Lucky Ali’s voice had a very deep energy: Eliezer Cohen Botzer
The second we spotted Lucky, we were fascinated by his personality, his songs, the depth of his person and being and his performances and we felt a huge connection,” Israeli indie musician Eliezer Cohen Botzer says of his new collaborator, singer-songwriter Lucky Ali. After working together for two years creating music in different parts of Israel and India, the duo has come up with the multilingual album Lemalla.
Botzer reveals that initially, the project was supposed to be restricted to only two or three songs. But when the two discovered that despite coming from different countries, cultures and musical sensibilities, they saw music as the “language of the heart”, and that they wrote and composed “out of seeking for answers in ourselves, in society and humanity”, the duo decided to go beyond and do a full-fledged album. The first song in Lemalla, On My Way, dropped recently.
“Our relationship took us into a whole new journey of a full album spanning almost three years. Although it was a lot more than our plans, this album meant friendship and discovery together. We also discovered our similarities, our love for family, friends,” recalls Botzer.
The musician goes on add that he felt inspired by the 61-year-old Indian pop artist who enjoys a cult following, and although he couldn’t understand the language Lucky was singing in, he could understand the emotions behind it. “[He represents] honesty, a certain fabric of just being, positivity and good vibes. Even without understanding the words, his singing and the beauty of his voice had a very deep energy, which I liked very much. The words emoted what I was feeling listening to them,” he says. Botzer shares that he has looked forward to working with musicians from India for a long time.
“I’m very influenced by Indian music. That’s the reason we looked for an Indian musician to collaborate with. One of the things I’m very connected with and inspired by in Indian music is that the very source or feel of the indigenous sound of the land is clearly present in all the instruments and various genres of music, from hip-hop to pop and rock, there is always the indigenous colour inside. This brings the connection with the land and the culture and nature. As a writer and composer, it’s a beautiful experience to be a witness to.
This is what exists in the environment of Indian music,” he signs off.