El Khat

El Khat - a homemade junkyard band led by multi-instrumentalist Eyal El Wahab.

In 2018/19, El Khat began to hone their sound in garages and warehouses. Experimenting with DIY

homemade instruments, as an expression of a minimalist life philosophy, led the three-piece to create a

collection of Arabic tunes of Yemeni origin. While the detachment from any nation or any flag is a driving

force behind the group, the heart of their music and heritage is rooted in the culture of Yemen. The

constant divisions that have been created by wars and immigrations has pushed out a reassembled

identity, something that is strongly felt in El Khat's music.

Named for the plant used so widely chewed across the Arab Peninsula, The band

brings original compositions inspired by the music of the golden age in Aden, Yemen.

El Wahab plays many instruments, like the dli and the Kearat that he constructed

himself. It's something he started doing several years ago, using his skills to make

music from the items people discard. A child of the Yemeni diaspora who's grown up

in Tel Aviv Jaffa - Israel, it's a practice that harks back to the family homeland, where

even rubbish can have become an instrument.

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