Desert hearts: Idan Raichel’s fiancee, vocalist Cabra and Raichel himself pose with a native Ethiopian boy on their way to Addis Ababa.

Editor's Picks

Black Over White

Mon., Feb. 16, 7pm. $10. Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St. 215.446.3019. www.pjff.org

In Israel Idan Raichel is known for his dreds and music that fuses Ethiopian samples with pop gestures and Hebrew lyrics. Like a Jewish fusion of Ry Cooder and Giles Peterson, Raichel seems, onstage, like a relaxed world-music bandleader, smiling and making jokes with his group of melting-pot musicians. Forget about that nice-guy shit. “Everyone thinks I’m laid-back because of the dreds,” he says in Tomer Heymann’s film Black Over White. The movie, part of the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, chronicles the band’s appearance in Ethiopia, a momentous occasion for some members of the Idan Raichel Project. For Avi, it’s a homecoming; he left Ethiopia at 8 and still has relatives there. His joy contrasts with vocalist Cabra’s alienation, as she becomes increasingly bitter about the racism she faces in Israel. Though Raichel spends a good amount of time being an asshole, he also shines with love for Avi. The film will be accompanied by a talk by Lewis Gordon, director of Temple’s Center for Afro-Jewish Studies. (Liz Spikol)