Israel – In a tense political situation between Israel and Iran, the Iran-born Israeli singer Rita Yahan Farouz, who represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 1990, has recorded an album in Hebrew and Persian (Farsi). “Ha’Smachot Shellanu” (“Our Joys”) has already reached gold status in Israel. Most of her family and friends were very sceptical about the project. “‘They all said, ‘You want to record an album in the language of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Who will listen to it?’ I didn’t know why I had to do it, I just did. It’s like someone lit a match. What’s happening now is beyond what I ever imagined,” Rita explained.
However, the album has transcendet cultural and political lines and is also a big success in Iran. There Israeli music is strictly forbidden, but CD shops selling the album illegally report high demand. “Music from Israel is interesting because it comes from the epitome of evil – people are curious,” said Liora Hendelmann-Baavur, expert in Iranian popular culture at Tel Aviv University. The Iranian government has called Rita a new “plot in a soft war” by Israel.
Rita is one of the most popular singers in Israel and due to her origins is considered a cultural embassador between the two enemy countries. She was born in Thereran in 1962 and then moved to Israel with her family in 1970. She is part of the community of Iranian-born Jews in Israel. For her the disc is less a political statement than a return to her roots.
Here is Rita’s Eurovision entry Shara Barechovot:
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Source= The Guardian
So glad to hear about Rita; A true lady. I love her music. Her 1990 entry, in particular, is #2 on my 1990 list (second only to Spain that year) and my 45th most favourite esc song ever! Best of luck!
Btw, i love the sound of both languages: hebrew and farsi
Israel 1990 is among the 5 most underrated ESC songs ever. 18th place??? LOL, I guess that it was too sensual and way over the heads of those very traditionalist and conservative 80s/90s juries.
Anyway, next to Ivri Lider, Rita is my favourite Israeli singer. I absolutely admire her for all her work, be it in music or beyond, and had already fallen in love with her three albums from the 80s before she went onto the ESC stage in Zagreb.
1990 was not a particularly strong year but it includes 4 of my most favourite ESC songs ever: Belgium, France, Spain and Israel. I really like the Dutch, Yugoslavian, Turkish and Italian songs too and think that Ireland, Sweden, Iceland and Luxemburg had ok songs. Unfortunately, the rest of the bunch qualifies as acoustic waste in my book.
Hi oxi!
Hey, long time no agree…;-)
my 1990 Top5′s like: 1 Israel Rita, 2 France Joelle, 3 Spain Bandido, 4 Belgium Macédomienne, 5 Italy Insieme…
actually the first four I’ve mentioned are totally what I consider classics as they were so above average… Rita actually played in her own league, maybe that’s why she got only 18th place…
Patricia Kaas in 2009 caused kind of the same effect, it was just ridiculous to see her on the same scoreboard like Hadise f.ex. and her actual outcome was way too far down…
Israel in 1990 had one of the best songs that year and did not deserve it’s low placing
I want to listen to her persian album, well done. Persian language is beautiful, feminine and so melodic.. it will fit her voice. Good luck Rita.!! I like her ESC entry too