Ofra Haza (Hebrew: עפרה חזה‎, pronounced [ʕofrɑːh ħazzɑːh]) (November 19, 1957 – February 23, 2000) was a popular Israeli singer, actress and international recording artist. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The Chaim Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer (המרכז הרפואי ע"ש חיים שיבא - תל השומר often referred to as Tel HaShomer Hospital, is the largest Ramat Gan (רָמַת גַּן is a city in the Tel Aviv district of Israel, which borders Tel Aviv to its west For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other The term world music includes Traditional music (sometimes called Folk music or roots music of any culture that are created and played by indigenous musicians Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure The music of the Middle East and North Africa spans across a vast region from Morocco to Afghanistan and its influences can be felt even further afield A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, which is often contrasted with Speech. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Hed Arzi Music (meaning The Echo of My Country / My Country's Echo) is an Israeli music company that is involved with producing music, importing albums East West Records is an American Record label, owned by Warner Music Group, and operates under WMG's Independent Label Group. A seanchaí ( or - plural seanchaithe Other uses of the term Other uses of the term Since the Scots speak essentially the same Gaelic language as the Ariola Records (also known as Ariola and Ariola-Eurodisc is a German Record label, as of the late 80s a daughter label of BMG which in return has become a part Sire Records Company is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros Warner Bros Records Inc is an American Record label that operates as a wholly owned Subsidiary of Warner Music Group. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

Of Yemenite Jewish ancestry, Haza was born the youngest of nine children in the poor Tel Aviv neighborhood of Hatikvah (meaning "hope" in Hebrew). Yemenite Jews ( Hebrew: תֵּימָנִים, Standard   Temanim Tiberian   Têmānîm Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel She became an instant local, then national, success story, the subject of great pride for many Israelis of Yemenite origin.

Her voice has been described as mezzo-soprano, of near-flawless tonal quality, capable of lending itself to a variety of musical styles with apparent ease. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type.

Inspired by a love of her Yemenite-Jewish culture, the appeal of her musical art quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience, somehow bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries. As her career progressed, the multi-lingual Haza was able to switch between traditional and more commercial singing styles without jeopardising her credibility. The music, too, fused elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration and dance-beat. Success was to follow in Europe and the US; during her singing career, she earned many platinum and gold albums.

Early career

At the age of twelve-and-a-half, Haza joined a local theatre troupe, and manager Bezalel Aloni spotted her exceptional singing talent. He staged many of his productions around Haza as the centrepiece and later on he became her longtime manager and mentor. At the age of 19, she was Israel's first pop princess and retrospectively, music journalists described her as "The Madonna of the East".

By the time she had completed her military service in 1979, Aloni's protégé had matured as a singer and was ready to launch a solo career. Military service in its simplest sense is service by an individual or group in an Army or other military organization whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar)

Her first album, entitled Al Ahavot Shelanu (Our Love), was released in 1980 and yielded a string of popular radio hits, including "Hageshem" (The Rain), "Shir Ahava La'chayal" (Love Song For The Soldier), "Kmo Tzipor" (Like A Bird) and what ultimately became her signature song in her homeland, "Shir Ha'frecha" (The Bimbo Song). An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) A signature song is the one Song (or in some cases one of a few songs that a popular and well-established A homeland (rel Country of origin and native land) is the concept of the territory ( Cultural geography) to which an Ethnic group Bimbo is a term that emerged in popular English language usage in the early 20th century to describe an often attractive yet unintelligent woman The latter was written for the film Shlagger (1979) in which Haza played a leading role. At first, radio stations across the country refused to play the song due to its explicit lyrics but it quickly climbed the charts and reached #1, where it stayed for five consecutive weeks.

A second album soon followed, Bo Nedaber (Let's Talk), which included the hugely popular hits "Tfila" (Prayer) and "Simanim Shel Ohavim" (Lovers Signs).

