The Yemen Singer
Crossposted from Haaretz
When singer Zion Golan entered the wedding hall in Yehud at 7:10 P.M., the atmosphere was sleepy. Hardly anyone was there, not even all the waiters; it would be another two hours before the rest of the guests arrived and the wedding ceremony began. Those who were present no doubt wondered what Golan was doing there so early, since wedding singers usually show up only once the festivities are at their height. You won?t catch Moshik Afia or Lior Narkis entering a wedding hall before the first cigars are passed around.
But Golan is a different type of singer. ?They told me the ceremony would begin early, as close as possible to sunset, so I came early,? he said ? though he no doubt understood, from 35 years of experience at thousands of parties, that ?early? is a relative term at weddings.
He politely rejected a guest?s suggestion to change the groom?s choice of first song. ?Young people don?t know the traditions,? the guest said. Golan promised to check with the groom, but he naturally insisted on the song he had already chosen.
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