Ofra Haza 1957 - 2000

http://www.ofra-haza.com A comprehensive site by Galit Harel
http://www.ofrahaza.com The official site (not very active)

If it is true that we live in a global village, then it is a fact that music has become our common language. No matter what the native tongue, no matter how exotic the melody or unexpected the rhythm, a song can reach across cultural and political boundaries to unite people and remind them of their common hopes, fears and dreams.

And no Israeli atrist before had spoken the world beat language more fluently than Ofra Haza. A musical ambassador-at-large, this internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter brought people from around the world together through the universal appeal of her extraordinary and evocative music.

Ofra Haza was born on the 19th of November 1957 in the "Tikva" neighbourhood in Tel-Aviv. She sang since she was very young, and she first performe on a stage withing the "Tikva's neighbourhood Sadna" , that discover young talents. The "sadna" art manager Betzalel Aloni has been Ofra's manager through all the years. With the "sadna" Ofra had few hits like "Uri Tzafon Veboei Teiman" (Wake Up North And Come Yemen).

When she was 14 years old she first performe at a mediteranean music festival, and she won the first prize with the song "Shabat Hamalca" (Shabat The Queen). Since then, she has participated in many festivals, from kids one to the Eurovision song contest.

When she was 18 She joined the Israeli army and served as a clerk. When she finished her army service, there was a try to join her to the "Chocolad Menta Mastik" group, but the try hadn't gone well, and Yardena Arazi was chosen instead.

The big success in Israel began when she played a big rule in the movie "Shlager", and sang the song "Shir Hafrecha" (The bimbo song). After "Shlager" she played in another movie - "Na'arat Haparvarim" (The Subrub Girl).

Since then Ofra had huge hits in Israel like "Flash Gordon", "Shir A'ava Lahaial" (Love Song For The Soldiar), "Tfila" (A Prayer) , "Simanim Shel O'avim" (Lovers Signs), "Kaitz" (Summer), "Gavriel" , "Super Star", "Amen Lamilim" (Amen To The words), "Acharei Hahagim" (After The Holidays) and of course "Hi" (Alive), the song which represented Israel in The 1983 Eurovision Song Contest.


Listen to Hi		 Eurovision 1983 with 'Hi'
Watch it

Ofra had continued to record hits albums like "Shirei Moledet" (1985), "Bait Ham" (A Place For Me 1984), "Adama" (Earth 1985) and "Yamim Nishbarim" (Broken Days 1986), breaking her own selling recordseach year.

At the end of 1984 Ofra recorded a Yemenite album called "Shirei Teiman" (Yemenite Songs) and one of the songs, "Galbi", has been published in a special 12" version made by Izhar Ashdot. Later she had a big success in the UK with the song "Im Nin'alu", which was also a hit in other european countries like Germany and Switerland. This was only the beginning of Ofra's international success.

On February 3, 1987 Ofra Haza and her manager Bezalel Aloni survived an airplane crash in a Cesna aircraft on the Israel / Jordanian border. Ofra was used to celebrate this date as her second birthday.

Yemen Ofra

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

On the 23 of February 2000, Ofra haza had died in the Tel-Hashomer hospital near Tel-Aviv. Ofra was hospitalized in the hospital few days earlier without a clear diagnosis. Few days after she passed away it was published that Ofra Haza had died of the HIV virus.

We will always remember you OFRA, as our one and only national singer.