Hadag Nahash

Hadag Nahash (Hebrew: הדג נחש‎) is an Israeli hip hop-funk group, known for its leftist political statements in many of its songs.[citation needed] The group has released five albums to date. It has seven members; its lead singer and founder is Sha'anan Streett.

The group's name literally means the fish-snake, which means an eel in Hebrew ("Ha" meaning the, "dag"' meaning fish, and "nachash" meaning snake). It is also, however, a Hebrew spoonerism. In Israel, people who have only recently gotten their driver's licenses place a tag on their back window with the words "Nahag Chadash" Hebrew: נהג חדש (" A New Driver"). The anagram "Hadag Nachash" therefore indicates the group's ambitions: a voice for the youth in Israel[citation needed]. Band members have also claimed that signs that look similar to Nahag Chadash with the band's name would be placed in cars to confuse police officers.

One of its most famous hits is "Shirat Hasticker" ("שירת הסטיקר", "The Sticker Song" in English), written by Israeli novelist David Grossman. The lines of the song are all slogans seen on Israeli bumper stickers. The opposing political slogans are juxtaposed to create an angry and ironic portrait of political and religious life in Israel.

Hadag Nahash has a minor rivalry with the Israeli hip-hop star Subliminal, probably because Subliminal is politically right-wing while Hadag Nahash is left-wing. The rivalry is purportedly shown in the lyrics of the song "Gabi V'Debi" ("Gabby and Debby"), and in its more recent song "Teraga" ("Calm Down"), which speaks with great criticism of the manner in which hip-hop stars act, and the manner with which the music industry is run in general.

• Sticker Song: Israeli Novelist's Foray into Hip Hop
  
• Curriculum based on "The Sticker Song"


• A Conversation with Shannan Street


• Rolling Stone article


• Old Hadag Nahash Web site

Berry Sakharof

Berry Sakharof (Hebrew: ברי סחרוף‎) (born July 7, 1957) is an Israeli rock guitarist, songwriter and singer. His playing style incorporates techniques from electronic and dance music.

In 2001 his album "The Other" (האחר) was released. The album included the song "Lord of World" which was written by Barry Hazak, a soldier who died in the Yom Kippur War and a cover of Ehud Banai's song "City of Refuge". The album's name was taken from the perception of "The Other" (French: 'L'autre') of the French philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas, who is also quoted in the album's booklet. "Monsoon" was the only song from the album broadcast on the radio as a single. In the same year Sakharof wrote soundtracks for two Israeli movies.

In 2002, Sakharof collaborated with Erez Aizen and Amit Duvedevani of Infected Mushroom to create the Birthday EP.

During 2005 his album 11 Alef (11א) was released. The album is the result of about two years of mutual work with Rea Mochiach (who moved to the United States after the release of the album 'Signs of Weakness') during Mochiach's occasional visits to Israel. The album was sold in the first week only on the Internet in the MP3 format and later released to the music stores; due to the release of the album Mochiach arrived in Israel and participated in a short concert tour with Sakharof. In 2006 Sakharof reunited with Fortis for a new album and a tour.

Keren Ann

Keren Ann Zeidel (Hebrew: קרן אן זיידל‎ born March 10, 1974) is a singer-songwriter based largely in Paris, New York City and Israel. She plays guitar, piano and clarinet, engineers and writes choir and musical arrangements. She is descended from Russian Jews on her father's side and is Indo (Javanese and Dutch) on her mother's. She lived in Israel and in the Netherlands until the age of 11, when her family moved to France. She retains her Dutch and Israeli citizenship.

In 2000 she began her solo career with La Biographie de Luka Philipsen—produced by Lionel Gaillardin and Benjamin Biolay, who also co-produced its follow-up, La Disparition (in return, she helped write his debut album, Rose Kennedy). The pair also wrote several songs for Henri Salvador's best-selling, prize-winning 2000 comeback album, Chambre avec Vue, including the hit "Jardin d'Hiver" she first composed for iconic performer Henri Salvador.

