About Marimba Rasta

“Through out my career as a marimba player, I have felt that the marimba reaches out for rather small audiences, although it has a magical sound and a very appealing look. One day, I took my marimba to the streets and played it. For most of the people it was the first time they have ever seen a marimba played live. I have learned that in order to present the instrument in the most effective way, I have to choose songs that people know and love. Since then, I have been arranging many famous popular covers and playing them on the streets of Tel Aviv”.

Adi Morag, percussionist, composer and teacher, was born in Israel 1976.
In 1996 Morag established PercaDu, a world class percussion duo together with Tomer Yariv. As a member of PercaDu, Adi Morag has played as a soloist with leading orchestras such as: New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Bavarian State Orchestra, Tel Aviv Soloists Ensemble under the baton of celebrated conductors such as Maestro Zubin Mehta, Maestro Pierre Boulez, Marin Alsop and more. Adi Morag performed in festivals such as Verbier Festival, Israel Festival (three times), Reykjavik Arts Festival, TIPC Festival in Taiwan, Kaunass Jazz Festival, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Introvert Music Festival and more. Adi Morag has also conducted master classes in universities around the world including Julliard School of Music, N.Y.
In 2009 Adi Morag was a member of the jury in the International Percussion Competition in Luxembourg where he also gave a master class. As a composer Adi Morag, wrote and published several percussion duo works (Shaharit, Kol Kadum, Arse Poetics and Octabones). The marimba duo “Octabones” won the Percussive Arts Society Composition Competition in 1999, and became a part of the standard repertoire for marimba duo.
Since forming “PercaDu” Adi Morag won the following prizes together with Tomer Yariv: The First Prize at the Percussive Arts Society International Competition; The First Prize at the Percussive Arts Society International Competition; The Jury prize and the Audience Prize at the International Percussion Competition in Luxembourg; First prize as “Best Chamber Music Ensemble” at the Aviv Music Competitions; First Prize at the Tel-Aviv Academy of Music Chamber Music Competition; First Prize at the Tel-Aviv Academy of Music Chamber Music Competition; Israel`s Minister of Culture Prize for Excellency in Music; The Landau Prize for outstanding culture contribution in Israel; America – Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships both as soloists as well as a duo since 1993; Chosen Artists by the Israel Culture Excellence Foundation (IcExcellence).
Selected Press Reviews of PercaDu`s performances:

The New York Times:
“…There was a sense of living on the edge… played with impressive energy by the virtuosic PercaDu musicians.”
“ At times the entire orchestra played second fiddle, overshadowed by the fiery percussion.”
“The performance was rewarded with boisterous ovation. As an encore, PercaDu performed an elegant transcription of the Prelude from Bachʼs English suite.”
Vivien Schweitzer,  The New York Times. March 19,  2009

“…when PercaDu started their performance, time stopped. Taken back by the huge amount of instruments on stage some people wondered nevertheless: “can they do anything to surprise us?” Soon such attitudes were transformed into astonishment and even religious ecstasy. Fairly unknown to the Kaunas audience before the concert, members of the band left the stage with the crowd cheering for more. They had many reasons to feel they had won the city over. They were voted the biggest discovery of the kaunas Jazz while women would have liked to see them win the title of the “gentlemen of the year!”
Kaunas Jazz festival 2006 magazine 

Genius percussion players…they were like magicians when they played….Tomer Yariv and Adi Morag are unique percussionists and their concert was an outstanding experience!”
Reykjavik Arts Festival, Morgunblaoio Newspaper, Iceland

“Masters of percussion… They are true with strong pulse and backbone, high level professionals with creative thinking. Like many contemporary music chamber ensembles PercaDu can be proud of a wide list of pieces, which are written exactly for them, for various combinations of percussion instruments. The performance of PercaDu has become an unforgettable adventure”
Introvert Music Festival, NeatkaRiga Otrdiena, Latvia
“…Yariv and Morag managed to tease a range of textures and colors out of their instruments that would have many pianists turn green with envy…they are moving about stage with dramatic grace, their sense of showmanship is always subordinate to the music…”
The Jerusalem Post, Israel

“…The diversity of their styles, tones, colors, forms, and even melodic elements was astonishing… The Duo`s virtuoso command of their instruments, their refined musical test, verve and impressive energies demonstrated a high degree of musicianship…”
The Jerusalem Post, Israel

“An amazing percussion duo both in the virtuoso control of each player and in their perfect synchronization… a fascinating dialog building up to ecstasy…”
Ma`ariv, Israel