Hummus in Tel Aviv for Ms. Keys
The singer and pianist arrives for a sold-out performance, having sent her menu to producer Shuki Weiss
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
The 14-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys arrives in Israel this week for her sold-out Thursday night performance at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv, following Tuesday night’s performance in Istanbul, part of her global “Set the World on Fire” tour.
According to producer Shuki Weiss, Ms. Keys, as her staffers refer to the singer and pianist, is a strict vegetarian who eats fish, and asks that her staff follow the same diet. Although, as reported by entertainment host Guy Pines, Keys is no Barbra Streisand, who reportedly required M&Ms in her dressing room, sorted according to color. But longtime producer Weiss did have to import several food items, including whole-wheat, cinnamon raisin bread and Smart Water bottles, stored only at room temperature.
As for local eats, Keys is happy to dine on local fish, as well as to scoop some hummus accompanied by Diet “Black Beer” — a non-alcoholic, malt-flavored Israeli drink — among several other Diet sodas and drinks. She also needs a few cans of tuna in her dressing room, but one imagines she’ll be bringing her own albacore white, rather than the darker canned tuna sold in local grocery stores.
Keys is traveling with her husband, producer Swizz Beatz — originally known as Kasseem David Dean — and their 2½-year-old son, Egypt.
The singer travels on to Finland and Sweden in August, but appears to be taking a break after the July concert in Tel Aviv. According to a recent Bloomberg review following several of the performer’s shows in early June, Keys has so far failed “to set the world on fire” during the European part of the tour.
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