Her third album, Pituyim (Temptations) came out in 1982 and enjoyed equal success with such hits as "Gabriel" and "Kol Yom Matchila Shana" (A New Year Starts Everyday). Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) With this album, more well-known writers agreed to write her songs, including Tzvika Pick and Nurit Hirsh. Tzvika Pick sometimes written as Svika Pik, Tsvika Pick ( Hebrew: צביקה פיק b

In 1983, Haza's career jumped to a new level of success and popularity. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) At the Eurovision Song Contest, she came in a close second to the Luxembourg entry with the song "Chai" (Alive). The Eurovision Song Contest 1983, the 28th in the series was held in Munich, then West Germany, on 23 April 1983. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by Her popularity in Israel reached enormous heights. Her 1983 album, Chai, became her biggest-selling album to date and the title track was voted the #1 song of the year. Author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor notes in The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History that Haza's performance of this song was highly symbolic as it contains the lyric "Israel Is Alive". As the contest was held in Munich, Germany, the scene of the 1972 Olympic's massacre, there was considerable patriotism involved with the Israeli entry. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Munich massacre occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken ^[1] Additional hits from the album included "Amen Lamilim" (Amen For Words) and "Sof Hakayitz" (End Of Summer). Haza was voted "Female Vocalist Of The Year" four years in a row, from 1980 through 1983. Later that year, Haza released Shirey Moledet which consisted of her renditions of well-known Israeli folk songs. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Public response was so overwhelming, she went on to release two more volumes (in 1985 and 1987).

Bait Ham (A Place For Me) was released in 1984 and included such hits as "Yad Beyad" (Hand In Hand), "Itcha Halayla" (With You Tonight) and the title track. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The album quickly went gold. In December that year, Haza released what was to become the turning-point of her career, a collection of Yemenite songs, simply titled Yemenite Songs. Despite lukewarm radio airplay, the album went on to become a best-seller, quickly reaching platinum status. This LP was reissued in the United States by Shanachie Records under the title Fifty Gates of Wisdom. Shanachie Records was founded in 1976 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins

The album Adama (Earth) followed in 1985 and saw the top writers in the country contribute to the album: Sasha Argov, Naomi Shemer, Ya'akov Orland and Ehud Manor, among others. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Naomi Shemer (נעמי שמר born 13 July 1930, died 26 June 2004) was one of Israel 's most important and prolific Song Ehud Manor ( July 13, 1941 &ndash April 12, 2005) was an Israeli Songwriter, Translator and radio The album produced the enormously popular hits, "Adama", "Goral Echad" (One Destiny) and "Mishehu Holech Tamid Iti" (Someone Always Walks With Me).

In 1986, Haza tried to update her sound and gathered with acclaimed producer Yizhar Ashdot to create what some consider to be her most interesting work, Yamim Nishbarim (Broken Days). Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The album had an edgy rock sound and the lyrics were deep and personal and written by Haza herself, a first. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. The album went gold and produced the hits "Kol Haklafim" (Open Your Cards), "Bo Ve-Nagen Oti" (Come and Play Me) and "Hake'ev Haze" (This Pain).

When asked about her musical roots in an interview on KCRW-FM radio (1993, Santa Monica), Haza spoke of her Yemenite Jewish parents, a childhood filled with music and singing and a passion for traditional Yemenite songs, picked up from her mother. KCRW (899 MHz FM) is a Public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica California Questioned about the theatre troupe, she spoke of poverty and the total neglect of successive governments for the Hatikvah region; and how, by way of protest, the community had rallied to create something positive and dramatic, which would make others sit up and take notice of a forgotten neighbourhood. Throughout the interview, Aloni can be heard in the background, adding information and correcting Haza about her age (by subtracting two years), when asked about her first album.

International artist

The album Ofra Haza (1997) included the single "Show Me" and the reworked "Im Nin'Alu 2000"