Her third album Not Going Anywhere was released worldwide in 2003, but her American breakthrough came with its follow-up, Nolita (2004). Recorded in Paris and New York—it is named for Nolita, her neighborhood in lower Manhattan—it is sung half in French and half in English.

During the war in Israel and Lebanon in 2006, she travelled Northern Israel, performing for the people who stayed in shelters because of the missile attacks on the North. She is currently dating an Israeli Air Force pilot.

• Official website


• Keren Ann at MySpace


• Official website (in German)


• Non official fan site (French)

Dana Berger

Dana Berger (Hebrew: דנה ברגר; born Nov 1, 1970) is an Israeli singer-songwriter and occasional actress, who is a graduate of the Rimon school of contemporary music. Berger came to fame in the 1990's, appearing on the popular TV show "Inyan Shel Zman". After getting well known, she released a number of albums, which among them is the widely popular album "Ad Ha'Katze" (to the edge), which was certified platinum and went on to sell over 60,000 copies in Israel.

Asaf Avidan

Asaf Avidan (Hebrew: אסף אבידן‎, born 1980) is an Israeli folk/rock musician known for his breakthrough debut album, "The Reckoning", which was created with a group of backup musicians under the name "Asaf Avidan and the Mojos". The album received positive critical reviews and earned Avidan a nomination for Best Israeli Artist at the upcoming MTV Europe Awards.

Avidan was born in 1980 in Jerusalem. His parents had met in Los Angeles. His father worked for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and when Asaf was seven, the family moved to Jamaica. They returned when Asaf was eleven, and he was sent to art school, where he studied cinema. He was drafted to the IDF and served for ten months, first in the Duchifat Unit and then as translator from Jamaican. He studied animation in Bezalel Academy of Art and Design and worked as a voice actor.

In 2006 he self-released the debut EP "Now That You're Leaving" and started playing solo acoustic gigs around Israel which earned a cult following. Avidan decided to expand his musical horizons and recruited a full band dubbed "The Mojos". With this band Avidan toured in Israel and abroad and in 2008 released the debut LP "The Reckoning".

The first single off Avidan's debut album is "Weak", with a video produced by one of Avidan's friends as a project for film school. Despite the fact that the album was self-released, it garnered a positive review from Israel's leading music critic Yoav Kutner and songs from it were picked for the Galgalatz playlist. Avidan was also the support act in the Morrissey and The Gutter Twins concerts in Israel.

In December 2008, Rolling Stone magazine announced that the single "The Reckoning" will be distributed with its next issue in Europe. Avidan said that "this is a great honor and certainly a positive beginning ahead of 2009, in which we expect many developments in the international front".

• Myspace

Ivri Lider

Ivri Lider (Hebrew: עברי לידר‎, born February 10, 1974) is an Israeli pop rock singer-songwriter. He is considered one of the biggest selling contemporary artists in Israeli music, who has won the "Male Singer of the Year" honor on major Israeli national and local radio stations since his breakthrough into the Israeli music scene in the late 90's. Many of his singles topped the Israeli Singles Chart and his sales stand at over 200,000 albums.

Born in 1974, Lider took his first musical steps whilst still in high school, when he joined a group called Kach Ossot Kullan ("Everyone Does It This Way"), whose gigs included a performance at the legendary "Roxanne" club in Tel Aviv.

A commission to compose music for "Kisses" and "October" for Anat Danieli's dance ensemble was followed by an invitation from Ohad Naharrin to compose the music for "Kaamos" which Naharrin choreographed for "NDT", the renowned Dutch dance company. Ivri subsequently composed the music for "Z\NA", for the Batsheva Dance Company, considered his greatest achievement in composing music for dance companies. In parallel, Ivri signed a recording contract with Helicon Records and began work on his first album.

In January 2002 Ivri Lider came to a major decision in his personal life, and decided to speak honestly and openly about his sexual orientation. He gave a cover-story interview to Gal Ochovsky, of the daily newspaper Ma'ariv, which attracted a lot of attention. While openly gay he still refuses to push for Israeli acceptance of the gay lifestyle and refuses to be drawn into the debate over the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade.

