Shlomo Artzi is an
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
i
folk rockFolk rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
singer-songwriterA singer–songwriter is a musician who writes, composes and sings their own material including lyrics and melodies. They often provide the sole accompaniment to an entire composition or song, typically using a guitar or piano...
and
composerA composer is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of...
. He was born on November 26, 1949 in Moshav
Alonei AbbaAlonei Abba is a moshav shitufi, or semi-cooperative village, in northern Israel. It is located in the Lower Galilee near Bethlehem of Galilee and Alonim, in the hills east of Kiryat Tivon. Alonei Abba falls under the jurisdiction of Jezreel Valley Regional Council...
. In the course of his career, he has sold over 1.5 million albums, making him one of Israel's most successful male singers.
Biography
Artzi's parents were Holocaust survivors and their memories deeply influenced him and his sister Nava Semel, a playwright. His father, Yitzhak Artzi, in his youth Zionist activist in Bucovina,
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
, was later a member of the
KnessetThe Knesset is the legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Operation of the Knesset:...
. When Artzi was 8 years old, his family moved to northern
Tel AvivTel Aviv-Yafo , usually called Tel Aviv, is the second largest city in Israel, with an estimated population of 391,300. The city is situated on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, with a land area of...
. Artzi's schoolmates thought he would become an actor, not a musician, as he was known for his acting skills at primary school. However, at the age of 12 he started playing the guitar and singing in a boy scouts group and at friends' parties. At age 16, he began writing and composing songs.
During his military service, he was first recruited to the Artillery Corps, and after serving for a year and a half, he joined
Lehakat Kheil Hayam (Naval Corps Entertainment Group). During his service in the group, he took part in the programs "And On The Third Day" and "Rhapsody in Blue", alongside other soon-to-be Israeli celebrities, such as Rivka Zohar, Dov Glikman, Avi Uriah, Riki Gal, and more. He was yet to stand out during the first program, but by the second program he became the lead singer and one of the main stars. He sang lead vocals on several songs on the Group's LPs.
In 1970 Artzi had the opportunity to take part in the Israeli Song Festival, a prestigious song contest held every year. Still in military service and wearing a military uniform, he sang
Pitom Achshav, Pitom Hayom (Suddenly Now, Suddenly Today), also known as
Ahavtiha (I loved her). The song, written by Tirza Atar and composed by Ya'akov Hollander, won first prize. It was included in his first album,
Shlomo Artzi, which came out in 1970, and came in first in the annual chart-toppers countdown of Kol Israel. Artzi was voted Best
Singer of the Year.
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:uKWH7nLMd_8J:www.emusic.com/artist/Shlomo-Artzi-MP3-Download/11592262.html+%22Singer+of+the+Year%22+israel+2003&cd=62&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
In 1977, after a string of failures, he decided to make one last record "the way a record should be made." The success of this album, "A Man Losing His Way" (Gever Holekh Le'ibud), persuaded Artzi to continue with his singing career, which rose throughout the 1980s and reached a peak with the release of the albums "Dance" (Tirkod) and "Restless Night" (Layla Lo Shaket) which sold tens of thousands, and with the live shows that accompanied these albums, which would sell out the largest parks and theatres in Israel. His later album sales, in excess of a hundred-thousand per album, and the live shows that followed each album, made him the most popular artist in Israel; Based on album sales and gross income from live shows, he is the most successful singer in Israel. Artzi has sold a total of over a million and a half albums, an unprecedented achievement in the Israeli music industry. He is well known for his marathon live shows, some of which last over two or even three hours.
Musical career
In 1975 he was selected to represent
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
in the
Eurovision Song ContestThe Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. The selected song was
At Va'Ani (You and Me), written by the legendary Israeli songwriter
Ehud ManorEhud Manor was an Israeli songwriter, translator, and radio and TV personality.He composed many well-known songs, including "Ein Li Eretz Acheret" , "Brit Olam" , "BaShanah HaBa'ah" , "Zo Yalduti HaShniya" , and "Achi HaTza'ir Yehuda" Ehud Manor (Hebrew: אהוד מנור) (born July 13, 1941; died April...
, and composed by Artzi himself. To seize the moment, Artzi's record label preassured him to record a completely new record in less than 2 weeks. However,
At Va'Ani didn't win the contest, and the album was a big disappointment.