Her greatest international recognition came with the single "Im Nin'Alu", taken from the album Shaday (1988), which won the New Music Award for Best International Album of the Year. " Im Nin'alu " (אם ננעלו is a Hebrew poem by the 17th century's Yemenite Rabbi Shalom Shabazi ( שלום שבזי " Im Nin'alu " (אם ננעלו is a Hebrew poem by the 17th century's Yemenite Rabbi Shalom Shabazi ( שלום שבזי The song topped the Eurochart (Europe's equivalent to the American Billboard charts) for two weeks in June that year and was on heavy rotation on MTV channels across the continent. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry For years to come, this song would be extensively re-released, re-mixed and sampled, for example on Coldcut's remix of Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full. Coldcut is a Dance music duo comprising English DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More best known for their hit "Doctorin' The Eric Barrier ( Eric B) and William Barrier Griffin Jr ( Rakim) were a hip-hop duo known as Eric B " The single made only a brief appearance in the UK top 40 singles chart, but became a dancefloor favorite across Europe and the USA, topping the German charts for nine weeks. Subsequent singles were also given the dance-beat / MTV-style video treatment, most notably, "Galbi", "Daw Da Hiya" and "Mata Hari", but none quite matched the runaway success of her first hit. "Im Nin' Alu" would go on to be featured on an in-game radio playlist of the video game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, released in 2005. Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories is a sandbox-style action-adventure Video game developed by Rockstar North and Rockstar

Haza also received critical acclaim for the albums Fifty Gates of Wisdom (1988), Desert Wind (1989), Kirya (1992), Ofra Haza (1997) and for her collection of children's songs, L'Yeladim (1982). Desert Wind was the 1989 album of Ofra Haza, who was already one the most popular singers in Israel. For the area in Tel Aviv see HaKirya. Kirya (an ancient Hebrew nickname for Jerusalem was Ofra Haza 's 1992 follow-up to the internationally

Kirya (co-produced by Don Was) received a Grammy nomination. Don Was (born Don Fagenson; September 13, 1952) is an American Musician, bassist and Record producer.

In 1994, Haza released her first Hebrew album in seven years, Kol Haneshama (The Whole Soul). Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Though not an initial chart success, the album produced one of her biggest hits to date, "Le'orech Hayam" (Along The Sea). The song did not have any substantial chart success upon its release to radio but became an anthem after Haza performed it on the assembly in memorial to deceased Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a week after he was assassinated. The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music (in Music theory and religious contexts or more generally a song (or composition of Radio stations around the country started playing it and people took notice. Its lyrics became even more symbolic following Haza's own death in 2000.

Collaborations and performances

The single "Daw Da Hiya" featured Iggy Pop as the narrator

Her collaborative work with internationally established acts included the single "Temple of Love (Touched by the Hand of Ofra Haza)", recorded with the Leeds-based band The Sisters of Mercy in 1992. James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter The Sisters of Mercy are an English Gothic rock band that formed in 1980 Thomas Dolby co-produced Yemenite Songs and Desert Wind, where he was also a guest musician. Thomas Dolby (born Thomas Morgan Robertson, on 14 October 1958) is an English Musician, producer and inventor Haza guested on Dolby's album Astronauts And Heretics (1992), singing on the track "That's Why People Fall In Love". She recorded "My Love Is for Real" with Paula Abdul in 1995 and on Sarah Brightman's album Harem, Haza's vocals were included on "Mysterious Days", thanks to an idea by Brightman's partner Frank Peterson (ex-Enigma), who produced both Harem (2003) and the album Ofra Haza (1997). Paula Julie Abdul ( "AB-dool" born June 19, 1962) is a Grammy Award -winning American pop Singer Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960 is an English classical crossover Soprano, actress songwriter and dancer Harem is a 2003 album by English singer Sarah Brightman. It mixes her operatic voice with Middle-Eastern and Indian rhythms and vocals For the US Marine Corps general see Frank E Petersen. Frank Peterson is a German music producer known for his work with Enigma is German electronic musical project founded by Michael Cretu, David Fairstein and Frank Peterson in 1990

