Project Dafa has released a new single, a reimagined version of “Ali Geva” that draws on the song’s Bedouin folk melody. The song was written by Abraham Broides and is based on a tune by Nahum Nardi and an unnamed Bedouin folk source.
The group said the goal was to return the song to its natural roots while preserving the familiar melody in its opening section. In their new arrangement, they combine a desert rhythm, energetic clapping and warm, authentic instrumentation.
Speaking to Channel 7, the members said, “We wanted to return to the root of this melody. ‘Ali Geva’ sits on an amazing Bedouin folk tune, and we felt the right way to honor it was to bring a tribal, alive and breathing arrangement, one that makes the body move on its own through the rhythm and the clapping.” They described the release as bringing a warm, vivid and bold breeze, and as a reminder of the music’s origins and the new possibilities within it.
The project features Amit Sharon on percussion and vocals, Gal on qanun, Yoni Sharon on percussion, Hanani Zeit on ney flute, David Cohen on oud and vocals, Ariel Smith on percussion, Ilan Kinan on bass, Eliran Mezuz on vocals and guitar, Mordechai Yitzhar on vocals, and Elhanan Friedman on violin. Yanai Yaakov Lane handled the filming and editing, alongside another cameraman, David Saban.
