Avital Raz

Jerusalem born Avital Raz has sung about anal sex in church, cursing god in synagogue and has been banned from singing in pubs where people "are trying to have a nice meal" for being too disturbing and this despite her very pretty voice and well developed voice.

Her musical journey thus far has been a long and windy one.
Started out as a child singer of classical music, after several radio recitals, prizes and small opera roles, she became bored with performing other people's music and began to study composition.
After participating in a master class with Sarangi player Sultan khan, she rejected the atonal brain music she was being trained to write and traveled to India where she stayed for six years learning the ancient art of Dhrupad singing from Prof. Ritwik Sanyal. This improvisational style led to a surge in creativity and Avital's first album: Sad Songs About The End Of Love- 11 of James Joyce's poems from Chamber Music composed mostly in Raag style and recorded in India and Israel with local musicians.

Unfortunately in 2004 Joyce's work was still under copyright and the Joyce estate, finding the Indian connection too strange, denied Avital permission to release it.

This blow prompted Avital to write her own lyrics and she subsequently released two EPs: Strange Love Songs (‘utterly compelling songs that demand attention' – Terrascope magazine) and Skin & Feathers ("somewhat like Dory Previn (but much better)"- Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange).

Four years ago Avital Left Israel for good and has since lived and performed in Berlin, California and has finally settled in the North west of England. Her latest album, Infidelity has recently been released on Sotones Records. ("In a roundabout way, using the image of a grim fucked up doll's house the album deals with leaving Israel and culminates with the song: Back in the Promised Land with the chorus: Lord I’m Bored.") - AmericanaUK

Avital performs both as a soloist accompanying herself with either guitar or tanpura (Indian string instrument) and Glockenspiel or with her band The Chosen Ones (Richard Lomax- Guitars, Amy Stretch Parker- vocals and keyboard and Mark Mace Smith- Beat boxing). She has also been working extensively with Pete Harvey, cellist and arranger for the two Scottish bands: The Leg and Mersault and will release their collaborative album entitled The Believer, later this year.