Yossi Sassi (Hebrew: יוסי סאסי), born 5 February 1975) is an Israeli guitarist and
producer who merges traditional and contemporary music. He is the inventor of the "bouzoukitara" musical instrument. He is known for pioneering
oriental rock
The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of '' Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the ...
, as well as being the main composer, arranger, and co-founder of
Orphaned Land
Orphaned Land is an Israeli heavy metal music, heavy metal band, formed in 1991 under the name Resurrection (changing their name in 1992 to the current name), that combines Israeli Jewish, Mizrahi Jewish, Mizrahi, and other West Asian influences ...
, an Israeli progressive metal band formed in 1991. He also formed the Yossi Sassi Band/The Oriental Rock Orchestra. His debut solo album, ''Melting Clocks'', got him voted "Top Newcomer of 2012" by ''Rock Hard'' magazine readers. His 2016 album ''Roots and Roads'' was submitted for
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
consideration.
Early years
Sassi grew up in
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva ( he, פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה, , ), also known as ''Em HaMoshavot'' (), is a city in the Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Jews of the Old Yishuv, and became a permanent s ...
, Israel. His father was a firefighter who enjoyed singing, and his mother was a housewife. Sassi's father, David, comes from a family of ten brothers and sisters, all of whom play an instrument, sing, or do both. His grandfather and namesake, Yossef Sassi, played the
oud
, image=File:oud2.jpg
, image_capt=Syrian oud made by Abdo Nahat in 1921
, background=
, classification=
*String instruments
* Necked bowl lutes
, hornbostel_sachs=321.321-6
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded with a plectrum
...
and chanted traditional religious songs. At age 7, Sassi learned to play the flute, and later sang in the school choir, and his interest in music grew when he encountered the guitar around the age of 14 during a visit to his uncle. Sassi borrowed the guitar, took some lessons from guitar teachers, but eventually decided to teach himself, practicing for 8 to 10 hours per day for years. He dropped out of high school at age 17 to focus on his band
Orphaned Land
Orphaned Land is an Israeli heavy metal music, heavy metal band, formed in 1991 under the name Resurrection (changing their name in 1992 to the current name), that combines Israeli Jewish, Mizrahi Jewish, Mizrahi, and other West Asian influences ...
, combining Middle Eastern elements with metal music.
Career
Sassi blends East with West, rock with world music, melodic tunes with progressive passages, and traditional folk instruments with electric riffs. He has over 20 years of experience as a producer, composer-arranger, and musician.
Yossi plays 17 different types of guitars and traditional instruments, and has been invited to play live and share the stage with artists such as
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instru ...
,
Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 unti ...
,
Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson (born 3 November 1967) is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corro ...
,
Yehuda Poliker, and others.
Yossi Sassi is a first-level endorsing artist of
PRS Guitars
Paul Reed Smith Guitars, also known as PRS Guitars, is an American guitar and amplifier manufacturer located in Stevensville, Maryland. The company was founded in 1985 in Annapolis, Maryland by Paul Reed Smith.
Products manufactured by PRS inc ...
, ,
Elixir Strings, and
Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix (also commonly referred to as EHX) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of g ...
.
Orphaned Land
Unusual for a band from Israel,
Orphaned Land
Orphaned Land is an Israeli heavy metal music, heavy metal band, formed in 1991 under the name Resurrection (changing their name in 1992 to the current name), that combines Israeli Jewish, Mizrahi Jewish, Mizrahi, and other West Asian influences ...
has built a following among Muslims and Arabs.
Founded in 1991, the band released the demo ''The Beloved's Cry'' in 1992. They were signed by Holy Records and ''
Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
'' (1994) and ''
El Norra Alila
''El Norra Alila'' is the second full-length studio album by the Israeli metal band Orphaned Land, released on July 18, 1996 by Holy Records. The album was reissued as a deluxe edition in July 2006 as a 10-year-anniversary for the album and con ...
'' (1996) were well received by reviewers. Later, the band signed with
Century Media
A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c.
A centennial or ...
USA and released ''
Mabool
''Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven'' is the third full-length studio album by the Israeli metal band Orphaned Land. It was released on February 23, 2004 through Century Media Records. There are two different versions of the album; in ...
'' in 2004, garnering over 250,000 copies in sales.
