Ofra Haza

Ofra Haza (Hebrew: עפרה חזה) was a highly successful Israeli pop icon whose rags-to-riches career started in 1983 when she came second in the Eurovision Song Contest. She released 16 gold and platinum albums. She was born 19 November 1957 in Tel Aviv, Israel and died 23 February 2000 in Ramat Gan, Israel of an AIDS related illness. Her voice has been described as a "tender" mezzo-soprano. Inspired by a love of her Yemenite and Hebrew culture, her music quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience, somehow bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries. As her career progressed, Haza was able to switch between traditional and more commercial singing styles without jeopardizing her credibility. Her music fused elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration and dance-beat. She became successful in Europe and the Americas; during her singing career, she earned many platinum and gold discs. (read more on wikipedia)

Links To Peel
Peel first heard of Ofra Haza, when a listener called Grant from Tel Aviv sent him a 12" single called "Galbi", which Peel really liked. He played the track on his BBC Radio One show on 22 April 1985 and compared her voice to Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. After playing the track, he criticised many of the demos sent as sounding like Killing Joke and described Ofra's record as one of the most diverse he heard.

Other Shows Played
1985 1999
 * 22 April 1985: Galbi (12" Short Version) (12") Hed-Arzi
 * 22 March 1999 (BFBS): 'Babylon (My Pasty Weighs A Ton) (CDS)' (Warner.ESP) (featuring Black Dog)