Israeli Singer Asi Yechiel Speaks Out After Rhodes Concert Cancellation
Israeli singer Asi Yechiel reflects on the cancellation of his free concert in Rhodes, discussing his deep familial ties to Thessaloniki and Greek music.
The connection between Asi Yechiel and Greek music started long before it became his profession. He grew up on the songs, the language, and the stories brought from his family, turning this love into a full-fledged career over the years. "Greek music flows in my blood," he once said, a phrase that perhaps better than anything else explains the place Greece holds in his life. He chose to focus on laïkó music, particularly on the creators and performers who made it one of Greece's cultural symbols, led by Stelios Kazantzidis, whose songs he frequently performs.
Building Bridges Through Music
Throughout his career, Yechiel has forged connections with a series of Greek and Israeli musicians and creators, including composers Christos Nikolopoulos and Thanasis Polyandriotis, performing frequently in Israel and Greece. He has participated in television programs, musical events, and shows dedicated to Greek songs, successfully building an audience beyond Israel. For him, the Greek language has never been an obstacle to overcome, but rather the tool through which he expresses part of the family and cultural story from which he hails.
"As an Israeli artist and a descendant of Holocaust survivors from Thessaloniki, I feel a deep connection to Greece. It hurts to feel that my origin can stand as an obstacle between me and the audience."
The Cancellation in Rhodes
This connection was put to the test this week when Yechiel's scheduled performance in Rhodes was canceled. The concert, which was supposed to take place on September 28 at Eleftherias Square as part of World Tourism Day events, was promoted in advance as a Municipality of Rhodes event, in which Yechiel was to perform for free, according to his statements. He was expected to arrive with bouzouki player Dimitris Vlachos and take the stage before a local audience and tourists.
According to Yechiel, the first signs of cancellation arrived as early as September 18, when he received notification that there was a chance the event might not take place. Three days later, on September 21, he received the official cancellation notice. In an interview with local media, he recounted that initially he was told in writing that it was a "political decision," but later other explanations were presented, including fear of riots and information about threats against musicians. Yechiel emphasizes that he cannot personally verify these reports: "I cannot personally confirm these threats. I can speak about the disappointment and bitterness this development caused me."
Identity and Culture
This is precisely where the affair takes on personal significance for Yechiel. He is not an Israeli artist who accidentally arrived in Greece to perform songs in the local language. His family is tied to Thessaloniki, he has sung in Greek for years, and he views Greek culture as an inseparable part of the world he comes from. Yechiel seeks to separate his national identity from the music he brings to the stage, stressing that he did not come to Rhodes to represent a political stance or enter a political dispute, but to sing the music he loves.
A Family Legacy
Asi Yechiel's story gains an additional dimension when looking back one generation, to his father Moshe. While the son found his place on the stage, the father was well-known on Israeli football pitches, becoming one of the names identified with Hakoah Ramat Gan and Bnei Yehuda. Moshe Yechiel grew up in Gadna Yehuda, moved to Hakoah Ramat Gan, won the championship and State Cup with the team, and later moved to Bnei Yehuda, winning the cup with them as well. Behind this sporting career stood a family story that began in Thessaloniki.
The parents of Moshe, Albert and Sarina Yechiel, were born in the Greek city and were part of the Jewish community almost entirely wiped out in the Holocaust. Both survived Auschwitz and immigrated to Israel after the war, rebuilding their lives. Years later, their grandson turned the connection to Thessaloniki in an entirely different direction: not through memory, documents, or family stories, but through music.