For the Kirya album, Iggy Pop, a friend of Don Was, performed the narration on "Daw Da Hiya" and Haza joined him and a host of other stars for the video and single release "Give Peace A Chance" in 1991. James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter Don Was (born Don Fagenson; September 13, 1952) is an American Musician, bassist and Record producer. She also sang on the soundtracks of Colors (1988), Dick Tracy (1990), Wild Orchid (1990), Queen Margot (1994) and The Prince of Egypt (1998). Colors is a 1988 Crime film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. Dick Tracy is a 1990 action - Adventure film based upon the Dick Tracy Comic strip created by Chester Wild Orchid is the title of a 1990 Erotic film starring Mickey Rourke, Carré Otis, Jacqueline Bisset, Bruce Greenwood The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American Animated film, the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks In The Prince of Egypt, she voiced the small role of Yocheved, as well as singing "Deliver Us". The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American Animated film, the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks For The Prince of Egypt's soundtracks, Haza sang the song "Deliver Us" in 17 of the 21 languages (Czech - "Tak vyveď nás", Dutch - "Verlos ons, Heer", English - "Deliver Us", Finnish - "Johdata", French - "Délivre nous", German - "Erlöse uns", Greek - "Eleftheri", Hebrew - "Hoshiana", Hungarian - "Szabadíts", Italian - "Ascoltaci", Norwegian - "Befri Oss", Polish - "Uwolnij Nas", Portuguese - "Liberte Nos", Spanish - "Libranos", Swedish - "Befria Oss"). The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American Animated film, the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks Czech (ˈʧɛk čeština ˈʧɛʃcɪna in Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers it is the majority language in the Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Finnish ( or suomen kieli) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92% As of 2006) and by ethnic Finns outside French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Hungarian ( magyar nyelv) is a Uralic language (more specifically a Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Norwegian ( norsk) is a North Germanic Language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Swedish ( is a North Germanic language spoken by more than nine million people predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the On the soundtrack of The Governess (1998), Haza is the featured singer on seven of the twelve tracks and worked closely with film music composer Edward Shearmur. The Governess is a 1998 British period Drama film written and directed by Sandra Goldbacher Edward Shearmur (sometimes known as Ed Shearmur (born 1966 is a British film composer In 1999, she performed (together with late Pakistani artist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) the track "Forgiveness", on the contemporary symphony album The Prayer Cycle by Jonathan Elias. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ( نصرت فتح على خاں, born October 13 1948, died August 16, 1997) was a Pakistani Jonathan Elias (born 1956 is an American Composer and Record producer, known for his movie soundtracks production for several pop and rock acts and his

As a featured background vocalist, Haza's voice has been recorded, re-mixed or sampled for Black Dog's "Babylon" single, Eric B and Rakim's "Paid In Full (Coldcut Remix)" and for the M/A/R/R/S hit "Pump Up The Volume". The Black Dog was founded by Ken Downie along with Ed Handley and Andy Turner Eric Barrier ( Eric B) and William Barrier Griffin Jr ( Rakim) were a hip-hop duo known as Eric B Coldcut is a Dance music duo comprising English DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More best known for their hit "Doctorin' The " Pump Up the Volume " ( 1987) was the only single released by British recording act M/A/R/R/S. " Pump Up the Volume " ( 1987) was the only single released by British recording act M/A/R/R/S. The single "Love Song" has been re-mixed by DJs many times, its powerful vocal performance and comparatively sparse musical arrangement making it the perfect vehicle for a dance-rhythm accompaniment.

Covers of songs by other artists included the Carole King / James Taylor classic "You've Got a Friend", Madonna's "Open Your Heart", Gary Moore's "Separate Ways", and Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir". Carole King (born February 9, 1942) is an American Singer, Songwriter, and Pianist. James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Guitarist, born in Boston, Massachusetts " You've Got a Friend " is a Grammy Award winning song from the early 1970s which marked the Singer-songwriter movement Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American "Open Your Heart" is the fourth single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 3rd studio album True Blue and was released Gary Moore (born Robert William Gary Moore, 4 April 1952, Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish Guitarist. Led Zeppelin were " Kashmir " is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti.

There were many distinguished live performances and Haza spoke with fond memories of her visits to Japan and Turkey. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Notable too, was her performance at the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, where she appeared alongside Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor. The Nobel Peace Prize ( Swedish, Danish and Nobels fredspris is one of five Nobel Prizes Bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor (ʃɪˈneɪd oʊˈkɒnɚ (born 8 December 1966 is a Grammy Award winning Irish singer and songwriter "Paint Box" was written specially for the event. Her 1990 live recording, At Montreux Jazz Festival was released in 1998.