This marked the beginning of the worst era of Artzi's career. During the next several years, Artzi released several records that failed to sell well, and produced very little hit singles. Later, most of these albums would become rare collectibles, as they were never released again. These include, among others,
Miskhakey 26,
Shlomo Artzi Shar U'Mesaper Al Ian HaGamad,
Yesh Li Isha Yalda Ve'Lambreta Ve'Ani Gar Be'Tel-Aviv,
Romansa U'Piyut, and a selection of his best songs from the period 1970-1973 which was released in 1976.
In 1977, almost ready to give up on a singing career, Artzi wished to record one last album "the way a record should be made", and was allowed to do so by the record company. He recorded
He Lost His Way, a sort of last good-bye to the business. Nevertheless, the album was a big success and revived Artzi's career, which from this moment on would rise, and keep rising, to unprecedented heights in the Israeli music industry.
In 1979 he recorded
Drachim (Ways), with a fresher style. His 1981 LP
Chatzot (Midnight) was the second part of
Drachim.
In 1980 Artzi started his own radio show on Israel's Army Radio, Galey
TsahalThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
. In this show, he talked about the week's headlines and tells interesting stories he has heard or seen during the week.
Od Lo Shabat (It isn't Saturday yet) is still broadcasted every Friday at 13:10 local time.
His records
Tirkod (Dance, 1984), "Layla Lo Shaket" (Restless Night, 1986), and
Hom Yuli August (July August Heat, 1988), are milestones of Israeli 80's songwriting. The albums sold in excess of a hundred thousand copies, an unprecedented achievement in the Israeli music industry, and the live shows that accompanied the albums would sell out even the largest parks and theatres in Israel.
In 1992 Artzi released
Yareakh , one of his most successful albums. Out of twelve songs on it, eight became radio hits and finally solidified Artzi's status in Israeli popular music.
In 1995 popular Israeli musicians recorded together a CD in memory of
Yitzhak Rabin' was an Israeli politician and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995. In 1994, Rabin won the Nobel Peace Prize together with Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat...
, named
Shalom Chaver. Shlomo Artzi played two songs during the memorial service, which later became anthems of those days -
Haish Ha'hu (That Man) and
Uf Gozal (Fly Little One), which was originally written and recorded by
Arik EinsteinArik Einstein is an Israeli singer-songwriter.Einstein was a vocalist for Batzal Yarok , Shleeshiyat Gesher Hayarkon and Hahalonot Hagvohim . His collaboration with Shalom Hanoch and the Churchills planted the seeds for the first Israeli rock albums...
and Miki Gavrielov.
In 1996 he released an album called
Shnayim (Two), which has sold 160,000 copies (4x platinum). The most notable songs in this CD were the title track, sung with Israeli singer
RitaRita , is an Israeli pop singer and actress.-Early life:Rita was born in Tehran, Iran. She and her family moved to Israel in 1970...
, "Menagev Lach Et Hadmaot" (Wiping Your Tears) and "Ze Ma Shenish'ar" (That's All That Is Left). Containing his best love songs, Artzi released
Ahavtihem (I Have Loved Them) four years later. His album
Tzima'on (Thirst), which was released in 2002, sold 150,000 and is one of Israel's bestsellers.
At the end of 2006 Shlomo Artzi announced his new album
Shfuim, to be released in the spring of 2007. A new single from this album, "HaAmiti", became available during the first days of January, 2007.
In 2007, the most anticipated album in the
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
's music industry was Artzi's next album "Shfuim" (Sane).
The album came out in July, with an already hit single "HaAmiti" (The Real) and the new hit single "Island" (Iceland).
Featuring a collaboration with the Israeli rapper Mook E. of
Shabak SamechShabak Samech is the first recognized rap and hip-hop group to come out of Israel, from the small town of Yavneh. Their sound is primarily hip-hop, but includes elements of rapcore, dancehall, ska and funk. Their sound has been compared to the Beastie Boys, Ugly Duckling, Rage Against the...
fame, the album became a hit selling over 150,000 copies and another hit single "Nitzmadnu" (We Got Closer).
Personal Life
Artzi is married secondly, having 3 children from first
marriageMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
: Ben Artzi (singer), Shiri Artzi (book-critic and book-writer) and Jonathan Artzi.
Today, Artzi resides in Tel-Aviv.
Artzi is known as a fan of the soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv.
External links