In 2008 Lider launched both a new Hebrew and English album. The music video for his English-language song Jesse has gotten a lot of airtime on LOGO TV and Out Magazine recognized him as a member of the "Out 100" for 2007.

• Official website


• Official MySpace page


• Official FaceBook fan page


• Official YouTube channel

Ninet Tayeb

Ninet Tayeb (also known just as Ninet or Nina) (born October 21, 1983, in Kiryat Gat, Israel) is an Israeli pop rock singer who came to fame as the first winner of Kochav Nolad (the Israeli version of Pop Idol). Additionally, Ninet acted for three seasons in the Israeli television drama HaShir Shelanu (Our Song). She is a Sephardi Jew, of Tunisian Jewish descent. From humble beginnings, Ninet has achieved recognition as one of the most popular and famous celebrities and entertainers in Israel. She recently surprised her fans by having her head shaved bald for a TV commercial, earning 1,000,000 New Sheqels.

Ninet was the first winner of the popular Israeli talent contest Kokhav Nolad (American Idon) beating Shiri Maimon into second place. Shai Gabso came third in the final. Her winning performance was an emotional rendition of Zohar Argov's classic Mizrahi song "Yam Shel Dma'ot" (A Sea of Tears). To date she is the only woman to have won the contest, and the contestant with the longest-lasting and largest popularity after the show. She gained popularity on the show as a sweet, young small town girl singing ballads and participated aged 19 whilst doing her compulsory military service (she had her first audition in IDF uniform). In 2003 Ninet was awarded the title of "Most Notable Singer", which was a huge spring board for her carrier. She also appeared again on the fourth series of the show to duet with eventual winner Jacko Eisenberg.

After winning Kochav Nolad, Ninet met, on the set of HaShir Shelanu, Israeli actor and singer Ran Danker. The two dated for almost 3 years, and eventually broke up, leaving hundreds of fans disappointed. After the break up, there were rumours talking about a new man in Ninet's life - Israeli model and actor Yehuda Levi. Ninet and Yehuda hid their relationship for a long time, but eventually came clean about being together. Since then, Ninet and Yehuda are Israel's biggest stars, and they appear in tabloids all of the time. Currently rumors insist that Ninet will get married on November with her boyfriend, Yehuda Levi.

As Ninet became famous, she was nicknamed "Israel's Sweetheart", and was always pictured as a sweet girl. After she had released her album, which includes some dark and sad songs, people said she was too affected by Aviv Geffen, and she had a more rebellious "rock-chick" image.

• Official site (Hebrew)
  
• Kikar-Israel.com - Bio & discography, latest news


• Ninet Tayeb MySpace

Izhar Ashdot

Izhar Ashdot (born 1958, Jerusalem) is an Israeli singer-songwriter, guitarist, and a record producer. He is a co-founding member of the Israeli rock band T-Slam.

When he was 11 Ashdot started to play the guitar, two years later he founded his first group, "The Red Dogs". In 1977 he was recruited to the Israel Army Radio as a music programming editor, while simultaneously he worked on his own music and recorded the song "Me'uma Lo Kara" (Nothing Happened) which eventually became T-slam's biggest hit, retitled "Lir'ot Ota Haiom" (See Her Today) . While working for the Army Radio he met Yair Nitzani and Dani Bassan, and together they formed a Disco company and played as DJs in parties. After a while they left the Disco style and started to play Rock, founded the band T-Slam, and were joined by Yoshi Sade, Tzuf Philosof and Sami Avzardel.

After the successful T-Slam reunion shows in 1990, Ashdot started to work on his first solo album, released in 1992 and eventually reaching "gold" status. The album included "Ish HaShokolad" (Chocolate Man), "HaLelilot Shelanu" (Our Nights), "Ma Tomri" (What Will You Say) and "No'a Shel HaYam" (The Sea's No'a). Two years later he recorded his second album, which included "Hiroshima Sheli" (My Hiroshima) and "Tzilo Shel Yom Kaitz" (Summer Day's Shadow).

