Ofra Haza (Hebrew: עפרה חזה; 19 November 1957 – 23 February 2000) was an Israeli singer, songwriter and actress, commonly known in the Western world as "the Madonna of the East",[1] or "the Israeli Madonna".[2] Her voice has been described as a "tender" mezzo-soprano.[3] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Haza at number 186 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.[4]
Of Mizrahi Jewish (Yemenite-Jewish) descent, Haza's music is 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.[5] By the late 1980s, Haza was an internationally successful artist, achieving large success in Europe and the Americas and appearing regularly on MTV.[6] During her singing career, she earned many platinum and gold discs and her music proved highly popular in the club scene.[6] By the 1990s, at the peak of her career,[7] she regularly featured in movie soundtracks,[6] such as that of Dick Tracy (1990) and 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.
In Israel, Haza was a highly influential cultural figure, referred to as one of the country's biggest cultural icons,[7] who helped to popularize Mizrahi culture.[8]
^"The Israeli Madonna". BBC Four. 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
^"Ofra Haza, Madonna of the East". Legacy.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
^Pareles, Jon (24 February 2000). "Ofra Haza, 41, Israeli Pop Singer Who Crossed Cultural Bounds". The New York Times. New York. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
^"The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time". Rolling Stone. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
^"Ofra Haza | Morning Becomes Eclectic". KCRW. 13 August 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
^ abc"Ofra Haza". Deezer. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
^ ab"Ofra Haza, Tragic Israeli Pop Diva". Tablet Magazine. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
^Joffe, Lawrence (25 February 2000). "Ofra Haza". the Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
OfraHaza (Hebrew: עפרה חזה; 19 November 1957 – 23 February 2000) was an Israeli singer, songwriter and actress, commonly known in the Western world as...
previous year's Israeli representative Avi Toledano, and performed by OfraHaza. The song was selected through Israel's traditional national final, the...
Brady Haran Hi (magazine), teen-lifestyle publication "Hi" (OfraHaza song), a song by OfraHaza, Israel's entry in the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest Hi, a...
in the 1980s were second-place finishes for Avi Toledano in 1982 and OfraHaza in 1983. Former winner Izhar Cohen returned to place fifth in 1985, before...
is an album by Israeli singer OfraHaza, released in 1988. Shaday, recorded in both Tel Aviv and England, became Haza's international breakthrough album...
Montreux Jazz Festival is a 1998 album by Israeli singer OfraHaza. The recording which captures Haza and a five-piece band live at the Montreux Jazz Festival...
Yemenite Songs (Hebrew: שירי תימן) is a 1984 album by OfraHaza, in which the Israeli pop star returned to her roots interpreting traditional Yemeni Jewish...
Festival Orchestra, conducted by Stanley Black. The late Israeli singer OfraHaza sang one of the most popular versions of the song at Pa'amonei HaYovel...
producer known for his work with Enigma and artists such as Sarah Brightman, OfraHaza, Gregorian, Princessa, and Andrea Bocelli on his first international album...
singer and songwriter Paula Abdul with backing vocals from Israeli singer OfraHaza. It was released on May 30, 1995 by Virgin and Captive, as the first single...
Guantanamo Bay Hisui Haza (born 1996), Japanese footballer Ivonne Haza (1938–2022), Dominican soprano OfraHaza, Israeli singer Óscar Haza, American journalist...
band Chai (wine), a shed for storing casks, common in Bordeaux "Hi" (OfraHaza song), using an alternate spelling of the Hebrew word Center for Human-Compatible...
The White Tiger. On Indian Timing, Panjabi MC uses vocal samples from OfraHaza "Im Nin'Alu". He used "Planet Rock" ("Pyar Wich (Planet Rock Remix)" on...
For the DreamWorks animated film The Prince of Egypt, Israeli singer OfraHaza sang most of the 17 versions of the song "Deliver Us" phonetically. Soramimi...
Oates Obituary Mariana Ochoa The Offspring (1984-1994) Of Mice & Men OfraHaza Oingo Boingo The O'Jays Ol' Dirty Bastard Olivia Chaney Oliver Tree Silvia...
Martin Short as Huy, Hotep's fellow high priest. He is tall and thin. OfraHaza as Yocheved, Miriam and Aaron's mother and Moses's biological mother....
from the 1975 album Chicago VIII "Sixth Sense", a song by OfraHaza from the 1997 album OfraHaza "Sixth Sense", a song by Royal Hunt from the 2010 album...
under the name 'Yocheved', voiced by (and resembling) Israeli vocalist OfraHaza. In the film, she sings a lullaby to baby Moses as she sets the basket...
same year she re-recorded the song "Goral Ehad" by OfraHaza, for an album that honored OfraHaza. On January 28, 2019, she released the song "Yishma-HaEl...