When Shantel speaks, you can feel it immediately: this is someone who understands music not as a mere soundtrack, but as an attitude to life that is deeply rooted in collective memories and emotions. As musical director of the new project Mentsh United the musician, producer and DJ wants to make nothing less than "a musical statement against hate" - danceable, diverse, utopian. In his interview, Shantel provides deep insights into his musical biography, his Jewish roots and his vision of an inclusive future.

From illegal parties to international sound culture

"I just fell up the stairs," says Shantel looking back on his beginnings. In the early 90s, he organised illegal parties with friends in Frankfurt's Bahnhofsviertel district. As a DJ, and later as a producer, he developed a feel for sound spaces that not only moved his feet, but also his heart. The idea was born to create music that reflected his inner Europe: "A soundtrack for a virtual, cosmopolitan Frankfurt - in the heart of Germany, in the heart of Europe."

His influences are as diverse as his origins: his mother comes from Chernivtsi (Bukovina), a melting pot of Eastern European culture, and his family was stateless for a long time. For Shantel, this is not a flaw, but a driving force: "Home is not a place, home is a feeling - a state of inner familiarity that cannot be defined by national borders, passports or geographical coordinates. It is the atmosphere in which you feel seen, heard and understood - sometimes for a moment, sometimes for a lifetime."

Melancholy meets hedonism: music as a bridge

Shantel combines worlds of sound that do not seem to fit together at first glance: classical instruments such as the harp or santoor meet club beats, Eastern European folklore merges with funk and dub. His message lies in this complexity: "I always wanted to convey emotions - from deep melancholy to uninhibited hedonism. These contrasts, this dialectic is what gives me my identity."

For him, music is a form of archaeology. He digs for sound traditions from south-east Europe, immerses himself in Sinti and Roma music and remembers family celebrations with oriental beats. This gives rise to a new narrative - far removed from clichés or nationalisms.

"Good music is always a statement against hate and destruction."

Mentsh United: A vision becomes audible

With Mentsh United Shantel goes one step further. The ensemble brings together musicians from Israel, Iran, France, Greece, Germany and Italy. It is more than just a band - it is a musical movement. "It's a utopian place of longing, an experimental laboratory for an open society," says Shantel. The goal is clear: to meet as equals. Not as Jews, Muslims or Christians, but as human beings.

"I perceive the other person as a person - not as a religion, nationality or ideology."

The idea: music as a common denominator, as a place without prejudices. And danceable: "We don't want to set the victimised attitude to music - we want to be loud, lively, shrill, hybrid. We make music that makes you forget yourself and recognise yourself at the same time."

Jewish identity: visible, audible, danceable

The connection to the Jewish community plays a central role for Shantel. Not as a religious confession, but as a cultural resonance chamber: "Many young Jewish people in Germany and beyond have responded to my sound - because it gave them aha moments, sounds from family celebrations, a memory of something of their own."

It is precisely the tension between tradition and modernity, East and West, beat and melody that fascinates him - and drives him forward. For him, Mentsh United is also a contribution to Jewish life in Europe today: visible, audible, danceable.

A plea for sensuality, diversity and hope

Shantel believes in the transformative power of music. Not naively, but passionately. Mentsh United is not meant to be an academic event - but a place where you can be a child again. Open, curious, unspoilt. "We all have this feeling inside us - we just have to awaken it again."

In this way, a small town in Tuscany is becoming a role model for a united Europe - a living example of how diversity, art and community can merge into a new form of coexistence. "We don't want a dogmatic project - we want to bring people together who might otherwise never have met."

Mentsh United is not a pose, not a marketing campaign. It is a serious attempt to use music as a space for diversity, community and vision. In a world that is becoming increasingly polarised, this is a loud, colourful, vibrant alternative. And Shantel is more than just a conductor or producer. At Mentsh United, he is the creative mind behind the sound - and thus the musical visionary of a new Europe - with bass, beats and a message.

"If we can create a moment in which origin, passport and identity don't play a role - then we have achieved a great deal with music."

Here you can find all dates to experience MENTSH UNITED live.