TEL AVIV – Jerusalem band The Portnoy Brothers dedicated a chilling rendition of Dire Straits’ hit “Brothers In Arms” to the memory of late Israeli statesman, Shimon Peres.
Released on the eve of Peres’ passing, the band’s soloist Sruli Portnoy said he was in shock at the serendipity of the timing, especially in light of the poignancy of the lyrics.
“The song is a perfect homage to Shimon,” Portnoy said.
“Lyrics like ‘Let me bid you farewell/ Every man has to die’ and ‘We are fools to make war on our brothers in arms’ capture the sadness of this day,” he added.
Portnoy said that in addition to being in awe of Peres’ indefatigable quest for peace, he also admired the Nobel Peace Prize winner as a poet.
“People know him as a patron for peace but he was also a poet for his people,” Portnoy said, adding that the former prime minister would often scribble down stanzas during cabinet meetings, many of which were later turned into songs.
Indeed, Peres himself said in his presidential inauguration in 2007 that his “dream was not to be a president. My dream was to be a shepherd or a poet of the stars.”
The Portnoy Brothers are kicking off the Jewish New Year as the warm-up act for Israeli megastar Idan Raichel in Binyamina.
Upcoming gigs are set for the end of October in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.