Ofra Haza

Ofra Haza ranked among Israel's most enduringly popular vocalists, attaining worldwide notice in the mid-1980s once her traditional repertoire attracted attention on the British club scene, a development that prompted a run of unexpected pop collaborations. Born in Tel Aviv on November 19, 1957, she was the child of Yemenite parents who had fled their homeland under its Muslim regime. At age twelve she entered the celebrated Hatikva theatrical troupe, recording several award-winning discs with the ensemble before completing her required two-year stint in the Israeli army. After her discharge in 1979 she began a solo career that made her a star both domestically and in neighboring Arab countries; her 1983 recording of “Chai!” finished second at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Drawing on ancient melodies her mother had taught her, Haza released Yemenite Songs in 1985, pairing traditional instruments with sixteenth-century poetry by Shalom Shabazi. The album became a major domestic success and a worldbeat hit in England. With Shaday in 1988 she moved toward dance-oriented material; the single “Im Nin’Al” reached the U.K. pop Top 20 and gained club traction in the United States. Her music was sampled on Eric B. & Rakim’s rap classic “Paid in Full,” and her vocals also appeared on M/A/R/R/S’ landmark track “Pump Up the Volume.”

Desert Wind, issued in 1989 and sung largely in English, coincided with her first American tour. For the 1992 Grammy-nominated album Kirya she worked with producer Don Was and welcomed guests Iggy Pop and Lou Reed; that same year she recorded the single “Temple of Love” with the British goth rockers the Sisters of Mercy. After remaining silent through much of the decade she resurfaced in 1997 with a self-titled LP on BMG Ariola. Haza died unexpectedly of AIDS-related complications on February 23, 2000.