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Gilad Segev

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שָׁלוֹם
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Gilad Segev
גלעד שגב (Hebrew)
Passerby (Musician)
Background information
Born (1974-11-16) 16 November 1974 (age 50)
Ramat Gan, Israel
GenresFolk, rock, world, pop, folk-pop
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician, author
Instrument(s)Guitar, piano, vocals
Years activeSince 2000; 24 years ago (2000)
LabelsHelicon, B2
Websitepasserby-music.com (in English)

Gilad Segev (in Hebrew גלעד שגב; born November 16, 1974), also known as Passerby or Gilad Passerby (in Chinese 行者.吉拉德), is an Israeli singer-songwriter, musician, author, and travel documentarian. He is best known for his hit songs that have been widely played across Israel, including “Achshav Tov (It’s Good Now),” “Isha M'hashamayim (Woman From The Sky),” and “Chana'leh Hitbalbelah (Hannah Was Confused).”[1]

In recent years, Segev has achieved newfound international success through his Passerby project, in which he has toured and headlined many festivals around the world and collaborated with artists from the United States, China, Yemen, Malawi, and Cuba, among other regions. Passerby has become especially popular in China, where Segev has gained close to a million followers on Weibo and gained prominence through Project 34, a musical journey that aims to showcase the beauty of China’s 34 regions through music, tradition, people, and landscape[2].

Early life

Gilad Avraham Segev was born on November 16, 1974[3], in Ramat Gan, Israel[4], to a Syrian-Polish Jewish family. Growing up, his parents didn’t talk much about their pasts as they embraced their new lives in Israel. This led Segev on a quest to learn and connect with his roots and “hidden identities” through music[5].

Segev started playing music at 11 years old. He studied at Tel Aviv University and graduated with a degree in Media and Management.

Career

2000-2008: Career beginnings and breakthrough

In 2000, Segev got his first big career break by writing the song “I Forgive”[6] for the legendary American-Israeli singer Josie Katz[7], who is best known for forming the 1960s Israeli pop-rock band The High Windows with Arik Einstein and Shmulik Kraus[8].

Segev burst onto the music scene in 2004 with his first single, “Achshav Tov (It’s Good Now).” He wrote the song about his brother who tragically passed away[5]. The song tells the story of a day the two had spent together just weeks before his passing. The song resonated with many Israelis[9] and became a smash hit across the country, earning the title of the most broadcast song on Israeli radio that year[10]. The hit single was then followed by the release of Segev’s first album of the same name, which was produced by Gilad Shmueli and Ivri Lider[3]. The album included other top singles including “Writing You a Story,” which was used as the theme song for the Israeli television drama, Peach, which starred Orna Banai[9].

In 2006, Segev found success again with the release of his second album “The Love That Stays,” also produced by Gilad Shmueli. The title track of the album rose to popularity as it was featured in Israeli telecommunications company HOT’s nationwide advertising campaign that year[3].

In 2007, Segev co-wrote the song "Let's Leave" with Elai Botner, which was performed by Ran Danker and Botner. The song would go on to become a big hit in Israel that year, winning "Song of the Year" at the 2007 Israeli Music Channel Awards[11].

2009-2014: Finding his roots

After the release of his second album, Segev had “a revelation” and “locked” himself in isolation for three-and-a-half years[5]. During this time, he studied the music, traditions, prayers, and instruments of Syria and Eastern Europe, the regions of the world where his parents originated from.

In 2009, the result of Segev’s years in isolation would become his third – and most personal – album release yet, “Noadnu (We Were Meant to Be).” The album is widely regarded as “the first Polish-Syrian-Jewish-Israeli album”[12] and ushered in a brand-new sound for Segev that serves as a dialogue between his two East and West identities.

The album was a big success and went on to achieve certified Gold record status[5]. The album’s hit song “Isha M'hashamayim (Woman From The Sky)” garnered millions of views on YouTube and became Israel’s most broadcast song on the radio in 2009[13]. This became the second hit song of Segev’s to achieve this title. The headlining song on the album, also called “Noadnu,” was a cover of the Swedish electronic-music band The Knife's song “Marble House.”

Segev collaborated with Rising Star winner Roni Dalumi in 2010 to release her first single, “Ten (Give).” He wrote the song's lyrics, which were based on Gloria Estefan’s hit Spanish song “Hoy.”[14] The song has since become one of the most played songs of the decade in Israel[15].

In 2011, Segev collaborated with the Madboojah Project. He performed Nathan Alterman's “Chana'leh Hitbalbelah,”[16] which became the fourth most-played song on Israeli radio that year. Over the next two years, Segev would also serve on the selection committee for Israel’s entry to the Eurovision Song Contest[17][18].

