The birth of a bandIt all began when Tomer Katz went on an ordinary vacation in Greece, to relax, to forget his troubles in Israel and to seek a new path in life. It didn't take long until he discovered Rembetiko music (Greek blues) and was immediately captivated by it. When he returned to Israel, he brought with him a bouzouki and a baglama (a tiny string instrument that can be described as the grandchild of the bouzouki) and enrolled in the Academy of Music in Jerusalem. He settled in the charming Nahla'ot neighborhood of Jerusalem near the old open market, which was established 150 ago by poor people and new arrivals. There, playing his new bouzouki for hours in his tiny one-room apartment, Tomer attracted the attention of a neighbor living across the street named Zuchi. Tomer's music reminded Zuchi of his childhood, and of the music echoing from the most famous Greek music club in Jaffa, the now defunct Ariana. At this time the idea of the band was conceived, and with Zuchi's encouragement, Tomer enlisted five instrumentalists from the Academy and formed the first combo of the band. They began to perform in the picturesque Hamadregot (The Stairs) Street, on the roof of Zuchi's house, which became their stage. They attracted many residents of the neighborhood, who immediately became enthusiasts of the music. At first, they only played instrumentals, but eventually Tomer decided to add Hebrew lyrics to many of the songs, and the name Perach Adom – Red Flower – was conceived. Since then, the band has gone through many transformations until the current group was formed two years ago by musicians from the neighborhood – some of them students and some of them Nahla'ot natives. At first, the band appeared in its own small club – Ha-husha – located, naturally, in the heart of Nahla'ot. Performing every week, the band built up its own home audience, which was a mixture of old and young people. Those performances, which continued into the late hours of the night (sometimes interrupted by the police) created a true bond between the musicians and the audience, which became part of the band. In that smoke-filled ambiance, fueled by glasses of ouzo, the sound and expression of the band evolved. The band has seen a breakthrough during the past year – it has performed on major stages in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and has collaborated with well known artists such as Yair Dalal, Cohava Levi and Yehudit Tamir. Recently, the band was featured in a Greek TV show about the love for Greek music in Israel and their appearance attracted much attention, both in Greece and in Israel. One of the band's most exciting experiences was their meeting and subsequent collaboration with the famous Greek poet and journalist Manolis Rasoulis, who came to hear them and dedicated a song to them. Although the band has begun to perform on bigger stages, all of its members know that no matter how big the stage, it can never compare to the intimacy and unique atmosphere of the Ha'usha club. The members of the band are:
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