Richard Manuel
Canadian musician and composer
Ofra Haza was an iconic Israeli singer, songwriter, and actress who was known as the “Madonna of the East” and helped popularize Mizrahi culture. She had a successful international career, earning many platinum and gold discs, and her music was featured in popular films and frequently sampled in hip-hop. Her death in 2000 from an AIDS-related illness shocked Israeli society.
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About the Ofra Haza
Ofra Hazawas an Israeli singer, songwriter and actress, commonly known in the Western world as “the Madonna of the East”, or “the Israeli Madonna”. Her voice has been described as a “tender” mezzo-soprano. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Haza at number 186 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Of Mizrahi Jewishdescent, Haza performed music known as a mixture of traditional Middle Eastern and commercial singing styles, fusing elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration and dance-beat, as well as lyrics from Mizrahi and Jewish folk tales and poetry. By the late 1980s, Haza was an internationally successful artist, achieving large success in Europe and the Americas and appearing regularly on MTV. During her singing career, she earned many platinum and gold discs and her music proved highly popular in the club scene. By the 1990s, at the peak of her career, she was regularly featured in movie soundtracks, such as that of Dick Tracyand famously in The Prince of Egypt (1998), and her vocals were popularly sampled in hip hop. Her death in 2000 from an AIDS-related illness shocked Israeli society.
Haza was a highly influential cultural figure in Israel, and is considered one of the country’s biggest cultural icons, who helped popularize Mizrahi culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer, songwriter, and actress who was known as the ,Madonna of the East, for her successful international career and for helping popularize Mizrahi culture.
Ofra Haza’s music was a mixture of traditional Middle Eastern and commercial singing styles, fusing elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration, and dance-beats, as well as lyrics from Mizrahi and Jewish folk tales and poetry.
By the late 1980s, Ofra Haza was an internationally successful artist, achieving large success in Europe and the Americas and appearing regularly on MTV. During her career, she earned many platinum and gold discs, and her vocals were popularly sampled in hip-hop.
Ofra Haza’s music was featured in movie soundtracks, such as that of Dick Tracy (1990) and famously in The Prince of Egypt (1998).
Ofra Haza’s death in 2000 from an AIDS-related illness shocked Israeli society, as she was a highly influential cultural figure in the country and considered one of Israel’s biggest cultural icons.
Ofra Haza’s voice has been described as a ,tender, mezzo-soprano.
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Ofra Haza at number 186 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
2 Quotes by Ofra Haza
- 1.
I understand them. I understand where they came from, what their lifestyle was there. But my parents didn’t push us to be like them. They said do whatever you think right, but remember the important things in life.
Ofra HazaIsraeli singer
- 2.
I don’t know what I would have done without believing in God. His support gives me power and energy to continue to be optimistic, to smile, not to be depressed. Sometimes, if things are not going so well, I don’t cry. I say maybe it’s meant to be.
Ofra HazaIsraeli singer