Get lost in the sounds of El Khat, an international group from Tel Aviv on a mission to recover their roots.
El Khat, led by multi-instrumentalist Eyal El Wahab of Yemeni descent, makes heartfelt folk music with love for a culture that has been brutally disenfranchised. Named after the addictive leaf that has been chewed socially in the Arab peninsula for over 600 years, El Khat’s sound creates a similar euphoria with an orchestra of percussion, strings, and the band’s own custom-built instruments. Drawing influence from a collection of Yemeni folk and pop records of the 1960s, El Wahab creates deep dives into Yemen’s sonic past from a contemporary perspective. Made with skill and subtle humanity, El Khat’s music is otherworldly yet grounded in today’s realities of war and displacement. (program approx. 60–75 mins.)
IMAGE CAPTION
El Khat, photo: Hila Ahwal.
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- This performance has cabaret-style seating.
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Program Support
PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Doris Duke Foundation
WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Ohio Department of Development
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Wexner Family
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Ohio Arts Council
CampusParc
Ohio State’s Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme
The Columbus Foundation
Nationwide Foundation
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Mike and Paige Crane
Axium Packaging
Nancy Kramer
Ohio State Energy Partners
Ohio History Fund/Ohio History Connection
Larry and Donna James
Bruce and Joy Soll
Jones Day
Alex and Renée Shumate
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El Khat