Hadag Nahash הדג נחש

Hadag Nahash, meaning Snake Fish, is one of the most successful acts in Israeli popular music today. Though usually described as hip-hop, Hadag Nahash music also incorporates funk, jazz, electro, rock and even Middle Eastern sounds. The band is frequently compared to Philadelphia’s “the Roots” due to their use of live instruments. Hadag Nahash lyrics are known for provocative political and social content, and have on several occasions sparked public debate in primetime Israeli print, radio, television outlets- and even in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.

Hadag Nahash was formed in the spring of 1996 in Jerusalem. Its six members include Sha'anan David Streett—lead vocalist; DJ Guy Mar—turntables, MPC and vocals; Shlomi Alon—saxophone and vocals; David Klemes—keyboards; Yaya Cohen Harounoff—bass guitar; and 'Atraf' Moshe Asaraf—drums.

After four years of extensive touring around Israel, the band signed its first record deal in 2000 with Tel Aviv-based label, "Levantini,” and a distribution deal with "Hed Artsi," Israel's largest music distributor.

To date, Hadag Nahash has released five albums and one DVD: "The Groove Machine" in 2000, "To Move" in 2003 (now a gold album), "Local Stuff" in 2004 (now a platinum album), "With the Help of the Jam" in 2006, and "Live!" which came out in CD and DVD in 2008.

Over the years, Hadag Nahash has amassed numerous honors and awards, including:

• Video of the Year 2003 for the song, "Gabi and Debbie" by Israel 24 Music Channel
• Album of the Year 2003 for "To Move" by D.J. Magazine, a leading Israeli music magazine
• Lyricists of the Year 2003 for "To Move" by ACUM, Israel's writers and composers union
• Song of the Year 2004 for "The Sticker Song" by Yediot Ahronot, Israel’s most widely read daily newspaper
• Video of Year 2004 for “The Sticker Song” by Israel 24 Music Channel
• Band of the Year 2004 by Israel 24 Music Channel
• Song of the Year 2007 for "Here I Come" by several leading Israeli radio stations
• Album of the Year 2007 for "With the Help of the Jam" by Israel 24 Music Channel
• Album of the Decade 1998-2008 for “To Move” by Yediot Ahronot, Israel’s most widely read daily newspaper

Of all Hadag Nahash songs, “the Sticker Song” has enjoyed the farthest international reach. Written by celebrated Israeli novelist, David Grossman, and featuring bulbul-tarang player, Ahuva Ozeri, the song’s lyrics are a litany of slogans lifted from car bumper stickers (a popular form of grassroots political expression in Israel) and reflect the range of competing ideologies that comprise Israel’s political and cultural landscape. The New York Times devoted a full-length feature article to “the Sticker Song,” while a young Jewish day school teacher from Northern California used it as the basis for a class on Israeli society that has since been adopted by Jewish educators around North America.

Hadag Nahash has sold out concerts throughout North America and Europe, including prestigious venues such as Budapest’s Sziget Festival, Chicago’s House of Blues, New York’s Knitting Factory and Webster Hall, San Francisco’s Ruby Sky and Toronto’s Ricoh Colliseum. The band has also collaborated with major international artists, such as Arrested Development, the Black Eyed Peas, Cypress Hill, Matisyahu, and Saian Supa Kru (of France).

Hadag Nahash recently celebrated a new milestone when four of their songs were featured on the soundtrack of Adam Sandler's 2008 summer comedy, "You Don't Mess with the Zohan".
http://www.youdontmesswiththezohan.com

Hadag Nahash has captured the American media's attention on several occasions. Click below for links to articles that appeared in
The New York Timeshttp://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02EFD9123FF935A2575BC0A9629C8B63
Rolling Stone Magazine
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6589361/israeli_hiphop_takes_us
the San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/10/15/EBGCQ959G537.DTL

the Village Voice
http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0506,carmon,60826,22.html

These days the band finalizes its sixth studio album.