Izrael (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | March 1, 1983 in Warsaw, Poland |
| Founder | Robert Brylewski, Paweł Kelner |
| Headquarters | Warsaw , Poland |
| Products | Reggae music albums and performances |
Izrael stood out as one of the most significant and widely recognized Polish reggae ensembles, established in March 1983 in Warsaw by underground artists Robert Brylewski (previously associated with Brygada Kryzys) and Paweł Kelner (formerly of Deuter).
Information
According to Brylewski, Izrael was formed following the breakup of Brygada Kryzys, with only Kelner, himself, and Tomasz Lipinski remaining by the end of 1982. Their inaugural performance took place on April 25, 1983, at the Hybrydy student club in Warsaw. The band’s initial track, "Idą ludzie Babilonu," rapidly attracted attention. They performed extensively, including appearances at the Jarocin Festival and acted as support for Misty in Roots during their tour in Poland.
Their debut album, Biada, biada biada, was recorded in May 1983 but saw release several months later. In 1986, Kelner departed and was succeeded by Darek "Maleo" Malejonek (formerly from Kultura), with whom they produced their sophomore album, Nabij faję. Izrael embraced a broad membership policy that welcomed various musicians—including those from the jazz scene—leading to nearly 100 contributors over time. Their third release, Duchowa Rewolucja, appeared in 1987.
By 1989, the group’s lineup featured Brylewski, Vivian Brylewska (Robert’s spouse), Maleo, Piotr "Stopa" Żyżelewicz, and Alik Dziki. That year included a tour across Communist-era Czechoslovakia. Soon after, multi-instrumentalist Włodzimierz Kiniorski became part of the band.
In 1990, at Marcin Miller’s invitation, Izrael toured Great Britain, delivering live shows and recording the LP 1991 at Mad Professor’s Ariwa Sounds studio—an album regarded as a landmark in Polish music history. Upon returning to Poland, the band enjoyed considerable fan support and issued the live album Live 93 in 1994 featuring performances from Kraków and Białystok. Although plans for a new studio album existed, Izrael disbanded in 1995 as Brylewski declared their objectives had been achieved beyond commercial success.
Brylewski released In Dub in 1997, a dub-style remix compilation of Izrael’s most notable tracks. The band briefly reassembled under the name Magnetosfera in 2006 for several concerts and resumed activity in 2007 with intentions to produce a new album.
Discography
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POL | |||||||||||||||||||
| Biada, biada biada |
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| Nabij Faje |
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| Duchowa rewolucja vol. 1 |
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| Duchowa rewolucja vol. 2 |
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| 1991 |
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| Live 93 |
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| In dub |
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| Dża Ludzie |
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22 | |||||||||||||||||
| Izrael Meets Mad Professor And Joe Ariwa |
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| "—" indicates recordings that did not chart or were not issued in that market. | |||||||||||||||||||