Israeli Musician Rejoicer Explores Synesthesia and Blue Tones in Jerusalem Festival Show

Israeli musician Yuval Habakin, known as Rejoicer, experiences synesthesia, a neurological condition that blends senses, allowing him to "hear colors." He describes his music as translating sounds into shades, often favoring blue-green hues like turquoise and purple, which he associates with his calm personality. On Thursday, Habakin will perform his show Sonic Blue at the Israel Festival in Jerusalem, featuring collaborations with artists Gal Toren, Shay Tsabari, Reef Cohen, and Alex Moshe (Folly Tree). The color blue also symbolizes the sea, a place dear to his father, Yigal, who finds peace in sailing.

Habakin’s father, Yigal, was captured during the Yom Kippur War and endured eight months of captivity in Syria. Over the past decade, Yuval has learned more about his father's experience and grown closer to him. Recently, he filmed his father extensively for a documentary project, highlighting themes of hope, love, and freedom tied to his father’s life on his catamaran.

Growing up in a musical family, Habakin is the great-grandson of cellist Telma Yelin, a pioneer in Israeli classical music education. He studied film at the Telma Yelin High School for the Arts but pursued music from a young age, creating hip-hop and electronic music by eighth grade. Seventeen years ago, he founded the Raw Tapes label and has collaborated with numerous Israeli artists. In 2016, he signed with the Los Angeles-based Stones Throw label, known for hip-hop and R&B, releasing several solo and band albums under the name Rejoicer.

Habakin’s music is experimental electronic with a meditative quality, influenced by his yoga and meditation practice taught by his mother. He worked with actor Alon Abutbul on the album Footprints on Water, released posthumously in 2021. Currently, Habakin divides his time between Spain, Los Angeles, and Israel.

He notes that the ongoing war has slowed international bookings for Israeli artists, with some countries boycotting Israeli and Russian musicians. Despite this, a 15th-anniversary Raw Tapes event in Tel Aviv in June 2023 drew 3,000 attendees, though planned follow-up celebrations in October were canceled due to the conflict.