Haza shared duets and concert performances with Glykeria, Yehudit Ravitz, Paul Anka, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson, Iggy Pop, Hoite, Buddha Bar, Ishtar, Gidi Gov, Whitney Houston, Tzvika Pick, Khaled, Prachim Yerushalaim, The Sisters of Mercy, Sarah Brightman, Thomas Dolby, Stefan Waggershausen, Eric B and Rakim, Gila Miniha, Hans Zimmer, Hagashash Hachiver, Yaffa Yarkoni and Shoshana Damari. Glykeria (born Glykeria Kotsoula is a popular Greek singer She was born in Agio Pnevma Serres in 1953 Yehudit Ravitz (born December 29 1956) is an Israeli Pop rock Singer-songwriter. Paul Mustapha Abdi Anka, ( Arabic: بول مصطفى عبدي أنكا OC (born 30 July 1941, in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Paula Julie Abdul ( "AB-dool" born June 19, 1962) is a Grammy Award -winning American pop Singer Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter Ishtar (born Esther (Eti Zach on 10 November 1968) is an Israeli pop Singer who has performed in Arabic Gidi Gov (Hebrew גידי גוב born Gideon Gov on August 4, 1950, is a popular Israeli Singer, Entertainer and Actor Whitney Elizabeth Houston' (born August 9 1963 is an American Singer-songwriter, Actress, Film producer, Arranger and former Tzvika Pick sometimes written as Svika Pik, Tsvika Pick ( Hebrew: צביקה פיק b Khaled Hadj Brahim (born 29 February 1960) better known as Khaled (خالد حاج ابراهيم is a Raï singer-songwriter and The Sisters of Mercy are an English Gothic rock band that formed in 1980 Sarah Brightman (born 14 August 1960 is an English classical crossover Soprano, actress songwriter and dancer Thomas Dolby (born Thomas Morgan Robertson, on 14 October 1958) is an English Musician, producer and inventor Stefan Waggershausen, (* 20th February 1949 in Friedrichshafen at Lake Constance in Germany is a German Singer, Composer Eric Barrier ( Eric B) and William Barrier Griffin Jr ( Rakim) were a hip-hop duo known as Eric B Hans Florian Zimmer (born September 12, 1957 in Frankfurt/Main, Germany) is an Academy Award, Grammy, and Golden HaGashash HaHiver (הגשש החיוור lit The Pale Tracker) were an Israeli comedy group Shoshana Damari ( Hebrew: שושנה דמארי born 1923 died February 14 2006) was an Israeli Singer and Actress.

At the fall of 1999, Haza recorded new material for a new album that she worked on with Ron Aviv, a music producer from Petah Tikva. Petah Tikva (פֶּתַח תִּקְוָה "Opening of Hope" known as Em HaMoshavot ("Mother of the Moshavot " is a city in the

Marriage

On 15 July 1997 Haza married businessman Doron Ashkenazi. They had no children together. Ashkenazi died on Saturday, April 7, 2001, of an overdose of crystallized cocaine^[2], leaving behind a daughter from his previous marriage, and a 14 year old adopted son Shai Ashkenazi. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. ^[3] He was suspected of having infected Haza with the HIV/AIDS virus. His family did an autopsy test after his death but refused to reveal the results.

Death

Ofra Haza died at the age of 42 on the 23rd February 2000 – the cause being widely reported as organ failure or pneumonia, reportedly arising from HIV/AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) complications. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Her family declined to confirm or deny these reports, however, stating that it was Haza's wish that the matter should remain private. There was considerable media interest into the circumstances of her death.

“

Although initial reports suggested that Haza was only suffering from pneumonia or an extended bout with the flu, The Jerusalem Post reports that her condition rapidly deteriorated after she entered the hospital. Pneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the Lung. Frequently it is described as lung Parenchyma / alveolar inflammation and abnormal The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language Broadsheet Newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 By the end, Haza was unconscious after suffering liver and kidney failure and was said to be receiving intravenous drug treatment. Administrators at Sheba Hospital said that Haza's heart finally stopped beating on Wednesday because of an abnormal increase in the amount of hydrogen in her body. ^[4]”

After Haza's death was announced, Israeli radio stations played non-stop retrospectives of her music and Prime Minister Ehud Barak praised her work as a cultural emissary, commenting that she also represented the Israeli success story – "Ofra emerged from the Hatikvah slums to reach the peak of Israeli culture. Ehud Barak (אֵהוּד בָּרָק born Ehud Brog on 12 February 1942) is an Israeli politician former Prime Minister, and She has left a mark on us all".

