MUSIC WOMEN
Ofra Haza, 50 Gates of Wisdom (Yemenite Songs), 1987
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer, actress, and recording artist. She was also an activist and a pioneer. She bridged her Yemenite Jewish and Hebrew culture; her music was traditional and also commercial. The instrumentation combined Eastern and Western influences with dance beats, Middle Eastern percussion with classical instruments. Her unique voice was one of the instruments — earning platinum and gold discs and a Grammy nomination.
Ofra Haza’s hit single “Im Nin’alu” is still heard in classic hip-hop re-releases, re-mixes and samples such as Coldcut’s remix of Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full;” Public Enemy’s “Can’t Truss It;” and MARRS’s “Pump Up the Volume.” Her music is also featured in video games.
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Ofra Haza’s album, Yemenite Songs, was released first in Israel and later in the United States under the name, 50 Gates of Wisdom (Yemenite Songs)(Shanachie Records, 1987). The album featured her rich alto voice with lyrics based on the work of an early Jewish poet, Rabbi Shalom Shabazi; the instrumentation mixed strings, woodwinds, brass, synths, and drum machines. There is also an activist side to the album — pride in her heritage and in her identity, recognition of her strength and of her power.
Ofra Haza died tragically of AIDS at age 41 in 2000.
National Public Radio and Lincoln Center have honored Ofra Haza’s 50 Gates of Wisdom (Yemenite Songs) in the series, Turning The Tables: Greatest Albums by Women. Feature article by Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR Music writer.
