Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
6:29 a.m., October 7th, 2023. Kobi pulls his children from their beds and flees to the nearest bomb shelter. The massacres and atrocities are already underway. As Israel and Gaza descend into chaos, the world Kobi spent a lifetime trying to build begins to collapse around him.
Orphaned Land frontman Kobi Farhi has revealed details of the English language release of his autobiography. Lemon Soul Publishing has bought the UK rights to “The Jewish Muezzin: Radical Sanity in an Orphaned Land”, which will be released on October 7th 2026. Pre orders are available now via Waterstones, Amazon and all good book retailers, with a limited number of signed and dedicated copies available via Lemon Soul.
‘In the midst of an endless conflict that has drawn in so much of the world, I am grateful to be a musician who, for the past 35 years, has tried to shine light and promote peace through the complexity, the pain, and the wounds of the Holy Land – the homeland I have long called The Orphaned Land.’ says Kobi.
“I am truly delighted that my memoir is finally making its way into the world in English.” he continues. “I believe the stories it tells, and the small miracles we have been fortunate enough to witness over the years, offer a powerful lesson in music’s ability to heal, to create dialogue, and to foster friendship, brotherhood, and compassion across divides. Even today, after all these increasingly bloodied years, with some artists choosing to promote division over unity, I remain convinced that music is one of the greatest forces for bringing people together, and the finest medicine for humanity”.
The Jewish Muezzin is the remarkable true story of Kobi Farhi, a boy from Jaffa who grew up amid conflict and tribal hatred, yet defied the odds to form one of the most improbable cultural phenomena in the Middle East – the award-winning band Orphaned Land.
As the frontman of Orphaned Land, Kobi has spent his life trying to use metal music as a force for positivity, hope and change. The band are known for using their platform to promote peace and unity, shunning calls for artistic boycotts and collaborating with artists who may be considered “enemies” by their respective leaders, including taking Palestinian band Khalas out on their 2013 European Tour and sharing their Metal Hammer Golden God Award with them.
Kobi built something that brought generational enemies together. Long before it became a global symbol of activism, he took to the stage with the keffiyeh as a call for reconciliation. But some fans in the Arab world have often paid a price. One was imprisoned because of his connection to the band. Others tattooed the band’s forbidden lyrics and symbols onto their skin.
This is Kobi’s astonishing account of what it feels like to build bridges through music, to bring light under the darkest of shadows, to find Palestinians and Israelis singing together – an inspiring glimpse of coexistence in one of the most fractured places on earth.
To celebrate the launch of the book, Kobi will host an Evening With Concert at London’s Water Rats, with Israeli singer-songwriter Geva Alon. The acoustic performance will also feature guest performances from friends and other artists, with more details to be revealed in due course.
Tickets are available here.