In December 2007, Israel's Channel 10 disclosed the previously confidential medical records of Haza and Ashkenazi, affirming that the former contracted the virus between 1995 to 1997 and the latter between 1992 to 1993. Channel 10 (ערוץ 10 Arutz Eser) formerly known as Israel 10 (ישראל 10 Yisrael Eser) is a commercial broadcasting The two met in 1996. ^[5]

Legacy

Bezalel Aloni, Haza's manager and producer of 28 years published a book Michtavim L'Ofra (Letters to Ofra) in 2007. The book is partially an autobiography of Aloni and partially a biography of Haza, which also consists of compiled letters written by Aloni. In the book, Aloni mentions a conversation between Haza and one of her brothers, which took place when she was at the height of her career. Her brother criticized her life and career choices by saying: "Who the hell are you anyway? You're just an unmarried woman with no children!" Haza did not react. Aloni also describes how he tried to help Haza and protect her from those who, in his eyes, did not have her best interests at heart. ^[6]

On 22 March 2007, the Tel Aviv Jaffa Municipality and the Tel Aviv Development Fund renamed part of the public park in the Hatikva Quarter to Gan Ofra (Ofra's Park) on the seventh anniversary of her death, in honour of Haza. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel The park is placed at the end of Bo'az street where Haza's childhood home was built. The designated area features a children's playground, symbolizing her love for children and the old quarter where she grew up and always came back to.

Tributes

• Sharim Ofra (Singing Ofra) 2002 - A tribute concert to commemorate the life of Ofra Haza where Israeli singers sang Haza's songs.

Documentaries

• Sodot (Secrets) 2005 - Aired on Israeli channel YES, this documentary in Hebrew and partly English is about Haza's life and attempts to answer questions surrounding her death.

• Dokoceleb Ofra Haza 2007 - Aired on the Israeli entertainment station HOT, February 22, 2007. This documentary in Hebrew focuses on Haza's career, achievements and marriage.

Albums

• 1974 - Ahava Rishona (with Shechunat Hatikvah Workshop Theatre)
• 1976 - Ve-hutz Mizeh Hakol Beseder (with Shechunat Hatikvah Workshop Theatre)
• 1977 - Atik Noshan (with Shechunat Hatikvah Workshop Theatre)
• 1979 - Shir HaShirim Besha'ashu'im (with Shechunat Hatikvah Workshop Theatre)
• 1980 - Al Ahavot Shelanu
• 1981 - Bo Nedaber
• 1982 - Pituyim
• 1982 - Li-yeladim (Children's Songs)
• 1983 - Hai
• 1983 - Shirey Moledet 1
• 1984 - Bayt Ham
• 1984 - Shirey Teyman (aka Yemenite Songs or Fifty Gates of Wisdom)
• 1985 - Adamah
• 1985 - Shirey Moledet 2
• 1986 - Yamim Nishbarim
• 1987 - Shirey Moledet 3
• 1987 - Album HaZahav (Golden Album)
• 1988 - Shaday
• 1988 - Yemenite Love
• 1989 - Desert Wind
• 1992 - Kirya
• 1993 - Oriental Nights
• 1994 - Kol Haneshama
• 1995 - Queen in Exile (Unreleased)
• 1997 - Ofra Haza
• 1998 - At Montreux Jazz Festival (Live - recorded 1990)
• 2000 - Greatest Hits vol. Desert Wind was the 1989 album of Ofra Haza, who was already one the most popular singers in Israel. For the area in Tel Aviv see HaKirya. Kirya (an ancient Hebrew nickname for Jerusalem was Ofra Haza 's 1992 follow-up to the internationally 1/Bemanginat Halev (Melody Of The Heart)
• 2001 - Music History
• 2004 - Greatest Hits vol. 2/Bemanginat Halev (Melody Of The Heart)
• 2008 - Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed (incl. previously unreleased track)

