File:Ofra_Haza_1981_(עפרה_חזה_1981).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Ofra Haza
Sign in to saveAlso known as Ofra Chaza, Ofra Hasa, Haza, Ofra, Bat-Sheva Ofra Haza-Ashkenazi, Bat-Sheva Ofra Haza, Bat-Sheva Haza
Israeli singer (1957–2000)
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer who became an international pop star in the 1980s and 1990s, known for blending traditional Middle Eastern music with contemporary pop and dance styles. Her career and early death at age 42 made her a significant figure in Israeli culture and a notable example of Middle Eastern artists achieving global commercial success.
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Film & TV
Tel Aviv, Israel
Ofra Haza (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", or "the Israeli Madonna". Her voice has been described as a "tender" mezzo-soprano. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked her at number 186 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time. Of Yemenite-Mizrahi descent, Haza performed music…
Known for
- Ofra — Self2020
- Singer of the Year: The True Story of Yardena and Ofra — Self2018
- עפרה חזה - הופעה חיה בפסטיבל הג'אז במונטריי — Self2007
- The Prince of Egypt — Yocheved (voice)1998
- צדק מוחלט1998
- The Governess — Featured Vocalist (voice)1998
- Flitterabend — Self - Singer1988
- Sacrée soirée — Self1987
- Menschen — Self1982
- Die Spielbude — Self1982
via TMDB
Key facts
- Born
- Bat-Sheva Haza , ( 1957-11-19 ) 19 November 1957, Hatikva , Tel Aviv , Israel
- Died
- 23 February 2000 (2000-02-23) (aged 42) , Ramat Gan , Israel
- Cause of death
- Complications from AIDS
- Resting place
- Yarkon Cemetery
- Occupations
- Singer songwriter actress
- Years active
- 1969–2000
- Spouse
- Doron Ashkenazi ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1997 )
- Genres
- World ethnic electronica synth-pop soft rock Mizrahi Middle Eastern
- Instruments
- Vocals piano
- Labels
- Hed Arzi EastWest Shanachie BMG Ariola Ausfahrt Sire Warner Bros
- Website
- haza.co.il
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- female
- Citizenship
- Israel
- Place of death
- Ramat Gan
- Occupation
- singer
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Religion
- Judaism
- Notable work
- Im Nin'alu
- Participant in
- Eurovision Song Contest 1983
- Genre
- pop rock
- Instrument
- voice
- Official website
- ofrahaza.org
- Image
- Ofra Haza 1987.jpg
- Voice type
- mezzo-soprano
Show 13 more facts
- Commons category
- Ofra Haza
- date of birth
- 1957-11-19
- date of death
- 2000-02-23
- manner of death
- natural causes
- member of
- Nachal Troupe
- place of burial
- Yarkon Cemetery
- start of work period
- 1969-00-00
- name in native language
- עפרה חזה
- birth name
- בת שבע חזה
- nominated for
- Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album
- valid in period
- 20th century
- social media followers
- 30200
- end of work period
- 2000-00-00
Sources (8)
via Wikidata · CC0
~19 min read
Encyclopedic overview
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", or "the Israeli Madonna". Her voice has been described as a "tender" mezzo-soprano. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked her at number 186 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Of Yemenite-Mizrahi descent, Haza performed music 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. By the late 1980s, Haza was an internationally successful artist, achieving large success in Europe and the Americas and appearing regularly on MTV. During her singing career, she earned many platinum and gold discs and her music proved highly popular in the club scene. By the 1990s, at the peak of her career, she was regularly featured in movie soundtracks, 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.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Ofra Haza” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.