• Official WebSite

HaYehudim

HaYehudim (Hebrew: היהודים‎, lit. The Jews) is an Israeli hard rock band, formed in 1992 by married couple Tom Petrover and Orit Shachaf, who share guitar playing and vocal duties. The band has achieved tremendous success in Israel despite commercial disregard in its first years, and has sold over 200,000 albums in Israel.

The band is known for its energetic, upbeat songs and loud vocals. Many of their songs are charged with political and ideological flavor, though since none of their songs are clearly political in nature, much room is left for interpretation.

The band sings mostly in Hebrew, although in later albums they had several songs in English.
The band's first album, Metziut Nifredet (Hebrew: מציאות נפרדת‎, Separate Reality) was released in 1995 through Hed Arzi Music. Several music videos from the album were often played on Israeli television, but not on the radio and initially the album sold poorly. However the band continued playing live shows all over Israel, gaining a cult following. The debut album went gold in 1998, just a month before the release of the band's second and self-titled album. The second album was an immediate success despite continuing disregard from mainstream media, making HaYehudim one of the leading rock bands in Israel.

• Official website (Hebrew)


• HaYehudim at MOOMA (Hebrew)


• Kikar-Israel.com - Latest News & Music

Efrat Gosh

Efrat Gosh (Hebrew: אפרת גוש‎) is a popular Israeli singer. Gosh was born and raised in Herzliya, Israel where as a middle child with a younger and an older brother she became influenced by the jazz music of Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker.

Gosh's music career began when some friends asked her if she could make a demo recording a song, with Yoni Bloch whom had written it for Nurit Galron (famous Israeli singer). She agreed and after a week she was asked to become a background singer in Bloch’s shows. That show turned out to be an important one, as Bloch and Gosh looked to the audience and saw one of the managers of the major Israeli music label NMC at the time, Khaim Shemesh, where Yoni Bloch was signed at that time.
Shemesh, with a history of discovering and nourishing talented stars like Aviv Geffen, Eifo HaYeled, HaKhaverim Shel Natasha, HaYehudim, Eviyatar Banai and many more artists, was so impressed by the background vocalist Gosh that he went to her backstage and asked her to sign a contract.
After a long period of having a strictly professional relationship, Gosh and Shamesh are now in a more intimate relationship and despite a 25 year age gap are living together in Even Yehuda, Tel Aviv. Shemesh had left his third wife and 2 children for Gosh.

Ehud Banai

Banai was born in 1953 in Jerusalem to the actor Yaakov Banai, the eldest of the Banai siblings, and moved to Givataim at the age of four. At the age of ten he learned to play the cello and listened to Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard and later The Beatles.
Ehud Banai writes the lyrics and composes the music for almost all of his own songs. Banai, for the greater part of his musical career, observed Jewish traditions, and even “returned” to Orthodox Jewish religious observance over the course of the early 2000s. Banai habitually scatters references to his connection to Jewish subjects throughout many of his songs. Ehud Banai is married to Odeliah, and they have three daughters.

In 2008, "On The Move", a documentary film directed by Avida Livny about Ehud Banai and the Refugees, participated in the official competition of the Jerusalem Film Festival and screened in cinemateques around Israel. The film traces Ehud Banai's early years on the music scene, through the struggle, musical passion and deeply rooted friendship he shared with members of his first band, "The Refugees" – Yossi Elephant, Jean Jacques Goldeberg, Noam Halevi and Gil Smetana. In September of 2008, Ehud Banai released Shir Chadash, an album of traditional Jewish songs (zemirot), including several melodies composed by Shlomo Carlebach.

• Official website

Emily Karpel

Emily Is A Singer-song Writer. Born in Canada. based in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel. In the last year,Emily has been working on her debut album- with Tomer Adam Lenzinger - the Artistic manager & Producer (she met him on the NOMOHEROES Remake for AIR "Surfing on a rocket") And Nir Averbuch the Producer Who owns the most amazing Studio In the Country !!! The Album will be released on August 15 :) !! Here You can listen to 3 single's 'and Also To Yummy RMX's On the GHETTO-BLASTER on the Left!

