Israeli singer serenades CJL crowd

While academic superstars frequently wander the University's campus, nonacademic entertainment types are usually much harder to spot. Yesterday provided the rare exception as prominent Israeli singer-songwriter Ivri Lider stopped by the Center for Jewish Life (CJL) for an evening of music and discussion.

At the event, sponsored by the CJL and the LGBT Center, Lider performed several original songs. He also spoke with the audience of more than 100 people on a wide range of topics, including his musical influences and the impact of his gay identity on his songwriting.

Lider's visit followed the recent major label release of his first English single, "Jesse."

"I really like playing at colleges because I feel like it's a listening crowd. They're not afraid to try out something new," Lider said.

Though relatively unknown in the United States, Lider has established himself as a major musician in Israel. The 33-year-old singer has sold multiple platinum albums in his native country and has also written the musical scores for many prominent Israeli films and stage shows.

Lider said in an interview that he achieved success by embracing an eclectic mix of influences. "I've played everything — classical, jazz, modern, electronic," he said. "Right now, my music's somewhere between pop and rock and acoustic."

As he breaks into the American market, Lider said that he didn't mind being labeled a "gay singer," even if his fans back in Israel don't see him that way.

"It's okay if the gay thing makes people interested, and then they listen to the music and find out that the music's more than that," Lider said during the discussion that followed his performance of "Zachiti Le'ehov," a simple song with piano accompaniment, the title of which translates to "I Had the Privilege to be Loved."

Lider came out to his fans following the release of his second album despite worries that doing so would harm his career.

"As opposed to what industry people thought, it didn't hurt record sales and make girl fans disappear," he said. "And I became a much more open, interesting person. I was able to talk freely about my life, my songs, anything."

Lider said that "Jesse," which tells the story of unrequited love, is universally relevant. "It's the issue of a love that's impossible because the other side won't really let it happen," he said. "And you know that if they would just give it a chance, it can happen."

He said that he strives not to be preachy when writing songs.

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"The songs are never born because I have a 'message' — you know, 'let's save the whales.' It's more experiences and viewpoints," Lider said.

The artist told the audience that he got his start as a musician after plans to attend UCLA to study film scoring fell through.

"My parents didn't have the money," Lider explained. "I said, 'OK, I'll stay in Israel for a year or two and see what happens, make some money.'"

"I sent this cassette with 19 songs to a record company," he said. "It was really naive, but they called back about three weeks later. We met and made our first record." His first album went on to reach platinum status in Israel, selling more than 40,000 copies.

Members of the largely student audience — which also included actress Natalie Portman — said that they originally came for the curiosity factor.

"How often do you get to go to the concert with an Israeli superstar?" Jayden Ziegler '11 said.

Others who came for the educational value said they weren't disappointed.

"It was a great cultural experience to hear an Israeli artist who's becoming more popular in the States — his attitudes on his Jewish identity and on being gay [and] to hear his music," David Levit '10 said. "He usually performs for crowds of about 5,000 people, and here he was in front of a piano at the CJL performing for us."