It was a dream come true, not just for the participating musicians, supporters and audiences in attendance, but also on a wider scale, a well overdue cultural step towards restoring peace between two politically hostile countries, namely Iran and Israel.
Following their initial encounter in the German city of Nuremberg back in 2014 and sharing a common vision, two young bands, alias the alternative Teheran-based indie-electronic outfit Langtunes and the rocked-out Kfar Saba/Tel Aviv hardcore klezmer five-piece Ramzailech, decided to reach out and team up for a tour of Germany, in a musical attempt at breaking down boundaries.
Dealing in peace, the subsequently organized and recently staged SECRET HANDSHAKE TOUR was a symbolic move that quickly gained support from various camps, even though bureaucracy and politics kept getting in the way. Watch the creative crowdfunding-trailer below.
The historic tour finally kicked off in Leipzig on November 17th and ended on December 3rd in Frankfurt, featuring a total of 11 stops brimming with emotion, mutual love and respect.
Now that The Secret Handshake Tour has come to a close however, it is unclear how the rise in awareness and media coverage of the event will affect the bands back home. Yet both groups are currently planning separate tours of Germany for 2016 (Ramzailech in May and Langtunes in April) plus festival performances later in the year and are looking forward to meeting again along the way.