Balabasta 2012 – Cultural Festival in Mahane Yehuda Shuk

Butterfly girl on the roof, about 3 stories above the ground.

I’m just taking a break from the Florence photos….

Last Sunday we went to Balabasta, the cultural festival in the Mahane Yehuda shuk in Jerusalem. This will probably be the last Balabasta. The merchants’ association opposed the festival because they have their businesses disrupted and don’t gain very much from the crowds. Tourists don’t buy tomatoes and pita. They take pictures, eat, and drink, so the restaurants and cafes are the ones who benefit. I made a video of some of the musicians and am uploading it to YouTube (I love my new video-editing software, Pinnacle Studio 15!).

Oud (stringed instrument) on the left and darbouka (drum) on the right.

Hanging laundry from one of the balconies.

Woman in flower costume on opposite balcony. Last year the woman dressed in roses was on this balcony.

Players outside the backgammon club. They’re always there.

Artist Shvut Kula creates mosaics from materials of the shuk, mainly beans and seeds.

Klezmer trio in the alley

Chess tournament in the Iraqi shuk

Telling fortunes in the main covered shuk. It was very dark, so this photo wasn’t easy to get.

Aharon Menachem, oud player and singer, performing Kurdish music on the roof.

Na Ya Sangit (I hope I transliterated her name correctly) sings Indian music.

Zither player in a Yemenite ensemble.

Dancers in the very crowded square. At one point the zither player said, “Please dance only if you really know how to dance Yemenite dances. Otherwise it’s too painful for us to watch.” That didn’t seem to discourage the wannabees, though!