Notes from Cantor Avima

One of my favorite DreamWorks movies is Prince of Egypt. I would show it almost every year to my students. The music was amazing and included the voice of Ofra Haza voicing the role of Moses' mother, Yocheved. Listen to this clip: Ofra Haza Prince of Egypt. This was one of Ofra's last projects. She died in 2000 at the age 42 of AIDS. Because her illness and cause of death was hidden from the Israeli public, her death came as a huge shock. Ofra Haza was not just an Israeli star, but she was an international star. Her music was a blend of Yemenite and Pop/Dance reaching a wide audience. In 2023, three years after her death, she was number 186 on Rolling Stone's list of 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, right between Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt. She was dubbed as "The Madonna of the East".
 
Ofra Haza, born in 1957, was the youngest of nine children born to Yemenite parents in the Hatikvah Quarter of Tel Aviv. Her mother, Shoshana had been a professional singer in Yemen performing at weddings and celebrations. Ofra too began singing at local weddings at a very young age and at age 13 she was recommended to Bezalel Aloni, the manager of Hatikvah Quarter's Theater Group. She released her first solo album in 1980. Her first few albums were mainly "easy listening" Israeli folk songs, but her vocal talent was obvious. You might recognize this song, "Tefillah". She can be seen here singing it in 1981 on an Israeli TV show. (It is the second song starting at 35".) Tefillah/ A Prayer . The lyrics were written by her longtime manager, Bezalel Aloni and the popular Israeli circle dance was choreographed by Shlomo Bachar.
 
He who sits somewhere up there in the heavens,
He who heals all the sick
He who gives great joy to children, He who makes judgments
He is in the heavens and He is the Only One,
He, the great and awe-inspiring
He is the one who protects us from troubles - God!
 
Chorus:
Watch over us, please, like children, Watch please and don't leave
Give us light and the joy of youth, Give us strength, more and more
Also allow us to love
 
What still remains for us in our days? What remains all day long?
Sunshine, hope and so many sights, Nights and days of dreams
He is in the heavens and He is the Only One, He,
the great and awe-inspiring
He is the one who protects us from troubles.
 
In 1983, her entry to the Eurovision Contest won second place. She sang the song "Chai" which became an immediate hit. Watch her performance at Eurovision: Ofra Haza: Chai
 
Here is a translation of the chorus:
 
Alive, alive, alive - Yes, I'm still alive!
This is the song which grandfather, Sang yesterday to father
And today I [sing], I’m still alive, alive, alive
The people of Israel live
This is the song which grandfather, Sang yesterday to father
And today I [sing]!
 
In 1984, Ofra released the album that would catapult her to the international stage. The album, released with the title "Yemenite Songs" in Israel and "Fifty Gates of Wisdom" for the international audience stumped Israelis. This album blended traditional Yemenite songs with a modern dance beat, instrumental arrangement. It was electrifying. The International audience loved this music as it blended right into the somewhat new and eclectic genre of "World Music". It showcased her vocal agility and ability to execute the complex Yemenite melismas that she was exposed to since birth and she brought this to the world stage. The song, "Im Ninalu/If the Gates Are Locked", is a traditional Yemenite song. The Hebrew poem was written by Rabbi Shalom Shabazi in the 17th century. The opening lyrics are:
 
"If there be no mercy left in the world, The doors of heaven will never be barred.
The Creator reigns supreme, and is higher than the angels."
 
You might enjoy comparing two performances of this song, one is the traditional style she recorded with the Hatikvah Workshop Theater in 1978. Nin'alu Ofra Haza . The second one is the remix version from her 1984 album. Im Nin'alu 1984 remix .
 
Ofra Haza's last live performance was in 1998 for Israel's 50th Independence Day. At about 2'21" into the video, she performs "Im Nin'alu" and at 4'08" there is a segue into a stunning performance of "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav/Jerusalem of Gold". Ofra Haza performance Israel's 50th Independence Day 1998.