Lehakat HaNahal

The Nahal Band להקת הנח"ל
Lehakat HaNahal performing on stage around the early 1950s.
Background information
Origin	Tel Aviv, Israel.
Genres	Israeli folk, Israeli rock
Years active	1951-1978, 1985-present
Labels	Hed Arzi, CBS, NMC
Spinoffs	Tsevet Havay HaNachal (The Nahal Singers)

Lehakat HaNahal with Ben Gurion, 1960

Lehakat HaNahal (Hebrew: להקת הנח"ל; lit. The Nahal Band, also known in English as the Nahal Entertainment Troupe) is the musical military ensemble of the Nahal program of the Israel Defense Forces. Established in November 1951 as a small ensemble with a single accordion, it developed into the most prominent and successful military troupe in Israel, known for its performances of Eretz Israel songs and becoming an integral part of Israeli culture.

History

Lehakat HaNahal was the third major military ensemble to be founded in the State of Israel after the Israel Defense Forces Orchestra and the Chizbatron. Around the same time, a secondary vocal ensemble known as The Nahal Singers was also established.

In its early years, the band's repertoire was characterized by waltz-style songs dominated by accordion accompaniment. Many of these songs were written by lyricist Haim Hefer and composed by Sasha Argov or Moshe Wilensky. In the early 1960s, the band underwent significant changes in musical arrangement and production. Additional instruments such as percussion, brass, and wind instruments were introduced. This transformation culminated in the 1964 program and album Sun in the Desert, composed entirely by Naomi Shemer (a former member of the Nahal Singers).

Between the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, the band experienced its most successful period and adopted a more rock-oriented musical style. During this time, it featured works by leading Israeli composers and lyricists, including Shemer, Dan Almagor, Yoram Taharlev, and Yair Rosenblum, who served as the troupe’s musical director from 1967 to 1970, after serving as a member in 1965–1966.

The 1978 musical comedy film The Band depicted a fictionalized account of the ensemble during the War of Attrition and featured several of its songs. Later that year, Lehakat HaNahal, along with the other military entertainment troupes, was disbanded by directive of IDF Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan. The troupe was revived in 1985 when military ensembles were reinstated, returning with a program titled Hitchadshut (התחדשות, "Renewal").

Over the course of its history, Lehakat HaNahal produced more than 30 performance programs and several albums, including From the Nahal with Love (1966), The Nahal Is Coming (1967), and The Twenty-First Program (recorded 1969; program performed in 1968).

By the 21st century, the band—along with most Israeli military entertainment troupes—had declined in prominence. Nevertheless, many of its songs, including Shir LaShalom, have become part of the Israeli popular music canon. The band was also featured in the Israeli television series HaShir Shelanu.

Notable members

• Arik Einstein
• Tuvia Tzafir
• Naomi Polani
• Chaim Topol
• Danny Sanderson
• Gidi Gov
• Shalom Hanoch
• Yossi Banai, one of the original members of the band
• Gavriel "Gavri" Banai, who would later form The Roosters and The Pale Tracker.
• Yisrael Poliakov
• Yehoram Gaon, singer and actor who got his start with the Nahal Band alongside Arik Einstein and Gavri Banai.
• Yardena Arazi, singer, actor and member of Shokolad, Menta, Mastik, she would also record a song with the band on their comeback record in 1985.

See also

• The Band

Further reading

• Shmuelik Tesler, Songs in Uniform - The Story of the Military Bands (שירים במדים - סיפורן של הלהקות הצבאיות), 2007

External links

• https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKHFXuNWypTkBuhPwn0XTFY5y-yfZMe8f
• https://www.last.fm/music/Lehakat+Hanachal
• https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4436521