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Singer Ofra Haza performing in the “Teletrom” fundraiser for the handicapped, held at “Heichal Hatarbut” in Tel Aviv. Photo by: Yaakov Saar- Wikimedia.

Top 10 Facts about Ofra Haza

The Israeli singer, an icon in her own country, seemed to have a life full of contradictions and tragedy. Ofra Haza was born on November 19, 1957, in Tel Aviv’s Hatikvah neighborhood to parents who had immigrated from Yemen with their eight children.

Her mother, who was already a singer in Yemen, would frequently perform at family gatherings. Haza began singing at a young age and was a soloist in her local school choir.

1. Brief history about Ofra Haza

The Hatikvah Quarter Theater Workshop was founded as part of the Tel Aviv Municipality’s neighborhood program by Bezalel Aloni. Haza was accepted into the workshop at the age of twelve, and it was through this program that she sang the song “Ga’agu’im” (Yearning), which became famous, reaching number one on the hit parade between 1973-1974.

The song “Shabbat ha-Malkah,” performed by Haza, came in third place at the 1974 Mizrachi Music Festival. Haza decided to pursue a career in singing after serving in the army.

Although Israel’s major songwriters initially turned down Haza’s requests to write songs for her, her manager Bezalel Aloni began writing songs for her himself.

Haza made her film debut in 1979 with the song “Shir ha-Freha,” written by Assi Dayan and Svika Pick. Haza prompted the hit parades on all radio stations with the song, earning the title “Singer of the Year” four times between 1980 and 1983.

2. International Women’s Day

Wikimedia.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, we recognize and appreciate legendary women who have left an indelible impression on the hearts of Israelis and people all over the world.

Ofra Haza, Israel’s top pop recording artist at one point, was born into a poor family and rose to fame as the youngest of nine children as a singer and actress. She released approximately 30 solo albums in addition to representing Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1983 and singing on the Prince of Egypt soundtrack.

Haza, also known as the “Israeli Madonna,” died in 2000, but her music lives on, leaving behind a haunting and soulful sound for future generations to find.

3. Singing career throughout her life

Plate on Ofra Haza childhood home in tel aviv. Photo by: 讚”专 讗讘讬砖讬 讟讬讬讻专- Wikimedia.

In Israel’s “Pre-Eurovision” song competition in 1983, Haza sang the winning song, “Hai,” by Ehud Manor and Avi Toledano. She toured to Germany to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest, where the song finished in second place. Her big global breakthrough came in the wake of her 1984 album Shirei Teiman (Yemenite songs).

The album featured arrangements of songs that Haza had heard as a child, combining authentic Middle Eastern percussion with classical instruments. Izhar Ashdot, the album’s remixer, added electronic instruments to the song “Galbi” (Libi [My heart] in Hebrew). Set to a Middle Eastern beat, the song became a “dance music” hit.

The song was released by German record giant BMG, which supplied it throughout Europe, particularly in France and Germany, after a DJ from the Voice of Peace radio station passed it along to friends in Europe. “Galbi” became an international smash.

4. Ofra Haza’s musical legacy

Singer Ofra Haza at the Jubilee chimes performance at Givat Ram, Jerusalem, in honor of the 50th independence day of the state of Israel. Photo by: Amos Ben Gershom- Wikimedia.

Amidst her extensive international profession, Haza never stopped performing in Israel, where she always drew huge audiences. She achieved popularity at army bases in the country’s north and south.

The plane transporting her and Aloni back from one of these shows crashed, but the two survived. Haza sang the winning song at a number of Israeli song festivals for children and adults.

Ofra Haza fan clubs have sprouted up all over Israel. Haza married businessman Doron Ashkenazi in 1997 and divorced Bezalel Aloni shortly after. In 1998, she was chosen to perform Naomi Shemer’s “Jerusalem of Gold” at Israel’s 50th anniversary ceremony.

5. What caused Ofra Haza’s death

Haza was rushed to Tel Hashomer Hospital in February 2000, suffering from severe organ dysfunction. She passed away on February 23, 2000.

Many Israelis found it difficult to discern “God’s will” in Haza’s eventual death. Years ago, the news that she had died of Aids-related illness at the age of 42 defied everything Israel thought it knew about her.

All through the 1980s and 1990s, she was a near-perfect mirror image of the kind of star Madonna was in the west. “She maintained a clean image,” Isthar Ashdoth, a producer and musician who worked with her, recalls. “You never saw a picture of her with a man or heard any dirty gossip about her. It was all about the voice for her.”

Ofra Haza is one of the key players in the long line of Yemenite female singers who have made a name for themselves on the Israeli music scene. Brachah Zefira, Esther Gamlielit, Shoshana Damari, Ahuva Tzadok, and Achinoam Nini have been among their number. Many Israelis found it difficult to discern “God’s will” in Haza’s eventual death.

6. She was also an actress 

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Composer Hans Zimmer introduced Ofra Haza, a well-known Israeli pop star of Yemenite descent, to the DreamWorks team. They thought she was so beautiful that they modeled Yocheved, Moses’ mother, after her.

Haza can be heard singing in the film’s breathtaking opener, “Deliver Us,” in English, French, Dutch, German, Greek, Swedish, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish, Czech, Finnish, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, and, of course, Hebrew. Whew!

7. She was part of a few miracles

Haza’s life had been saved by a miracle twice before. In 1987, an Israeli Air Force plane carrying her and Bezalel Aloni after a speech at a military base in the south crashed. They were only slightly hurt.

The second time was in 1994, when lightning struck the plane carrying Haza back from London, but he landed safely.

8. Collaborations with other artists throughout her career

Singer Ofra Haza at the Jubilee chimes performance at Givat Ram, Jerusalem, in honor of the 50th independence day of the state of Israel. Photo by: Amos Ben Gershom- Wikimedia.

Duets with Paul Anka and Cliff Richard were recorded. In 1997, Haza recorded a duet with singer Iggy Pop for his album, which was nominated for a Grammy that year. Steven Spielberg requested Haza to perform the song “Deliver Us” for the animated film The Prince of Egypt in 1989.

She recorded the song in twenty-nine languages and even played Yokheved, Moses’ mother, in the film. Haza initially rejected a joint international concert tour with singer Michael Jackson in 1990.

9. HIV/AIDS awareness due to Ofra Haza

It is widely assumed that she contracted the disease from her husband, who died of a drug overdose about a year after her death and was thought to have contracted the virus from other partners or drug use.

Friends interviewed for the documentary say Haza and Ashkenazi both thought they had infected the other. According to family members, Haza was severely ill with the virus for years 鈥� she discovered she had AIDS when she went for IVF treatment after a miscarriage and received a routine HIV screening 鈥� but refused treatment.

10. Fear of announcing her illness

This was during a time when life-prolonging viral solutions for HIV were already available, but Haza refused to take them, supposedly fearful of her diagnosis becoming public.

Some considered the news reports uncovering her AIDS diagnosis to be a violation of privacy, whereas other believed that if Israel’s sweetheart had spoken openly about her diagnosis, it would have helped encourage the negative perception that AIDS is a “gay disease.”

Her lack of action about the AIDS diagnosis, on the other hand, was completely in character, as she had always stayed silent about everything private in her life.