Asaf Avidan
Asaf Avidan (Hebrew: אסף אבידן; born March 23, 1980) is an Israeli singer-songwriter.
In late 2006, while on tour in Israel, Avidan and Ran Nir decided to put together a band, who would consist of Nir on bass guitar, Yoni Sheleg (Johnny Snow) on drums, Roi Peled on guitar and backing vocals, Hadas Kleinman on cello, and Avidan on lead vocals, guitar and harmonica.
The group’s original name was Asaf Avidan & the Mojo Jive Cats, but it was soon after shortened to Asaf Avidan & the Mojos.
Throughout 2006 and 2008, Asaf Avidan & the Mojos rose to major fame in Israel, receiving recording proposals from multiple local labels. However, the group released their debut studio album The Reckoning independently in March 2008, founding Telmavar Records with Avidan’s brother Roie.
The album was met with critical and commercial acclaim, reaching Gold status in Israel. With over 20,000 copies sold in the territory, The Reckoning became one of the best-selling independently released records. It was aided by two singles — “Reckoning Song” and “Weak” — as well as by a tour throughout Europe.
Later in 2012, a remix of “Reckoning Song” by German disc jokey Wankelmut — retitled into “One Day / Reckoning Song” — would attain widespread commercial success, topping the charts and being certified Gold and Platinum in countries including Germany, Italy and Netherlands. The single’s attention would lead to The Reckoning entering the record charts in various European regions in 2012.
Poor Boy / Lucky Man, the band’s second album, was released in Israel in September 2009 to favorable reviews. For promotion, the band embarked on a worldwide tour from 2009 to 2011, during which they had appeared and performed on several notable occasions in Germany, France, China and the United States.
Meanwhile, Asaf Avidan and the Mojos premiered their third and last record Through the Gale in November 2010.
They announced that they would take an indefinite creative break; Avidan attributed this to their desire “to experiment with new sounds and different genres that [they] couldn’t really do in [their] band because we were about rock, blues, and folk.” However, Avidan soon after announced that the group would disband because of his desire to pursue a solo career.
Asaf Avidan guitar tabs
