Hamuchtar

Hamuchtar (Hebrew: המוכתר), Gilad Philip Ben-David, b. 1971, is a singer^[1] and cabaret artist who began his career in Tel Aviv in the late 1980s. He has also played various films most notably “Amazing Grace” by the late director Amos Guttman, as well as directing his own films and theatre plays. His musical style incorporates cabaret, mizrahi music, Yemenite music and electronica.

Early years

Gilad Philip Ben-David was born in Rishon Le Zion to a family with Yemenite and Dutch roots. His first musical influences came from his grandfather, a cantor. At age 12, he began to perform original rock songs at events in his hometown as well as taking part in a competition of French songs organized by the French Embassy in Tel Aviv.

At age 15, he performed in Tel Aviv for the first time, accompanied by Asaf Amdorsky, as a drummer, as a guest of Yoav Gal and Nimrod Eylim. Amdorsky was also the drummer and arranger in the band they have together formed, "Ben David bKaney HaSuf" in which cellist Karni Postel also participated.

In 1989, Hamuchtar played his set "The Days of Awe" in the rock club Roxanne, accompanied by bassist Kozo Almakis from the group "Natasha's Friends". The set included songs from "The Yom Kippur Siddur" with traditional Yemenite influences.

Later years

In 1990, he performed “Guard of Zion”, a satirical anti-nationalistic group of songs. The show was a response to the (Intifada) and right wing Israeli movements. The following year he ditched social-political themes and came up with "The Moon and the Parthenon” his most successful set so far. Accompanied by an accordionist, he toured Israel amidst scud rocket attacks and re-introduced chansons and burlesque to Bauhaus Tel-Aviv.

In 1992, he staged “Soldiers and Hookers”, a warriors show with reoccurrences of sexual frustrations and war crimes. The show was accompanied by trumpet and an acoustic guitar (censored by the Israeli radio). In 1993, influenced by a close encounter to the deadly HIV epidemic, Hamuchtar wrote and staged “Imperial”, a show dedicated to AIDS and its social consequences. A year later, Hamuchtar left Israel and concentrated mainly on writing.

In 2006, he returned to a full musical activity with successive CD releases:

2006 –“I am a Woman” - a campy, toyish cabaret album.

2007 –“ The Way of all Flesh” a drunkard praying to his gods through the drink

2007- “Social Club Metropolitan” a selection of songs in English

2008- “ The Blintches House” a collection of new and old songs

2008- “ Drum & prophecy” a charity album dedicated both in content and its charitable intention to victims of the Israeli-Arab conflict

2009 – “Schlagerwurst”- Hamuchtar's take on German “Schlager” music

2011 - „YaffaDamari”

2013 - „Yvonne” - An opera (composer and director), starring Daniella Lugassi, produced by "Fringe Opera Center", Tel-Aviv

2014 - „The Plastic Wood” - A theatre play (writer and director), Karov Theatre.

2015 - „Electric Palm Tree show”- „Peach Moon Festival”, Tokyo. Penguin, Tel Aviv. „Musrara Mix Festival”, Jerusalem.

2015 - „The Dyke” - Utopic Middle-Eastern opera (composer and director). Premiered in Cameri Theater, Tel Aviv.

Hamuchtar was born as : Gilad Philip Ben-David to a Dutch mother and a Yemenite father in Rishon Le Zion, Israel.

Chronology

Music

1988 „Charlie“ - self produced vinyl record (Israel)

1989 „Horrible Days“- with kozo-bass and drum (Israel)

1990-1992 „The Moon and the Parthenon“ - chansons

1991 „Soldiers and Hookers“ - electro Hispanic nights with original live show integrated dialogues performed by two actors.