Soundtracks

• 1988 - Colors
• 1990 - Dick Tracy
• 1990 - Wild Orchid
• 1994 - La Reine Margot (Queen Margot)
• 1998 - The Prince of Egypt
• 1998 - The Governess
• 1999 - The King And I (Hebrew version)
• 2000 - American Psycho: Music from the Controversial Motion Picture

Trivia

• On 3 February 1987, Haza survived a crash in a Cessna aircraft on the Israeli-Jordanian border. Colors is a 1988 Crime film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. Dick Tracy is a 1990 action - Adventure film based upon the Dick Tracy Comic strip created by Chester Wild Orchid is the title of a 1990 Erotic film starring Mickey Rourke, Carré Otis, Jacqueline Bisset, Bruce Greenwood This article is on the 1994 film For other adaptations of the Dumas novel see La Reine Margot (novel. The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American Animated film, the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks The Governess is a 1998 British period Drama film written and directed by Sandra Goldbacher The King and I is a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. American Psycho Music from the Controversial Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the film American Psycho, released April 4 2000 by Koch Records Coincidentally, this day was the 28th anniversary of "The Day the Music Died", so-called because of the plane crash which killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson. The Day the Music Died refers to a plane crash occurring just after 100 a Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley (September 7 1936 – February 3 1959 was an American Singer-songwriter and a pioneer of Rock and roll. Ritchie Valens ( Richard Steven Valenzuela; May 13 1941 February 3 1959) was an American singer songwriter and guitarist
• In 1990, Haza turned down an offer to support Michael Jackson on tour.
• In 1993, featured in the Beavis and Butthead, 'Way Down Mexico Way' TV Episode. Beavis and Butt-head is an American Animated television series created by Mike Judge.
• On 7 April 1994, Haza's plane on flight 316 from London to Israel was affected by a lightning strike; it had to make an emergency landing in Israel.
• Ofra Haza has participated in two highly popular children's educational television shows, Bli Sodot and Parpar Nehmad. Bli Sodot (בלי סודות lit Without Secrets) is an educational television show broadcast on Israeli Educational Television during the years 1983&ndash1986 Parpar Nechmad (פרפר נחמד Nice Butterfly) is a long-running Israeli children's Television program, aimed mainly at Pre-schoolers The
• The last recording released when Haza was alive was track 7 from Jonathan Elias's The Prayer Cycle, titled Forgiveness. Jonathan Elias (born 1956 is an American Composer and Record producer, known for his movie soundtracks production for several pop and rock acts and his The Prayer Cycle is a choral/orchestral album by American film and television composer Jonathan Elias, and was released by Sony Classical Records in Haza sings parts from Psalm 23 and the length of the track is 7:40, which coincides with Haza being the seventh daughter, and the date and time of her death - 7:40pm, 23 February 2000.

References

1. ^ O'Connor, John Kennedy. The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History. Carlton Books, UK. 2007 ISBN 978-1-84442-994-3
2. ^ Amit Ben-Aroya. "Ofra Haza's husband found dead, police suspect drug overdose", Haaretz, April 7, 2001
3. ^ Greer Fay Cashman. "Jerusalem Post Article about Shai Ashkenazi", The Jerusalem Post, Oct 21, 2007
4. ^ David Basham. "Israeli Singer Ofra Haza Dies", MTV, February 24, 2000
5. ^ "Channel 10 News Report"
6. ^ Avi Shilon. "The double life of Ofra Haza", Haaretz, July 11, 2007

• Sony Biography And Discography
• BBC Report Of Ofra Haza's Death
• Various website links and interview (with audio)

External links

• Ofra Haza Official Website (Hebrew)
• Ofra Haza Official Myspace
• Ofra Haza (www.ofra.haza.co.il) (Hebrew)
• Ofra Haza's Biography by Daniel Cohen
• The Voice Of Heaven
• Don't Stop Me From Being Free
• Fansite devoted to Ofra (ofra-haza.org) (French) (English)
• The One And Only Ofra Haza (German)
• Ofra Haza Video Catalog at Comcast.net
• Ofra Haza Remembered Tom Schnabel article
• Ofra Haza And Me Loolwa Khazzoom article
• Ofra Haza at the Internet Movie Database
• Ofra Haza at Last.fm
• Profile for Ofra Haza at Find A Grave
• The Dead Musicians Directory