In 2012, Segev released the single “Holy Day,” which would go on to break the record for most plays in a week on Israeli radio[19]. The music video for “Holy Day” was shot in Los Angeles by famed music video director Lior Molcho, in collaboration with American production teams that have worked with the likes of Taylor Swift, Missy Elliott, Gwen Stefani, and Lil Wayne[19].

Later in 2012, Segev released his fourth album “Voices of the Heart.” The album’s title song of the same name was a popular duet with Israeli singer Miri Mesika[20]. By 2013, “Voices of the Heart” had achieved certified Gold status.

In 2013, Segev began traveling around the world to headline and perform his “roots experience” concert in high-profile festivals and events, including the One World Festival[21]. He also headlined and performed in front of an audience of 200,000 people at the Celebrate Israel Festival in New York[22]. In July 2014, he performed in front of tens of thousands of people on the main stage at the popular Zebra Music Festival in Shanghai, China[23].

2015-present: Passerby

In 2015, Segev began his work on the Passerby project, where he partners with different artists all around the world to tell stories and create unique musical collaborations that represent the very foundations of different cultures[24]. His goal with this project is to lift up and amplify voices all around the world[2]. Since 2015, Segev has also, on occasion, gone by the stage name of “Passerby” or “Gilad Passerby.”[25]

Segev briefly relocated to New York and began working with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jack Knight and Grammy Award-nominated producer Roahn Hylton[26]. In May 2015, they released the first song of the Passerby era, “Steel,” in both Hebrew and English. Shortly thereafter, Segev released his fifth album, “A Time to Change,” which featured his hit single “Lo Tzarich Yoter (No Need for More).” An English-language remix of the song was later released on its own[27].

In 2016, Segev signed “Passerby” in the United States with Aida Gurwicz[28], the former head of Cherry Lane Music who is most known for signing many of the world’s top artists including The Black Eyed Peas and John Legend.

Over the next five years, his musical work through Passerby have included collaborations and tours around the world with artists including Grammy Award-winner Sterling Crew, “the most popular Cuban band”[29] Havana D'Primera, and Yemen Blues’ Ravid Kahalani[30]. Passerby and Kahalani’s song, “Gold Rush,” was released in 2018 and has since garnered over one million views on YouTube[31].

In 2018, Segev presented his remix project, “Premonition,” at Tel Aviv’s HaYarkon Park in front of 20,000 people[32]. In 2019, he toured in Africa and co-wrote the official song for Good Deeds Day with Malawi singer-songwriter Ben Michael Mankhamba[33].

Segev has often acknowledged his special connection with China[34]. He started the first of his numerous Passerby tours across China in 2015, when he was invited as the main speaker at the China-Israel Business Conference. In 2016, he returned to headline the Chengdu China World Music Festival. As his popularity began to rise across the region, he created a Weibo account to connect with his Chinese fans and followers. He has since received over a million followers on his Chinese social media pages[25].

In 2019, Segev set out on a successful multi-media Passerby tour across mainland China, including cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, and Nanjing. In March 2020, he released a duet in English and Chinese with Chinese singer Ha Hui called “Be There.” The song, which was a tribute to the medical workers of Wuhan during the Covid-19 pandemic[35], was recorded and filmed while in quarantine and became a huge hit, accumulating millions of views and shares across the region. “Be There” was also performed nationwide on CCTV and on billboard screens in Times Square in New York[25].

In June 2020, Segev announced the launch of “Project 34,” a musical journey that focuses on the people, landscape, heritage, and indigenous sounds throughout China. For 34 months, Passerby will release a new Folk song and accompanying music video for each of China’s 34 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and special administrative regions[36]. As part of the project, Segev will also collaborate with an artist who is representative of each region as they create an experience together that showcases “the magical Chinese energy that endured for thousands of years.”[2]

Publications and upcoming projects

Segev released his first Passerby book in 2018, titled Quotes for the Traveler Through Life. The book, which was accompanied by a musical album of his worldly encounters, became a best-seller in Israel and has since been translated into 10 languages[37]. The book’s sequel, by the same name, was released in 2020[38].

Segev has been in production on the travel documentary television series for Passerby[2]. Each episode follows Segev on a quest to explore different regions of the world, while surrounded by breathtaking landscape views and encounters with the local culture, heritage, and people.

Personal life

Segev married Israeli model Shachar Buchnik in October 2018[39]. In 2020, they welcomed their first child, Neo Yitzhak, who was also named after the character made famous by Keanu Reeves in the 1999 film The Matrix[40].

In 2013, Segev was staying at the famous Lexington Hotel in New York when he found himself stuck on the 24th floor as a massive fire broke out inside the hotel. Segev almost lost his life, but managed to miraculously find his way out of the burning blaze[41]. Segev has referred to this moment as the day that changed his life forever[2].