She's a really special one here in Israel (:

• Myspace


• Amazon

Aviv Geffen

Aviv Geffen (אביב גפן, born May 10, 1973) is an Israeli rock musician, singer, songwriter, producer, keyboardist and guitarist. He is the son of writer and poet Yehonatan Geffen and Nurit Makover (sister of Eli Makover), brother of Shira Geffen, and a graduate of Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music.

Geffen was extremely popular among Israeli youth, who were later known as the "Moonlight Children", in the 1990s. Politically, he associates with the Israeli left. His music contains subjects such as love and peace, but also death, suicide, the army, and refusal to serve. He is also controversial because of his decision not to serve in the IDF, though officially, he was dismissed for medical reasons.

In 2001, Geffen joined Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree to form a new group, "Blackfield". Blackfield combines the musical efforts of both musicians and they perform their own original composition as well as Aviv's own songs translated into English. From the collaboration between Geffen & Wilson, that started in 2000, came "Hello" - which was the first single from the "Blackfield" project, used as a build-up for a successful tour in Europe, and a successful first album Blackfield, released in 2004. Its followup Blackfield II was released in early 2007, followed by the live DVD Blackfield: Live in NYC later in the year.

Over the years, Geffen's musical style has been influenced by rock bands like U2, Radiohead, Nirvana, and artists like John Lennon and Bob Dylan. Geffen's piano and guitar playing is mainly influenced by Radiohead's Thom Yorke and U2's The Edge. Geffen has often cited Bob Dylan and Roger Waters as major influences.

• Aviv Archive - information in both English and Hebrew

Dana International

Sharon Cohen (Hebrew: שרון כהן‎), professionally known as Dana International (born male, Yaron Cohen on February 2, 1972) is an Israeli pop singer of a Yemenite Jewish origin. She is most famous for having won the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest with her song "Diva." She is arguably one of the most famous transsexual celebrities in the world. Her career began in 1992, and since then she has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums, positioning herself as one of Israel's most successful musical acts ever.

Sharon Cohen was born Yaron Cohen on 2 February 1972 to Yemenite parents as the youngest of three children after sister Limor and brother Nimrod. Cohen was named after an uncle who had been killed during a terrorist attack. Though born genetically male, Cohen identified as a female from a very young age. Cohen wanted to become a singer ever since she was eight-years-old and saw legendary Israeli singer Ofra Haza performing her song "Chai" in the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest. Although the family was quite poor, Cohen's mother worked to pay for Cohen's music lessons, and she has explained that her childhood was rather happy.
Cohen came out as transsexual at the age of thirteen.
The first tragedy in Cohen's life was the death of her best friend Daniel, who died in an automobile accident. Cohen asserts that Daniel had prophesied that she would someday have a successful singing career and claims that Daniel's prediction is what pushed her to become the singer she wanted to be.

In 1995, Dana attempted to fulfill her childhood dream of performing in the Eurovision Song Contest. She entered the Eurovision qualifying contest K'dam in Israel with a song entitled "Layla Tov, Eropa" ("Good Night Europe") which finished second in the pre-selections but became another hit single.

Dana was chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest with her song "Diva." Orthodox Jews and others with conservative views were opposed to her appointment and attempted to void her participation in the contest. However, in May 1998, Dana performed "Diva" at the Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham and took Europe by storm, winning the contest with 174 points. She thus became an international superstar, being interviewed by CNN, BBC, Sky News and MTV among others.

Currently, Dana International is in the studio putting the finishing touches on her next album. The first single was rumoured to be released in December 2008. Dana has also recorded a song called "Mifrats Ha Ahava" ("The Love Bay") for an Israeli version of the TV-show "Paradise Hotel". She recently collaborated with the Ukranian transsexual group NeAngely (No Angels). They recorded the song "I Need Your Love" together, the song and video has just been released. In late November of 2008 Dana starts shooting her new reality show in Israel.
Dana campaigned with Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni shortly before 2009 legislative elections in Israel. At a "campaign happening for women" in Jerusalem, Dana performed a bouncy disco song right beside Livni onstage. Dana announced, "I now formally invite you to the diva sisterhood."

