Mashina
Encyclopedia
Mashina are an Israel
i pop rock
band
which was active from 1984 to 1995, and then again from 2003 to the present. The band is considered by many to be Israel's most important and influential rock band. Their musical style took inspiration from ska
and hard rock
, among others.
, a member of the Banai family, probably Israel's best-known family of entertainers; father Yossi
was an actor and singer, as are uncles Gabri and Ya'akov, along with most of Yuval's cousins. During his army service he met guitar player Shlomi Bracha and the two started playing music together. A friend of theirs, a recent Russian immigrant, suggested they call their band "Machina Vremeni", which means "time machine" in Russian (this suggestion may have been inspired by the well-known Russian rock band Mashina Vremeni
of the 60's and 70's).
After the army service the two split up; Banai formed the band "Shlom Ha-Tzibur" ("Public Safety"), while Bracha teamed up with bassist Michael Benson to form the band "HaChazit Ha'amamit" ("The Popular Front"). In 1984 they decide to combine to form a new band, which they called Mashina, bringing in drummer Iggy Dayan; in 1985, they released their self-titled debut, which quickly became a hit on the Israeli charts. Later Avner Hodorov joined the band on keyboard and saxophone. They gained widespread popularity in Israel during the late 80's and early 90's.
In May 1995 the band announced their retirement and put together four heavily-publicized farewell shows. What would have been their fourth and final performance, in Arad, Israel, ended when three of the spectators were crushed to death by the crowd before the band went onstage. The band played another farewell concert several months later at Park HaYarkon
, which they dedicated to the three deceased fans.
After Mashina broke up, Banai released 3 solo albums: "Yuval Banai" (1997), "Rashi Dub" (1999) (produced by bass player Yossi Fine) and "Nish'ar BaMakom" ("Staying in Place") (2001). Bracha released a solo album, and Benson co-founded the electronic-rock group Atmosfire, which came out with one album.
The band re-formed in 2003 and began touring and releasing albums again. On October 8, 2006, the band performed at the opening ceremony of the 27th Acco
Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre.
In 2008, Banai released another solo album, "Me'ever Le'harim" ("Over the Mountains"), produced by alt-folk singer Allan Moon
.
In 2008, November 25, Mashina will come to Brazil for a giant show in Canecão, Rio de Janeiro. The show is in celebration for the 60 years of the state of Israel, organized by the youth group Habonim Dror. This event, called Messibá Habonim Dror, is expected to be the biggest event done by a Jewish group in Rio de Janeiro, and it's the first time of Mashina in Brazil.
Mashina has recently announced their comeback with a new album release in mid December 2008.
bands like Madness
; they didn't bother to hide the influence, titling what became one of their earliest hit songs "Rakevet Laila Le-Kahir" ("Night Train to Cairo"), an homage to Madness' "Night Boat to Cairo
", or "Geveret Sarah Hashchena" ("Miss Sarah, the Neighbour") that copied the theme, music and opening lyrics of Bob Dylan
's "The Hurricane". Their subsequent albums combined reggae, punk rock and Middle Eastern elements. "Ha'Amuta Le-Heker Hatmuta" ("The Society for the Study of Mortality") sounds influenced by The Cure
, "Miflatzot Ha-Tehila" ("The Monsters of Fame") sounds influenced by The Pixies, "Si Ha-Regesh" ("Emotional Peak") has the blues influence of Pink Floyd
, and "Lehitra'ot Ne'urim Shalom Ahava" ("Goodbye Youth, Hello Love") has the anthemic quality of U2
.
Their lyrics, tend to be cynical, sometimes humorously so. There are common themes of alienation, the struggle of everyday life and a desire for some sort of physical or spiritual escape.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
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...
which was active from 1984 to 1995, and then again from 2003 to the present. The band is considered by many to be Israel's most important and influential rock band. Their musical style took inspiration from ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, among others.
History
Mashina was formed by singer Yuval BanaiYuval Banai
Yuval Banay is an Israeli musician, best known as the lead singer of the influential Israeli pop rock band Mashina.-Personal life:Yuval was born on June 9, 1962 in Tel-Aviv to Yossi and Ilana Banai...
, a member of the Banai family, probably Israel's best-known family of entertainers; father Yossi
Yossi Banai
Yossi Banai was an Israeli performer, singer, actor, and dramatist.-Biography:Banai was born in Jerusalem, and grew up in the neighborhood of the Mahane Yehuda market...
was an actor and singer, as are uncles Gabri and Ya'akov, along with most of Yuval's cousins. During his army service he met guitar player Shlomi Bracha and the two started playing music together. A friend of theirs, a recent Russian immigrant, suggested they call their band "Machina Vremeni", which means "time machine" in Russian (this suggestion may have been inspired by the well-known Russian rock band Mashina Vremeni
Mashina Vremeni
Mashina Vremeni is a Russian rock band founded in 1969. Mashina Vremeni was a pioneer in Soviet rock music, and remains one of the oldest still active rock bands in Russia...
of the 60's and 70's).
After the army service the two split up; Banai formed the band "Shlom Ha-Tzibur" ("Public Safety"), while Bracha teamed up with bassist Michael Benson to form the band "HaChazit Ha'amamit" ("The Popular Front"). In 1984 they decide to combine to form a new band, which they called Mashina, bringing in drummer Iggy Dayan; in 1985, they released their self-titled debut, which quickly became a hit on the Israeli charts. Later Avner Hodorov joined the band on keyboard and saxophone. They gained widespread popularity in Israel during the late 80's and early 90's.
