- Mizrahi music like this
was once considered niche.
And it was pushed to the sidelines of Israeli culture.
Today, it's exploding onto the mainstream,
and redefining Israeli music.
Artists like Omer Adam and A-WA
blend Mizrahi music with modern pop,
creating a contemporary music scene
that represents the diversity of Israel.
So, what does the rise of Mizrahi music teach us
about the changes in Israeli culture over the decades?
After the formation of the State of Israel,
many Jews were expelled from Arab countries,
and there was a mass immigration
of Mizrahi refugees to Israel.
From Yemen to Turkey, and Morocco to Iraq,
each Jewish immigrant community
brought their own distinct musical traditions.
Their own distinct Piyutim,
and they brought over instruments
like the Qanun, Oud, and Darbuka.
At this time, Israel's central culture
was dominated by Ashkenazim, or Jews with roots in Europe.
Radio stations focused on international hits
from America and Europe,
and Hebrew music by mostly Ashkenazi musicians.
Mizrahi musicians were siloed from the mainstream.
Things began to change in the late 60s,
with the invention of cassette tapes.
Israeli radio stations still wouldn't play Mizrahi artists,
but this didn't stop bands like Tzliley Ha'oud
from earning an underground following.
This era also introduced the King and Queen
of Mizrahi music, Zohar Argov and Ofra Haza.
Zohar, often called HaMelech- The King,
was born in 1955 to Jewish parents
who immigrated from Yemen.
Zohar rose to stardom in his 20s
as a singer known for his beautiful vocals
and traditional Mizrahi melodies,
giving Israel such hits as "Haperach Begani."
Seen as one of the most notable Israeli artists of all time,
he also led a very troubled life,
he was convicted of rape
and struggled with drug abuse for years,
which contributed to his death at the young age of 32.
Ofra Haza, was also born to parents
who had immigrated from Yemen.
Her career catapulted in 1983,
when she represented Israel
at Euro-vision with her seminal hit, "Chai."
It won second place,
and turned Haza into an international icon.
Sadly, she died at the age of 42,
and like Argov, her legacy continues to live on.
These trailblazers paved the way
for the Mizrahi stars of the 90s,
like Sarit Hadad, who is one of Israel's biggest superstars.
She's released a whopping 25 albums
and countless chart-toppers.
Her music ranges from this,
to this.
She also has had a major international impact,
one of her songs has even been covered in Chinese.
And she became a favorite in Jordan,
where she played in the 90s
and recorded an album of songs entirely in Arabic.
Another prolific singer from the 90s is Eyal Golan.
His first studio album
introduced his unique blend of Mizrahi music and modern pop.
And has since become a mainstay of Israeli pop music
with 21 platinum-selling studio albums.
However, even with all of these Mizrahi stars,
radio stations continue to mostly ignore Mizrahi music
well into the early 2000s.
Galgalatz, Israel's most listened-to radio station,
has been making or breaking careers since 1993.
It plays a wide-range of music,
from Israeli hits to American top 40.
Galgalatz finally began to give Mizrahi music more airtime
during peak listening hours in the mid-2000s.
Now, it gets significant airtime every single day.
With a Jewish population of over 50% Mizrahi
and Sephardic-identifying Jews,
Israel's pop music is finally matching
the country's diverse make-up.
Today, Omer Adam is hands down
Israel's biggest chart topper.
He became famous on Kohkav Nolad, Israel's American Idol.
He may have even won,
if he didn't have to leave the show
when they found out he was 15 - not the required 16.
This didn't stop Adam's career from skyrocketing,
and he soon became a music sensation
with his very first single.
Since then, he has released six successful albums,
with his song, "Shnei Meshuga'im",
becoming the most played song of 2018.
His mix of electro-pop with Mizrahi music
has earned him international acclaim.
Another notable group is A-WA,
made up of Yemeni-Jewish sisters.
They sing in a Yemeni dialect of Arabic,
and often dress in modern takes
on traditional Yeminite Jewish garb
in their colorful music videos.
They've played concerts in Israel, Europe, and America,
and have fans all over the Middle East.
And if you've been to an Israeli wedding,
there's a good chance you've danced
to a Static and Ben El song!
They've got tons of hit singles,
including their Brazilian-meets-Mizrahi pop hit,
and their collab with Pitbull - "Further Up".
♪ M's and then stack 'em, further up ♪
♪ Don't let nothing distract us, further up ♪
Mizrahi music has also gained traction in Arab countries.
In Yemen, specifically, artists such as Zion Golan
are a current favorite,
and following the normalization of relations
between the UAE and Israel in 2020,
influential singer Waleed Aljasim
collaborated with Israeli singer Elkana Marziano.
Israel's popular music has evolved
from the Ashkenazi-dominated music of the 50s and 60s,
the rock of the 70s & 80s,
to the Mizrahi music of the 90s,
and today.
As Israel's popular music has evolved
from completely Westernized to more Middle Eastern,
so has it's cultural identity,
from cassette tapes to the top of the charts,
Mizrahi music has gone from niche to mainstream
in just a few decades,
crossing geo-political boundaries, bridging cultures,
and introducing Israel's diverse culture to the world;
Mizrahi pop is the soundtrack of modern-day Israel.