Shye Ben Tzur
info@shyebentzur.com
Shye Ben Tzur is a New York-born composer, musician and poet, based in Jaffa after many years in India. His work is rooted in ancient Sufi and North Indian traditions, explored alongside contemporary and experimental sound.
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Ranjha First single from the upcoming album by Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and The Rajasthan Express. Ten years after Junun, back with the band who are a collective of musicians rooted in Qawwali devotional singing and the folk music of Rajasthan. Original music for a poem by the Punjabi Sufi saint Bulleh Shah, sung in Punjabi. Produced by Jonny Greenwood and Sam Petts-Davies, recorded at Jonny's studio in Oxford. Musicians
Shye Ben Tzur - Guitar
Jonny Greenwood - Guitar, Bass Guitar
Zakir Ali Qawwal - Qawwali Vocal, Harmonium
Nathu Lal Solanki - Nagara
Aamir Bhiyani - Trumpet, Tuba
Ehtisham Khan Ajmeri — Dholak, Qawwali Chorus
Nafees Khan Ajmeri — Qawwali Vocal
Tom Skinner — Drums, Percussion
Album out May 2026.
Ranjha First single from the upcoming album by Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and The Rajasthan Express. Ten years after Junun, back with the band who are a collective of musicians rooted in Qawwali devotional singing and the folk music of Rajasthan. Original music for a poem by the Punjabi Sufi saint Bulleh Shah, sung in Punjabi. Produced by Jonny Greenwood and Sam Petts-Davies, recorded at Jonny's studio in Oxford. Musicians Shye Ben Tzur - Guitar Jonny Greenwood - Guitar, Bass Guitar Zakir Ali Qawwal - Qawwali Vocal, Harmonium Nathu Lal Solanki - Nagara Aamir Bhiyani - Trumpet, Tuba Ehtisham Khan Ajmeri — Dholak, Qawwali Chorus Nafees Khan Ajmeri — Qawwali Vocal Tom Skinner — Drums, Percussion Album out May 2026.
The EP 'YOM' was born from a search for hope in a crumbling reality, presenting an inner journey of wandering through streets and thoughts, attempting to find grace in an uncontrollable world. The album marks a transition from abstract forms to more direct writing, while maintaining a poetic spirit in Hebrew that deals with time, doubt, comfort, and waves of renewal. Musically, the EP is characterised by minimalist production that combines soft psychedelia, synthesizer layers and floating guitars, set against dreamlike arrangements and spiritual depth.
Shye's new audio-visual project named 'Halel' (meaning 'praise'). During two live sessions, Shye stationed a minimalistic 'sound laboratory' in the Augusta Victoria Church. The sessions were all filmed and recorded live as single takes. Shye played short phrases which were sampled into two separate loop stations. These repeated musical segments produce a mosaic of musical patterns. Melodies serve as a linear narrative, changing the perspective of the music on every repeated looped pattern.
During the weeks of lockdown, while spending time at home, I often found myself humming the song “We Shall Overcome”. I always associated this song with the elevating force of people singing together. Suddenly, in this reality of seclusion, we found ourselves making efforts to reach out, striving to experience each other from a distance.
Radiohead’s guitarist joins the Israeli musician and poet on a journey in Sufi devotional music. Ecstatic, brassy and hypnotic, it’s border-crossing at its best." - Sunday Times, 100 Best Records of the Year. The album was also featured in Clive Davis’s ‘World Music/Folk’ picks.
On 2010 Shye’s second album “SHOSHAN” was released with great response from worldwide media. The album was rated Top 10 at the prestigious "Songlines World Music Magazine (UK)". It was also Top 5 at the album of the year chart (non Bollywood music) of the Times of India Chennai. “SHOSHAN” is a cross-cultural mix of passions, genres, languages and irresistible beats. For this project Shye collaborated with a group of top international musicians: famous Indian singer Shubha Mudgal, the Spanish guitar maestro Fernando Perez, Yossi Fine, Mishko M’ba, Eli Magen, Zohar Fresco, and many others. In India Shye and his group have performed in the most respected venues and music Festivals, singing music in Hebrew, Urdu and Hindi.
Ben Tzur'S debut album "HEEYAM" (Supreme love in Arabic), was recorded in India, Israel and USA. It was released in 2003 with great acceptance from both audience and critic. In "HEEYAM" Shye worked with traditional Sufi Qawwali (a form of ecstatic Muslim devotional music) singers, who have been learning his compositions and poetry, and sung them in Hebrew. From his personal life experiences Ben Tzur has succeeded to bring his own ancient culture alive into a unique cross cultural work.