1993 „Imperial“ - (Israel)

1994 Dance CD released by Head Artzi Record Co. after five successful singles

1995 „Good Night“ - co-producer Nutty (Dance) . Project was halted and recordings lost

1996 „Slave“ CD coproduced with Uri Frost (London)

1997 „Death in an Armchair“ (Amsterdam, London)

1999 „Imperial“ - live CD with Doron Burstein-piano

2000 „Cocktail“ - 17 all-time tracks (Israel)

2001 „Dirty little thing“ -with Doron Burstein (Berlin)

2001 „Above the lower “Urban gospels with Oly (London)

2002 „Allenby“ a CD diving into the darkest of Yemenite music with Reuven Natan (Israel)

2002 „Safari“ with Uri Frost

2003 „Berlin Nights“ -with Doron Burstein (Berlin)

2004 „The Successful Show“- musicshow premiere at „Spirit“ (New York)

2005 „Hausverbotsclub“ (Berlin)

2005 „Half a zebra half a man“ one man freak show

2006 „I am a woman“ CD

2007 „The way of all flesh“ CD

2008 „The Blintches House“ CD

2008 „Drum and Prophecy“

2008 „Social club metropolitan“ an online CD

2009 „I am a Woman. Ver. 2

2009 „Schlagerwurst“

2011 „YaffaDamari”

2015 „Electric Palm Tree show”- „Peach Moon Festival”, Tokyo. Penguin, Tel Aviv. „Musrara Mix Festival”, Jerusalem

Film, Video, TV

1988 „The Spider“ - 40 min 8 mm film written and directed by Hamuchtar (Israel)

1991 „Amazing Grace“ - nominated for Best Foreign Film the same year (Israel)at Cannes - directed by A. Gutmann, featuring Hamuchtar

1991 „Astray“ - 40 min video film directed and played by Hamuchtar (Israel)

1991-1994 various TV appearances, in particular New Year’s Eve 1993 with the legendary Allenby Choir (Israel)

1994 „Angel“ and „Tears“ - music videos for these two pre-CD release singles, directed and produced by Hamuchtar (Israel)

1997 „Vader Sport“ - director Femke for Dutch RTL TV featuring Hamuchtar (NL)

1998 „Airport“ - directed by Gil Landberg for Israeli Television and taken to cinema the same year - supporting actor Hamuchtar (Israel)

1999 „Jose“ - feature film directed by T. Genehar featuring Hamuchtar (Israel)

2000 „Paradiso“ - 40 min ambient video, directed and acted by Hamuchtar (Israel)

2003 „Entertaining little night display“ -2 hours film written and directed by Hamuchtar (D)

2005 „ Digger“ a half an hour film showing Hamuchtar digging his own grave ( Berlin)

2005 „Imperial“ - music video directed by Hamuchtar (Israel)

2005 „Bordeaux“ - music video directed & edited by Hamuchtar (Israel)

2007 „ Sports wear“and „ An Encore“ - music video directed & edited by Hamuchtar (Berlin)

2007 „ The Moon and the Parthenon“1992 live show reedited and released on DVD (Berlin)

2009 „Ra-ah“ a music video directed & edited by Hamuchtar

2009 „Secret diaries of a lone voyeur“ 5 hours long ambient movie

Writing

1991 „A Soldier and a Hooker“ - five short combative dialogues (Israel)

1993 „1,5“ and „Ice-cream“ - two short stories (Israel)

1994 „Happy Birthday“ - theatre monologue (Israel)

1996 „The Translated Mythology of the Truth“ - theatre monologue co-writer Maria Segura Thijssen (NL)

1997 „The Rising“ - adults puppet play (GB)

1998 „Black Octopus“ - theatre play for five actors (GB)

1999 „Inside a Woman’s Handbag“ - screen play transliterated by Annie Kelley (GB)

2001 „Last Coffee“ a theatre play (GB)

2003 „The cemetery“ a screen play (D)

2003/04 „Schwarzer Tintenfisch“ - filmscript for 8 actors, translated to German by Miri Kämpfer (D)

2006 „The fury of the Gutted Camel“ translated to German the same year by Manfred Niepel (D)

2007 „Good day for a pink Hat“ children book inc.illustrations translated to German by Cosima Lemke (D)

2009 „The 13th month “ a children book inc.illustrations

Opera, Theatre

2013 - „Yvonne” - An opera (composer and director), starring Daniella Lugassi, produced by "Fringe Opera Center", Tel-Aviv. Premiered in Tel-aviv Central Bus Station's site.

2014 - „The Plastic Wood” - A theatre play for 5 actors(writer and director), Karov Theatre, Israel. Premiered in the "Citizen Here Festival".

2015 - „The Dyke” - Utopic Middle-Eastern opera (composer and director). Premiered in Cameri Theater, Tel Aviv.

References