About Ofra Haza
 Ofra Haza, the
youngest of nine children, was born November 19, 1957 in Israel. Raised in
a traditional Yemenite home by her parents, Ofra joined the Hatikva Theater
Group at age 12, where she met Bezalel Aloni, the founder of the group, who
would become her manager. Ofra embarked on more challenging projects, and
eventually started working on a solo career.
Ofra recorded her first album in 1978, and when she placed second in the
Eurovision Song Contest in 1983 with "Chai", she rocketed to stardom. She
became a hugely popular singer in the Middle East, comparable to Madonna's
popularity in America.
 Ofra
continued to enjoy success with several subsequent albums, but it was in 1985
that Ofra struck gold. Yemenite Songs featured the track that would gain
her international success: "Im Nin' Alu." The song, a heady fusion of
dance beats and traditional Yemenite lyrics, brought Ofra to the attention of
European music fans, as the single shot to No. 1 across Europe.
 Ofra still had yet to
gain fame in North America, but with 1988's album Shaday, it was
inevitable that the US and elsewhere would take notice! A reworked "Im Nin'
Alu", complete with disco beats and synthesizers, stormed through the charts
while the album did the same. 1989's Desert Wind featured the
catchy and cool "Ya Ba Ye", which also did well.
Around the same time, Ofra's voice was featured in the remix of "Paid in
Full". Ofra's voice would be sampled and featured in several songs over
the years, notably "Temple of Love" (Sisters of Mercy) in 1992 and "My Love is
For Real" (Paula Abdul) in 1995.
 Ofra's album
Kirya was released in 1992 and received a Grammy nomination, and Ofra
embarked on a tour of the US and Canada. In 1994, Ofra released Kol Haneshama (My Soul),
her first all-Hebrew/Israeli album in years. 1994 was a busy year for
Ofra: along with recording the album Kol Haneshama, Ofra performed by
request of the late Israeli Prime Minister Izhak Rabin at the Nobel Peace Prize
ceremony.
Ofra worked on several projects during the next few years, but was back with
a new studio album in 1997, simply titled Ofra Haza 1997. The
album, produced by Frank Peterson (the producer for Sarah Brightman and
co-founder of Enigma), combined Ofra's traditional Yemenite lyrics and sounds
with European pop and dance beats and synthesizers. The album also
included an updated "Im Nin' Alu", titled "Im Nin' Alu 2000", and the single
"Show Me". Also in 1997, Ofra married Doron Ashkenazi, and was eager to
start a family of her own.
 In 2000, Ofra was
hospitalized and was reported to be in serious condition. Fans held a
vigil at the hospital while waiting for news about Ofra. Sadly, Ofra Haza
passed away on February 23, 2000, of massive organ failure. Since that
time, it has come to be believed that the failure was caused by AIDs, possibly
transmitted by her husband (who was believed to be a drug user) which has never
been confirmed or denied. No matter how she died, it was a sorrowful day
for fans everywhere.
Ofra's voice and music continues to touch fans, new and old... She will never
be forgotten. We miss you, Ofra.
Written by Scarlett
Resources:
Remembering Ofra Haza and
Ofra Haza's Biography
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