The band's 2010 release, titled ''
The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR
''The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR'' is the fourth full-length studio album by the Israeli metal band Orphaned Land. The album was released on January 25, 2010, after many delays. ''ORwarriOR'' means "light warrior" or "warrior of light", rep ...
'', was recommended by
Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for heavy metal band Metallica since 1983. Before joining Metallica, he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, ...
of
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instru ...
in ''
Metal Hammer
''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...
'' magazine.
On 6 January 2014, Sassi released an official statement in which he announced his decision to part ways with his life work in Orphaned Land, due to various reasons, and focus on "new dreams" and "creative, innovative, authentic music that unites people".
Solo career
In 2011, Sassi founded his own solo group, with musicians from various genres, including Ben Azar on guitars (jazz/fusion guitarist), Shay Ifrah on drums, and Or Lubianiker (Project R'n'L, Marty Friedman) on bass guitar. In his solo work, Sassi merges rock with traditional folk music, blending instrumental pieces with melodic vocals. Yossi's debut release as a solo artist was titled ''Melting Clocks''.
The album incorporates traditional instruments such as
saz,
bouzouki
The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...
,
oud
, image=File:oud2.jpg
, image_capt=Syrian oud made by Abdo Nahat in 1921
, background=
, classification=
*String instruments
* Necked bowl lutes
, hornbostel_sachs=321.321-6
, hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded with a plectrum
...
,
cümbüş
The ''cümbüş'' (; ) is a Turkish stringed instrument of relatively modern origin. It was developed in 1930 by Zeynel Abidin Cümbüş (1881–1947) as an oud-like instrument that could be heard as part of a larger ensemble.
The cümbüş is s ...
, and others.
In 2014, Sassi was featured on the
IGNEA
IGNEA is a Ukrainian melodic metal band formed in Kyiv in 2013. The band mixes different heavy metal subgenres, the main of which are melodic death metal, symphonic metal, progressive metal, and oriental metal.
History
In 2013, IGNEA started un ...
single "Petrichor".
In January 2014, Sassi announced his sophomore album ''Desert Butterflies'', a conceptual piece continuing where he left off with ''Melting Clocks''. The album includes musical collaborations with
Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal
Ronald Jay Blumenthal (born September 25, 1969), better known by his stage name Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal or just simply as Bumblefoot, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and producer. He adopted his nickname from the bacterial infection of the s ...
(
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff ...
),
Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 unti ...
(ex-
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wi ...
), Mariangela Demurtas (
Tristania), and more. ''Desert Butterflies'' was released in May 2014 worldwide, and welcomed with positive reviews from leading industry magazines ("Truly progressive, truly original, demolishing boundaries ..." – Prog Magazine's Rich Wilson). His third album, ''Roots and Roads'', was released on 25 May 2016, receiving highly commendatory reviews from the media. ''Roots and Roads'' was submitted to the 2016 Grammys. Sassi's fourth studio release, titled ''Illusion of Choice'', came out in 2018 under the moniker Yossi Sassi & The Oriental Rock Orchestra, and features
Haken's frontman, Ross Jennings, and Israeli singer
Ester Rada
Ester Rada ( he, אסתר רָדָא, born March 7, 1985) is an Israeli actress and singer.
Biography
Rada was born in Kiryat Arba, Israel, to a religious Ethiopian-Jewish family. Her parents, originally from a village near Gondar, were res ...
.
In 2021, Yossi Sassi & The Oriental Rock Orchestra released the album ''Hear and Dare''.
Bouzoukitara
In 2011, Sassi decided to create an instrument that would later become an "embodiment of his musical journey". What first began as seeking an efficient way to switch between his acoustic Greek
bouzouki
The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...
to his
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
gave birth to the "bouzoukitara", a unique instrument that combines a traditional acoustic bouzouki with an electric solid-body guitar.
Watch this one of a kind instrument on YouTube
/ref> Together with luthier
A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers of ...
Benjamin Millar, he was able to transform his idea and design into reality. The double-neck instrument has a shared surface, so when one guitar is played, it resonates to the open strings of the other guitar, thus allowing Sassi to produce some unique sound layers.
Solo discography
* ''Melting Clocks'' (2012)
* ''Desert Butterflies'' (2014)
* ''Roots and Roads'' (2016)
* ''Illusion of Choice'' (2018)
* ''Hear and Dare'' (2021)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sassi, Yossi
1975 births
Living people
Israeli rock guitarists
21st-century guitarists