“Scheherazade” is an audio-visual installation that combines music and a light installation, a collaboration between the band The Hallways – Eilon Elikam, Aviv Ezra, and Isra Shalabi- artist Shai Dror, and music producer Eran Hadar.

At the core of the installation are two poems carefully edited & mixed by Eran Hadar, creating a dialogue between a man and a woman. In contrast to the original music, where vocals are enveloped in electronic drums and synthesizers, this edit presents the vocals in a more raw and exposed manner. The first song, sung by Aviv Ezra, is an Iraqi melodrama originally performed by singer Pilpel Georgi, expressing the pain and sorrow of a lost love, filled with heartbreak and longing. On the other hand, the second song, “Ya Gamil” – You beautiful one, sung by Isra Shalabi, is a magical plea, encouraging the man not to fear and to embrace the light and hope found in love.

Shai Dror’s light installation adds a visual dimension to the music. Two windows hang from the room’s ceiling, serving as a canvas for Dror’s projected videos accompanying each segment. The first video, accompanying the man’s poetry, depicts a train journey from northern France to Marseille. Symbolically, this retrospective journey represents an attempt to cling to what has been lost, as Marseille marks the departure point for many of those seeking new beginnings. The second video, accompanying the woman’s song, presents a play of sunsets and the sea, capturing the essence of profound and kitschy beauty and love. The concrete videos blur through the windows, creating a sense of distance and three-dimensionality. The specific location becomes abstract yet familiar at the same time.

The installation takes its name from the character in the folk tale “One Thousand and One Nights,” Scheherazade, the storyteller who used her stories to save her life and win love. Furthermore, Scheherazade was once the name of Cairo’s renowned nightclub, where exceptional bands and musicians performed. If it were still in existence today, The Hallways- the band at the heart of this installation, would undoubtedly grace its stage with their captivating music.