Shalom Hanoch

Shalom Hanoch (Hebrew: שלום חנוך, b. September 1, 1946) is an Israeli rock singer, lyricist and composer, considered one of the founders of Israeli rock music. His works have profoundly influenced Israeli rock and modern Israeli music in general, both as a soloist and as member of several groups. His collaboration with Arik Einstein gave birth to some of the first Israeli rock albums.

Shalom Hanoch was born in Kibbutz Mishmarot. As a child his musical talent was known in the Kibbutz, and until he discovered Rock music, he listened to a wide variety of genres (from Classical, through Russian folk music, Gospel and Blues).

Although at that point he was more interesting in acting than in creating music, Hanoch was recruited by the Nahal army troupe when he turned 18, and wrote a few songs for the troupe while in the service. He was released from service in 1968, but not before he participated in recording a best-of album made of re-recorded versions to 50's and 60's hits by the troupe called Kol HaKavod LaNahal (Well Done, Nahal). In this album Hanoch sang Mitria Bishnaim along with the troupe's star, Shula Chen. The two were mentioned on the cover, an innovation for army band recordings.

In London Shalom signed a contract with producer and music publisher Dick James, who worked with Elton John that time. In 1971 Hanoch recorded a solo album in English, Shalom. The album was recorded and produced by James' record company, DJM, with Elton John's backing band. The record included songs that were composed by Hanoch in Israel and were translated to English, and also included new compositions. A few of these became more famous in Israel several years later, when they were translated into Hebrew and appeared in his solo albums, and in an album by his new band Tamouz.

In 2001 an independent label, "C90", produced a bootleg from Hanoch's White Wedding tour. In 2002, 25 years after the release of Adam Betoch Azmo, the album was released again with a bonus song that was recorded in 2000 with David Broza. In 2003 he recorded Or Israeli with the rock band Monica Sex. In 2004 the Yetzia tour was released as a live album. At the end of that year, a five-disk collection was released that summed Shalom's career until then. In the summer of 2005, Hanoch joined Shlomo Artzi, and they went on a tour called Hitchabrut, which was very successful and was released as a double album.

Shlomo Artzi

Shlomo Artzi (Hebrew: שלמה ארצי‎) is an Israeli folk rock singer-songwriter and composer. He was born on November 26, 1949 in Moshav Alonei Abba. In the course of his career, he has sold over 1.5 million albums, making him one of Israel's most successful male singers.

Artzi's parents were Holocaust survivors and their memories deeply influenced him and his sister Naava Semel, a playwright. His father, Yitzhak Artzi was a member of the Knesset. When Artzi was 8 years old, his family moved to northern Tel Aviv. Artzi's schoolmates thought he would become an actor, not a musician, as he was known for his acting skills at primary school. However, at the age of 12 he started playing the guitar and singing in a boy scouts group and at friends' parties. At age 16, he began writing and composing songs.

In 1996 he released an album called Shnayim (Two), which has sold 160,000 copies (4x platinum). The most notable songs in this CD were the title track, sung with Israeli singer Rita, "Menagev Lach Et Hadmaot" (Wiping Your Tears) and "Ze Ma Shenish'ar" (That's All That Is Left). Containing his best love songs, Artzi released Ahavtihem (I Have Loved Them) four years later. His album Tzima'on (Thirst), which was released in 2002, sold 150,000 and is one of Israel's bestsellers.
At the end of 2006 Shlomo Artzi announced his new album Shfuim, to be released in the spring of 2007. A new single from this album, "HaAmiti", became available during the first days of January, 2007.
In 2007, the most anticipated album in the Israel's music industry was Artzi's next album "Shfuim" (Sane). The album came out in July, with an already hit single "HaAmiti" (The Real) and the new hit single "Island" (Iceland). Featuring a collaboration with the Israeli rapper Mook E. of Shabak Samech fame, the album became a hit selling over 150,000 copies and another hit single "Nitzmadnu" (We Got Closer).