Lyricist Neal Peart (introvert!) of Rush often hears his prophetic word against limelight in a song called "Limelight."
Maybe rock stars and celebrities --especially the inevitable introverts (!) among them---can be the best mentors on how pastors/leaders can , diffuse, defuse and refuse the stage, spotlight and celebrity worship that can follow and plague us.
Stagecraft can be witchcraft.
But I am even more aware that there was nothing ironic..or irenic..in Jesus' words:
- "The first shall be last,"
- "They lord it over people, but you are not to be like that"
- Take the worst seat in the place
- Woe to you..let no one call you 'Teacher'
- Whoever humbles themselves will be exalted..
etc etc..
All that to say, several thoughts are triggered by Susan Cain (introvert author of "Quiet:The Power of Introverts')'s post:
Idan Raichel, Singer-Songwriter, Keeps QUIET, Lets His Music Do The Talking
I had not heard of Idan Rachel..but I like him already:
Idan Raichel — the Israeli singer-songwriter and musician behind The Idan Raichel Project — is an interesting figure with a hushed approach to moving listeners’ emotions.
...Idan has gathered a collective of 95 musicians from all over the world who perform in many different languages (Hebrew, Amharic, Arabic, Zulu, etc.) and musical idioms. He is handsome, charismatic, and enigmatic. And also, quite obviously, shy and gentle.
During most of the performance, Idan stationed himself behind a keyboard so far to the side of the stage that it was hard to see him. His three main singers were front and center, and all eyes focused on them throughout the evening, even though he was clearly the spiritual core. Every so often he would come out to dance with the other performers — he’s a nice dancer — but quickly retreat behind his keyboard on the wings of the stage.
At the midway point of the show, Idan made his way center-stage to proudly introduce his musicians, one by one, so they could claim their applause. But when the time came to take a bow at the end of the evening, he was nowhere to be seen. link
I found these excerpts from an interview:
Some of the songs on your new album are in languages that most of your listeners don’t speak. What do you want people to get out of those songs?
I would like the listeners to hear themselves in something they maybe don’t understand completely. Sometimes, distance and language can be a challenge, but music has a way of overcoming these difficulties.
...How do you go about adapting these songs for your live show?
The live show is a powerful experience. We work to create an ensemble that can represent the 90-plus artists that have been involved in the project over the years. We sit in a semi-circle on stage, I am off to the side, and each artist gets a chance to shine. I thought this embodied the collaborative spirit of the project.
What’s it been like to connect with U.S. audiences? Are the audiences all Jewish, or mostly Jewish?
I love playing in the U.S. because the shows attract a great mix of all types of people. Of course, the Jewish community is very supportive as is the project and it is great to play for them. In the U.S., as with all over the world, I want my shows to be a meeting place for people of all faiths or beliefs to come and share in music.The guy is from Israel ..is that part of his secret?(:
Are the crowds at your American shows much more Jewish-identifying than the crowds in Israel? Does it ever affect your own Jewish identity, or cause you to become a Jewish spokesperson of sorts?
The Project is Israeli, but not a Jewish one. Not all of the members are Jewish. We are happy to have in our audience Israelis or Jewish people that are proud to have us all over the world, representing the music of Israel of this decade LINK
Let's make this guy famous..
...uh..
I mean, have a listen:
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Hey, thanks for engaging the conversation!