On Sunday evenings, after the commerce and negotiations of markets of Mehane Yeduda cease and the vendors close their shops, an Israeli band plays traditional Israeli music in one of the alcoves of the Shuk. An adjacent restaurant serves a light evening meal of fish on long, communal tables as families gather for the evening’s entertainment. Not unlike most experiences in the Shuk’s narrow streets, the place is a compression of people. Near the band, an improved dance floor is occupied with groups of friends (typically partitioned according to gender) swaying and moving rhythmically to the music. The dancers’ manifestation of the music was expressed via the hips and with graceful movements of the arms.
While the instruments were common - guitar, mandolin, and persuasion, the music was lively and distinctly Middle Eastern. The crowd was fully participating in the songs and at revelry of the moment. At times, individuals would step into the mass of dancers and begin performing a solo dance, and the crowd would respond with applause. The music was effervescent and joyful and that was openly reflected on the faces of the crowd. My friends and I did not know the words to the songs, and our desire to share in the collective singing, we crafted homophonic (similar sounds) lyrics. When all else failed, a hardy “EH” sufficed.
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