Hadag Nahash
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| Hadag Nahash | ||
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 Logo of the group
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Jerusalem, Israel |
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| Genre(s) | Hip hop, Funk Israeli |
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| Years active | 1999 – present | |
| Website | hadag.co.il | |
| Members | ||
| Sha'anan Streett Guy Mar Dudush Kalmas Moshe "Atraf" Asraf Yaya Cohen Aharonov Amir Ben Ami Shlomi Alon |
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Hadag Nahash (or HaDag Nachash) (Hebrew:הדג נחש) is an Israeli hip-hop group. The group is known for their leftist political statements in many of their songs.[citation needed] Four albums have been recorded to date, and a fifth is rumored to be in progress. They have 7 members; their lead rapper and founder is Shaanan Streett.
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[edit] Name and symbols
The group's name literally means "The Snake Fish" ("Ha" meaning "the", "Dag" meaning "fish", and "Nachash" meaning "snake"). It is also, however, a Hebrew spoonerism. In Israel, people who have only recently gotten their driver's licences place a tag on their back window with the words "Nahag Chadash" Hebrew: נהג חדש ("new driver"). The anagram "HaDag Nachash" therefore indicates the group's ambitions: a voice for the youth in Israel. Band members have also claimed that signs that look similar to Nahag Chadash with the band's name will be placed in cars to confuse Policemen.[citation needed]
The band's icon, depicting a child urinating, comes from the Hebrew idiom, loosely translated as, "how the fish pisses" (מאיפה משתין הדג) meaning something akin to, "How it's done". (As in, "That amateur thinks he can beat me - I'll show him how the fish pisses").
[edit] Musical style and hit songs
Like many Israeli pop musicians such as Teapacks and the Idan Raichel project, HaDag Nahash blends Western pop music and ethnic music to create a unique sound tapestry, somewhere between hip-hop and world music.
Hadag Nachash is known for its flexibility in music types, and has songs ranging to funk, hip hop, jazz, ska, and even several electronic numbers, such as Hine Ani Ba ("הנה אני בא", Here I Come). "Hine Ani Ba" is also an example of a song with a political or cultural message, as it depicts a cultural struggle between Jerusalem, a symbol of Israel's "heritage", and Tel Aviv, a hub for young people and night life.
Hadag Nahash also uses music to display cynicism, as can be seen in a song from their latest album, "Lotus". This song, despite having an upbeat rhythm and tune, contains very depressing and pessimistic lyrics.
One of their most famous hits is "Shirat Hasticker" ("שירת הסטיקר", "The Sticker Song" in English), written by Israeli novelist David Grossman. The lines of the song are all slogans seen on Israeli bumper stickers. The opposing political slogans are juxtaposed to create an angry and ironic portrait of political life in Israel.
Another famous song is "Sod Ha-Hatzlacha" ("The Secret of Success") from their second album, "Lazuz" ("To Move"), and is considered one of their best songs.
Hadag Nachash has a minor rivalry with the Israeli hip-hop star Subliminal, probably because Subliminal is politically right-wing while Hadag Nahash is left-wing. The rivalry is purpotedly shown in the lyrics of the song "Gabi V'Debi" ("Gabby and Debby"), and in their more recent song "Teraga" ("Calm Down"), which speaks with great criticism of the manner in which rap stars act, and the manner with which the music industry is run in general.
"Gabi V'Debi" is also notable for its political message. Hadag Nachash sings about meeting Gabby and Debby, characters from a children's show which was part of the "Let's Learn English" series, who, in the show, had a "Magic Stick" which could transport them to any time and place. They offer to take the narrator wherever he wants--as long as it has a positive Zionistic message for the kids. The three visit first Herzl and then Trumpeldor, two famous promoters of Zionism, and find each to be a far cry from their idealized images. Most notably they see Herzl taking drugs, something that is unimaginable for most of his supporters. This audacious and controversial song is typical of HaDag Nachash.
[edit] Group members
- Sha'anan Streett - Rap
- Guy Mar - Dj, Rap
- Dudush Klemes - Keyboard
- Moshe "Atraf" Asraf - Drums
- Yaya Cohen Aharonov - Bass
- Amir Ben Ami - Classic Guitar, Electric Guitar
- Shlomi Alon - Saxophone, Flute, Vocal
[edit] Performance partners
- Yair Selotzki - Trombome
- Yaron Mohar - Saxophone
- Matan Gov Ari - Trumpet
[edit] Discography
- Ha Mechona Shel Ha Groove (The Groove Machine, 2000)
- LaZuz (To Move, 2003)
- Chomer MiKomi (Local Stuff, 2004)
- Be'ezrat Ha'Jam (With Help of the Jam, 2006)