Discography

Albums

  • 2004: Achsav Tov (עכשיו טוב)
  • 2006: האהבה נשארת
  • 2009: Noadno (נועדנו)
  • 2013: Kolot Halev (קולות הלב)

Singles

See also

References

  1. ^ "גלעד שגב - "אף אחד", וראיון על האהבה לאשתו גליה מלטסטה". mako. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Who is the foreign artist who fell in love with China?". Who is the foreign artist who fell in love with China?. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "גלעד שגב". SinGold | סינגולד – מפיצים את המוסיקה שלך (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  4. ^ "תחנות חיים: סיור במחוזות ילדות עם גלעד שגב". ynet (in Hebrew). 31 August 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d "Gilad Segev's Syrian-Polish spiritual roots quest". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  6. ^ "גלעד שגב". Discogs. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  7. ^ "'All Is Well By Me': The saga of Josie Katz". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  8. ^ "JOSIE KATZ- LEGENDARY AMERICAN ISRAEL 60'S SINGER - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  9. ^ a b "לגלעד שגב יותר טוב עכשיו - יובל אראל". הבלוג של יובל אראל (in Hebrew). 5 December 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  10. ^ "שיר אחד ודי". Haaretz הארץ (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  11. ^ "פרסי עמ"י: הזוכים הגדולים - סינרגיה, דנקר ובוטנר". ynet (in Hebrew). 26 December 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  12. ^ Saval, Malina; Saval, Malina (7 November 2018). "Israeli Music Biz Conference Tune In Tel Aviv Celebrates Seventh Year". Variety. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  13. ^ "אקו"ם: "אישה מהשמיים" הוא השיר המושמע של השנה - וואלה! תרבות". וואלה!News (in Hebrew). 7 September 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  14. ^ ""אני לא בשלה מספיק" - וואלה! תרבות". וואלה!News (in Hebrew). 17 March 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  15. ^ "אייל גולן הזמר הכי מושמע העשור, השיר הכי מושמע - "מחוזקים לעולם" של אברהם טל - וואלה! תרבות". וואלה!News (in Hebrew). 18 December 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  16. ^ "גלעד שגב - חנה'לה התבלבלה | Gilad Segev - Dor Dekel Remix - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Izabo takes the alternative path to Eurovision". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  18. ^ "Dana International looking to make Eurovision comeback". Haaretz.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  19. ^ a b "גלעד שגב בקליפ "יום קדוש"". mako. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  20. ^ "גלעד שגב ומירי מסיקה - קולות הלב - Gilad Segev & Miri Mesika - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  21. ^ REPORTER, CARLO WOLFF CJN STAFF. "Israeli star Segev to headline free Cleveland festival". Cleveland Jewish News. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  22. ^ "JewishPost.com - Celebrate Israel Parade". www.jewishpost.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Zebra Music Festival". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  24. ^ Noise11.com (14 January 2019). "Israeli Artist Gilad Segev's Passerby concept has Global Potential says Noise11 COO Nick Kontonicolas". Noise11.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ a b c Cashmere, Paul (2 June 2020). "Gilad Segev (aka Passerby) and HaHui Grace The Big Screen At Times Square". Noise11.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  26. ^ "CAMERA hosts Israeli musician and his 'message of peace' on campus tour". JNS.org. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  27. ^ "גלעד שגב - לא צריך יותר | Gilad Segev - English Vers - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  28. ^ ""לא צריך יותר": גלעד שגב בשיר חדש". mako. 24 January 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  29. ^ "Havana D'Primera". Lehman Center. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  30. ^ ""זמן להשתנות": אלבום חדש לגלעד שגב". mako. 15 May 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  31. ^ "Gold rush - Passerby (With Ravid Kahalani) - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  32. ^ "מועדון 'יותר'". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  33. ^ "Our Top 5 Unique GDD Projects from 2019". Good Deeds Day. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  34. ^ "Musician sings to bring Chinese and Israelis closer-Eastday". english.eastday.com. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  35. ^ 傅瑞. "Chinese, Israeli singers sing tribute to medical workers". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  36. ^ "PASSERBY LAUNCHES 'PROJECT 34', A MUSICAL JOURNEY ACROSS CHINA". b2 Talent Asia. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  37. ^ "Gilad Segev". eBook-Pro. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  38. ^ "סטימצקי - משפטים לשביל החיים פאסרביי PASSERBY 2". סטימצקי (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  39. ^ "גלעד שגב נישא בשנית". mako. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  40. ^ "גלעד שגב חובק בן ראשון - ובחר בשם מפתיע במיוחד | TMI". https://tmi.maariv.co.il (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 October 2020. {{cite web}}: External link in |website= (help)
  41. ^ "מבחן האש של גלעד". ynet (in Hebrew). 25 May 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
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