Former guitarist and Orphaned Land co-founder , Yossi Sassi reported the following: We’ll have 4 shows in Israel during August – September.. I will be also performing at the Olbia Rock Festival in Sardinia, Italy on July 26 with my dear friend Mariangela Demurtas (Tristania), Tarald Lie Jr. (Tristania) & Ricardo Amorin (Moonspell). See you there! Dates and locations are listed below.
Yossi’s second solo-album “Desert Butterflies”, is released on May 1st. “Desert Butterflies” is the follow-up to 2012 “Melting Clocks”. The new album was recorded in 4 countries, 3 continents, with over 20 different guitar types, featuring Marty Friedman, Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal [G’n’R], Mariangela Demurtas [Tristania] and many more talented guests! See the entire list below.
Read below what Yossi Sassi tells about the album concept:
Butterflies in the desert? Is this possible?
When we think about a Desert, we usually think of a wasteland, one color, a desolate routine, even ‘boring’… When we think of butterflies, we think of freedom, of many colors, a symbol of change – one butterfly’s wings can trigger a change in the other side of the world.
But are there butterflies in a desert?
I introduced this question to many people around the world. Most people believe that, ‘naturally’, there are no butterflies in such hot, extreme conditions and environments. After all, what would such an accomplished and colorful creation be doing in such an abandoned, forsaken place?
Then I researched a bit, I found out that not only butterflies DO exist in ALL the deserts of the world, they are also one of the more common and diverse creatures in deserts, showing many different types of butterflies in all of our planet’s deserts. They adapt to the extreme yet ‘predictable’ weather conditions very well.
So there ARE butterflies in deserts. And more common than we’d think.
The life-cycle of a butterfly starts with an egg. It turns into a caterpillar, crawling around (like ‘a baby’), then a cocoon (‘an adult’, if you’d like). The cocoon is a still phase, in which the butterfly resides within its solitary shell. Finally – the butterfly emerges (the accomplished adult, the ‘dream’).
Many of us spend our lives in our cocoons; it’s a shell that defines us, regardless of who we really are, what our dreams truly are. Jobs, titles, the way to think & behave.
What about you? Do you follow your dream, in a liberated & colorful way?
Things aren’t what they seem. Butterflies CAN live in deserts very well, against common belief and our natural instinct.
People CAN fulfill their dreams against all odds. The human spirit is stronger than any misconception.
We can and do fulfill our dreams in the most unbelievable places. You too can be the butterfly in your desert, flying and emerging from your own routine. Even in your day-to-day of the modern world, where it seems non-reasonable or even impossible to be what you should really be … follow your dream.
Be the butterfly you can be.
Yossi Sassi – Vocals, Guitars [Electric, Nylon-String, Acoustic, 7-Strings], Bouzouki, Charrango, Oud, Saz, Chumbush, Keyboards
Or Lubianiker – Electric & Acoustic Bass
Shay Ifrah – Drums
Ben Azar – Guitar solo on “Inner Oasis”, “Neo Quest”
Mariangela Demurtas – Vocals on “Believe”
Marty Friedman – Guitar Lead on “Orient Sun”
Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal – Guitar solo on “Fata Morgana”
Erez Lev Ari [courtesy of NMC United] – Choir vocals, additional guitars on “Fata Morgana”
Roei Fridman – Percussion
Roy Zu-arets – Piano, Hammond
Ariel Qassis – Kanun
Daniel Hoffman – Violins
Itzhak Ventura – Arabic, Turkish and Persian ney
David Sassi – Choir vocals
Yosefa Zauosh – Vocals on “Fata Morgana”, “Azadi”
Shlomo Oz – Sitar
Engineered and recorded by Liron Schaffer at Bardo Studios, Ramat-Gan, Israel, and Piloni’s studio [Zaza Jaffa], Tel-Aviv, Israel. ‘Jason’s Butterflies’ engineered and recorded in 1998 by Udi Koomran at his living room, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Assistant engineer at Bardo studios – Idan Katz
Guitars technician – Arie Aranovich
Drums technician – Ami Bornstein
Mixed by Liron Schaffer & Yossi Sassi at Piloni’s studio [Zaza Jaffa]. Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper at Turtletone studios, NYC. Pre-production & keyboards recordings by Yossi Sassi at Simplyossi studios. Cover and photo artwork by Dina Bova. Album Design by Nina Zidani & Sana Jamm, Studio Kanaba.
Recently we had the opportunity to do an interview with Yossi, you can find it at this location.
Our review for “Desert Butterflies” can be found here.
Upcoming Shows:
July 26. 2014 @ Olbia Rock Festival, Sardinia, Italy
Aug. 26. 2014 @ Be’Er Sheva`, Hadarom, Israel
Sept. 4. 2014 @ Acre, Israel
Sept. 9. 2014 @ Jerusalem, Israel
Sept. 15. 2014 @ Tel Aviv, Israel
Video below “Desert Butterflies” Album Preview.
Related Articles:
‘Orphaned Land’ Guitarist Working On Solo Album [Sept. 2011]
‘Orphaned Land’ Guitarist ‘Yossi Sassi’ Releases Solo Debut [March 2012]
‘Yossi Sassi’ Discusses Debut Solo Album In Audio Interview [March 2012]
‘Yossi Sassi’ ‘Melting Clocks’ To Receive North American Release [May 2012]
‘Orphaned Land’ Guitarist ‘Yossi Sassi’s’ ‘Simple Things’ Video Released [Aug. 2012]
Video Interview With ‘Orphaned Land’s’ ‘Yossi Sassi’ [Oct. 2012]
‘Orphaned Land’s’ ‘Yossi Sassi’ Releases Video Recap Of 2012 [Jan. 2013]
‘Orphaned Land’ And ‘Yossi Sassi’ Part Ways, Statement Available [Jan. 2014]
Yossi Sassi – “Desert Butterflies” [Album Review]
An Interview with ‘Yossi Sassi’ (ex ‘Orphaned Land’)[June 2014]
‘Yossi Sassi’ Release New Video ‘Azadi’ [June 2014]