In May 1995 the band announced their retirement and put together four heavily-publicized farewell shows. What would have been their fourth and final performance, in Arad, Israel, ended when three of the spectators were crushed to death by the crowd before the band went onstage. The band played another farewell concert several months later at Park HaYarkon
Yarkon Park
Yarkon Park , also known as Joshua Gardens, is a large public urban park in Tel Aviv, Israel, with about sixteen million visitors annually...
, which they dedicated to the three deceased fans.
After Mashina broke up, Banai released 3 solo albums: "Yuval Banai" (1997), "Rashi Dub" (1999) (produced by bass player Yossi Fine) and "Nish'ar BaMakom" ("Staying in Place") (2001). Bracha released a solo album, and Benson co-founded the electronic-rock group Atmosfire, which came out with one album.
The band re-formed in 2003 and began touring and releasing albums again. On October 8, 2006, the band performed at the opening ceremony of the 27th Acco
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre.
In 2008, Banai released another solo album, "Me'ever Le'harim" ("Over the Mountains"), produced by alt-folk singer Allan Moon
Allan Moon
Allan Moon is a Canadian / Israeli Artist, Poet, Singer-Songwriter and Producer.-Geography:Moon was born in Toronto, Canada and grew up in New York City. In 1992, Moon emigrated to Israel and settled in Tel Aviv at the age 17...
.
In 2008, November 25, Mashina will come to Brazil for a giant show in Canecão, Rio de Janeiro. The show is in celebration for the 60 years of the state of Israel, organized by the youth group Habonim Dror. This event, called Messibá Habonim Dror, is expected to be the biggest event done by a Jewish group in Rio de Janeiro, and it's the first time of Mashina in Brazil.
Mashina has recently announced their comeback with a new album release in mid December 2008.
Music
The musical growth of Mashina can be mapped to different influences across their albums. Their early sound was obviously imitative of skaSka
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
bands like Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
; they didn't bother to hide the influence, titling what became one of their earliest hit songs "Rakevet Laila Le-Kahir" ("Night Train to Cairo"), an homage to Madness' "Night Boat to Cairo
Night Boat to Cairo
"Night Boat to Cairo" is a song by British ska/pop band Madness from their debut 1979 album One Step Beyond.... It was written by Mike Barson and Suggs , and was also included on the Work Rest and Play EP, which peaked at #6 in the UK music charts...
", or "Geveret Sarah Hashchena" ("Miss Sarah, the Neighbour") that copied the theme, music and opening lyrics of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's "The Hurricane". Their subsequent albums combined reggae, punk rock and Middle Eastern elements. "Ha'Amuta Le-Heker Hatmuta" ("The Society for the Study of Mortality") sounds influenced by The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, "Miflatzot Ha-Tehila" ("The Monsters of Fame") sounds influenced by The Pixies, "Si Ha-Regesh" ("Emotional Peak") has the blues influence of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, and "Lehitra'ot Ne'urim Shalom Ahava" ("Goodbye Youth, Hello Love") has the anthemic quality of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
.
Their lyrics, tend to be cynical, sometimes humorously so. There are common themes of alienation, the struggle of everyday life and a desire for some sort of physical or spiritual escape.
Band members
- Yuval Banay - 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...
, Acoustic GuitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - Shlomi Bracha - Electric GuitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Iggy Dayan - 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 ....
- Avner Hodorov - keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
.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...
, AccordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist.... - Michael Benson - Bass GuitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Supporting members
- Micha Margalit - lightLightLight or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
- Yaara Bar - Back stageBack StageBack Stage is an entertainment-industry brand aimed at people working in film and the performing arts, with a special focus on casting, job opportunities, and career advice.Back Stage publishes a weekly tabloid-sized trade magazine in the U.S...
- Oran Zilberstein - Back stageBack StageBack Stage is an entertainment-industry brand aimed at people working in film and the performing arts, with a special focus on casting, job opportunities, and career advice.Back Stage publishes a weekly tabloid-sized trade magazine in the U.S...
- Naor Ohad Ben Meir Costi - Back stageBack StageBack Stage is an entertainment-industry brand aimed at people working in film and the performing arts, with a special focus on casting, job opportunities, and career advice.Back Stage publishes a weekly tabloid-sized trade magazine in the U.S...
- Eyal Even Tzur - SoundSoundSound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
- Micha Margalit - light
Albums
| Year | Album | Israel Certificate |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Mashina | 2x Platinum |
| 1987 | Mashina 2 | Gold |
| 1988 | Mashina 3 | Gold |
| 1990 | Ha'Amuta Le-Heker Hatmuta | Platinum |
| 1992 | Miflatzot Ha-Tehila | Gold |
| 1993 | Si Ha-Regesh | Platinum |
| 1995 | Lehitraot Neurim Shalom Ahava | Platinum |
| 1995 | Mechonat Ha-Zman ("The Time Machine") | Platinum |
| 2003 | Mashina Live 2003 | Gold |
| 2005 | Romantika Atidanit ("Futuristic Romance") | Gold |
| 2010 | Yahalomim Bashamaim ("Diamonds In The Sky") |
Compilations
| Year | Album | Israel Certificate |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Gvirotay Ve-Rabotay ("Ladies And Gentlemen") | 2x Platinum |
| 1996 | Ha'Osef Hasheni ("The Second Compilation") |
- Total sales: 420,000+