997 Brylewski released the album In Dub—a dubbed mix of the band's best songs. In 2006, the band, temporarily known as Magnetosfera, played a few concerts. Izrael returned in 2007 and reportedly, it is preparing a new album.
Personnel
- Robert Brylewski (vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) - Vivian Brylewska (Vocals)
- Darek "Maleo" Malejonek (Vocals, Guitar)
- Piotr "Stopa" Żyżelewicz (drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) - Alik Dziki (BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) - Wlodzimierz Kiniorski (SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
)
Discography
- Biada, biada biada (1984)
- Nabij Faje (1985)
- Duchowa Rewolucja (1987)
- 19911991 (Izrael album)1991 is album by Polish reggae band Izrael.In April/May of 1990 Izrael went to London to record its new album. The album, called "1991" was recorded at London's Ariwa studio and it is regarded as one of the best LP's in Polish rock history. The band mixes here various kinds of music, including...
(1990) - Live 93 (1994)
- In dub (1997)
- Dża Ludzie (2008)