2026. BERLIN

Streanm Our Album

English and than German

“Gidi & Mati” Announce Debut Album: The Strangers are the Friends

BERLIN – Introducing “Gidi & Mati,” an extraordinary musical and artistic collaboration between poet Mati Shemoelof and musician Gidi Farhi. The duo is proud to announce the release of their debut album, The Strangers are the Friends.

Written entirely in Hebrew by Shemoelof during his years in Berlin, and composed and recorded in the city by Farhi, the album marks the culmination of a creative journey that began at various Berlin festivals and cultural events. What started as poetry readings accompanied by music has evolved into a full-scale musical partnership. On this record, Mati joins Gidi on vocals, even picking up the rhythm guitar during their recent performance in Zurich, while Gidi leads with improvisational solos.

Over the past two years, Gidi & Mati have performed throughout Germany and internationally, including a late 2025 appearance for the Jewish community in Switzerland. Their collaboration explores complex, multi-layered identities, weaving their lives in Berlin with deep Mediterranean roots. The result is a unique folk sound emerging directly from the diverse cultural landscapes of Kreuzberg and Neukölln.

The project is a poetic-musical dialogue reflecting the rich heritage of both artists. Gidi, a multi-instrumentalist, draws inspiration from Ladino traditions (Spain and Turkey), Argentina, Israel, and Berlin’s global music scene. Mati’s lyrics are deeply informed by his roots in Baghdad, Syria, Iran, and Israel, exploring the intersections of his Arab and Jewish identity. Together, they dissolve borders, creating an evolving fusion where words and music merge into a space without barriers, passports, or ID cards.

Listen to the album on Bandcamp with English translation

German

„Gidi & Mati“ kündigen Debütalbum an: „The Strangers are the Friends“

BERLIN – Mit „Gidi & Mati“ präsentiert sich eine außergewöhnliche musikalisch-künstlerische Kollaboration zwischen dem Lyriker Mati Shemoelof und dem Musiker Gidi Farhi. Das Duo freut sich, die Veröffentlichung seines Debütalbums „The Strangers are the Friends“ bekannt zu geben.

Alle Songs des Albums wurden von Mati Shemoelof während seiner Zeit in Berlin auf Hebräisch verfasst, von Gidi Farhi komponiert und auch hier in der Stadt aufgenommen. Der gemeinsame Weg des Duos begann auf verschiedenen Festivals und Kulturevents in Berlin und entwickelte sich stetig zu einem Langzeitprojekt. Was ursprünglich als musikalisch begleitete Lyriklesung begann, wuchs zu einer vollwertigen musikalischen Partnerschaft heran: Mati singt nun an Gidis Seite und griff bei ihrem jüngsten Auftritt in Zürich sogar zur Rhythmusgitarre, während Gidi mit Soli improvisierte.

In den letzten zwei Jahren traten Gidi und Mati deutschlandweit auf, unter anderem Ende 2025 vor der jüdischen Gemeinde in der Schweiz. Ihre Zusammenarbeit erkundet komplexe, vielschichtige Identitäten und verwebt das Leben in Berlin mit mediterranen Einflüssen. Es entsteht ein einzigartiger Folk-Sound, der direkt aus der vielfältigen Kulturlandschaft von Kreuzberg und Neukölln entspringt.

Das Projekt ist ein poetisch-musikalischer Dialog, der das reiche kulturelle Erbe beider Künstler widerspiegelt. Gidi, ein Multi-Instrumentalist, schöpft Inspiration aus der Ladino-Musik (Spanien und Türkei), Argentinien, Israel und der internationalen Musikszene Berlins. Matis Texte sind tief von seinen Wurzeln in Bagdad, Syrien, dem Iran und Israel geprägt und untersuchen die Schnittpunkte seiner arabischen und jüdischen Identität. Gemeinsam lösen sie Grenzen auf und schaffen eine sich ständig weiterentwickelnde Fusion, in der Worte und Musik zu einem Raum ohne Barrieren, Pässe oder Ausweise verschmelzen.

Hören Sie das Album via Bandcamp. Download the German translations.

ABOUT GIDI & MATI

Gidi and Mati’s artistic project is a poetic and musical collaboration that reflects the cultural origins of both artists. Gidi, a multi-instrumentalist, draws inspiration from Turkey, Argentina, Israel, and the international soundscape of Berlin. Mati’s writing is influenced by his heritage from Baghdad, Syria, Iran, and Israel, exploring the meeting of his Arab and Jewish identities. Together, their work dissolves boundaries, forming a unique fusion that is constantly evolving, where words and music merge into a space without borders.

At the heart of this musical-poetic *banquet* lies improvisation: Farhi and Shemoelof respond to each other through music and language while engaging the audience emotionally. Spontaneous impulses flow into the performance, bridging memory and cultural renewal. Through participatory formats—written, dialogical, and musical—art becomes a space for encounter.  

Berlin serves as a symbolic setting, representing the disrupted Jewish culture of the city and its revival through the complexity of diverse diaspora experiences. The performance intertwines individual biographies with collective memories, demonstrating how Hebrew resonates anew in music and poetry. Lost stories of forgotten individuals merge with urban history.  

In the transition from sound to poetry, Jewish history is rendered emotionally tangible in miniatures. Simultaneously, the fusion of singing, emotional chorus, and spoken word symbolizes an open future in which Hebrew in Germany finds new meaning and unlocks new spaces.  

Through music, language, and visual elements, the project creates a platform for dialogue and participation. Functioning as a *third space* (as described by Homi Bhabha), it embraces ambiguity, inviting audiences to perceive memory and identity as fluid experiences—especially in a city like Berlin, characterized by constant transformation.  

YOUTUBE CHANELL - GIDI & MATI

More about the new album:

Interviews (Hebrew)

Subscribe to our YouTube channel