Shimi Tavori - Biography

Shimi Tavori (born February 9, 1953) is an acclaimed Israeli singer. He performs in Hebrew and French.

Biography

Shimi Tavori (Shimshon Tawili) was born to a Yemenite Jewish family in Ness Ziona, Israel. He met his wife Jennifer Joselyn while performing in New York City in 1982. They have three children. One of his songs, Eliran, is named for his firstborn son. After divorcing Joslyn, Tavori married a 17-year old Israeli model, Aviva Azulai, with whom he has two children. In 1983, he won 145,000 shekels in the Toto lottery. Tavori divorced Azulai and married Osnat Lorber. They also have two children, but are now divorced. Several of Tavori's children are also involved in the music world. His son Daniel was a contestant on Kokhav Nolad.

Musical career

Tavori started out singing at nightclubs in Ramla, among them Calipso and Karish. After his service in the Israel Defense Forces, he recorded his first song, Helena, which was coldly received at first but later became a hit. His first major break came after David Halfon heard him perform a song that Halfon had written for another singer. Halfon introduced Tavori to Uzi Hitman in his early days as a songwriter.

In 1976, the collaboration with Hitman led to Tavori's first record, Chipasti Shirim La'Tzet La'Olam ("I searched for songs to go out to the world"; ), including his first hit, Eyn Lee Ahavah ("I have no love"; ), written by Eliezer Rabin. After the records release, Tavori was awarded first place in the Middle Eastern Singing Festival with his song Shechora Ve'Nava" ("Black & Beautiful"). The following year Tavori placed second at the same festival with his song Kinor David, and in 1979 he once more placed first with the song Moshe, written for him by singer-songwriter Avihu Medina.

Collaboration with Medina produced numbers like Shabhi Yerushalayim and Al Tashliheini Le'et Zikna, which became megahits for Tavori and other Mizrahi singers in Israel.

In 1982 Tavori turned down an offer to enter the festival again with the song written for him by Medina, Haperch Be'Gani (which ended up placing first when performed by Medina's second choice, Zohar Argov, launching his legendary career), choosing instead to go perform in New York City. In 1993 Tavori entered the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Chai Et Ma'She Yesh ("I Live With What I've Got"; ). Known also with the ballad "Remember" in the 80's. In 2000, he released a triple album in French "Oriental Tempo" with international contributions of kurd-Turkish superstar Ibrahim Talises, French entertainer Francky Perez and Israeli award winner Meir Banai.

In 2009, he made a national come back finishing second in TV show HaAch HaGadol (VIP Big Brother).

See also

• Mizrahi Music

In today's Israeli music scene, Mizrahi music is very popular. However, its popularity is a somewhat recent phenomenon. Until the 1970s, the Israeli music industry was dominated by westernized European derived popular Israeli music.

The owners of record labels weren't interested in Mizrahi music but they signed American and European-style rock and pop music, like Kaveret and Shlomo Artzi in the 1960s and 70s, and earlier on "pioneer", more idealistic folk-musicians such as Naomi Shemer and Yehoram Gaon.

Israeli Jews from the Middle East and North Africa have over the last 50 years created a musical style that combines elements of Arabic, Turkish, and Greek music. This is not to be confused with the New Hebrew Style, which was the conscious creation of Eastern European immigrants trying to define their new Israeli identity, the Mizrahit style is spontaneous and indigenous[1]. Initially met with hostility by the mainstream cultural institutions of Israel, it has now become a major force in Israeli music culture.

The Muzika Mizrahit movement started in the 1950s with homegrown performers in neighborhoods with a high concentration of Jews from Arab and North African countries who would play at weddings and other events. They performed songs in Hebrew, but in an Arabic style, on traditional Arabic instruments - the Oud, Kanun, and the darbuka. In the 1960s, they added acoustic and electric guitar, to their sound and so their sound became more eclectic. Vocalists usually decorated their singing with trills, and delivery was often nasal or guttural in sound. Intonation was typically Western, however; singers did not use the quartertone scales typical of Arabic music.

Lyrics were originally texts taken from classic Hebrew literature, including poems by medieval Hebrew poets. Later they added texts by Israeli poets, and began writing original lyrics as well. An example is the song "Hanale Hitbalbela" (Hannale was confused), sung by Yizhar Cohen. The lyrics are by the modern Israeli poet and lyricist Natan Alterman, to a traditional tune.

One of the first widely popular Mizrahi musicians was Zohar Argov, who was from Rishon LeZion and who had grown up singing in his synagogue. His defining Mizrahi hit, Haperah BeGani (פרח בגני) ("Flower in my Garden"). Women also began to play a significant part in popular Mizrahi music, with famous artists such as Sarit Hadad becoming more popular.