She met Abi Ofarim, a guitarist and dancer, in 1959 and subsequently married him. With her husband and without him she began to sing Hebrew and international folk songs.
In 1960 Esther got a small role in the film Exodus. In 1961 Esther won the Song Festival in Tel Aviv, where she sang "Saeni imcha bemachol" and "Neama". Two years later, Esther made the 2nd place at the Eurovision Song Contest with "T'en vas pas", representing Switzerland.
From then on, her duo with her then husband Abi Ofarim began take off. In 1966 they had their first hit in Germany with "Noch einen Tanz". Their greatest success in Germany was "Morning of my Life" in 1967, which was written by the Bee Gees. In 1968 the Ofarims had their international breakthrough with "Cinderella Rockefella", which hit the top of the charts in a number of countries including the UK. They played many live concerts in New York and London, and in 1969 they toured around the world.
As result of problems in both business, and personal relations, they divorced in 1970 [1] (in German).
Esther started her solo career with several albums and concerts. In 1984 she played in Joshua Sobol's piece "Ghetto", produced by Peter Zadek in Berlin (Germany). There she sang some songs, including "Frühling" and "Unter deinen weissen Sternen". The play was extremely successful, which was attributed in part to Esther's strong presence.
Since 1998, Esther Ofarim has been performing several concerts each year, especially in Israel and Germany. This includes annual concerts in the Hamburger Kammerspiele.
Ofarim's songs were prominently featured in the 2004 Israeli film, Walk on Water.
El Rey Nimrod
Esther Ofarim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mirava en el cielo y en la estreyeria,
Vido una luz santa en la giuderia,
Que havia de nacer Avraham avínu.
Avraham avínu, padre querido,
Padre bendicho, luz de Israel.
Avraham avínu, padre querido,
La mujer de Terach se quedo prenada,
E dia en dia ele preguntava,
De que tienes la cara tan de mudada,
Ella ya sabia el bien que tenia.
Avraham avínu, padre querido,
Padre bendicho, luz de Israel.
Avraham avínu, padre querido,
Padre bendicho, luz de Israel.
En fin de mueve mezes parir queria:
Iva caminando por campos y vinyas,
A su marido tal ne le descubria
Topo una meara, alli lo pariria.
Avraham avínu, padre querido,
Padre bendicho, luz de Israel.
Avraham avínu, padre querido,
Padre bendicho, luz de Israel.
Cuando el rey Nimrod al campo salia,
Mirava en el cielo y en la estreyeria,
Vido una luz santa en la giuderia,
Que havia de nacer Avraham avínu
The song "El Rey Nimrod" is an old Sephardic folk song that tells the story of Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. The lyrics speak of King Nimrod who looks up into the sky studying the stars, where he sees a divine light shining in the Jewish quarter. He understands that a great prophet, Abraham, is about to be born. The song goes on to describe the story of Abraham's mother, who becomes pregnant and is asked by her husband why she looks so different. She already knows the significance of the child she is carrying.
The lyrics then describe how she goes on a journey, looking for a place to give birth, and finds a meadow where she gives birth to Abraham. The song ends with King Nimrod once again looking up into the sky and predicting that a great leader has been born.
Overall, the song is an ode to Abraham, a much-revered figure in Jewish history. The lyrics speak of his birth and highlight his important role in the Jewish religion. Through this song, Esther Ofarim, who is known for her powerful interpretations of traditional Jewish songs, has kept alive the memory of an ancient story, while also showcasing her musical artistry.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando el rey Nimrod al campo salia,
As King Nimrod went out into the field,
Mirava en el cielo y en la estreyeria,
He looked up at the sky and the stars,
Vido una luz santa en la giuderia,
And saw a holy light in the Jewish quarter,
Que havia de nacer Avraham avínu.
Which signified the birth of Abraham our father.
Avraham avínu, padre querido,
Abraham our father, beloved father,
Padre bendicho, luz de Israel.
Blessed father, light of Israel.
La mujer de Terach se quedo prenada,
Terach's wife became pregnant,
E dia en dia ele preguntava,
And each day he asked her,
De que tienes la cara tan de mudada,
Why her face looked so different,
Ella ya sabia el bien que tenia.
But she already knew the good news she carried.
En fin de mueve mezes parir queria:
At the end of nine months, she was ready to give birth:
Iva caminando por campos y vinyas,
She walked through fields and vineyards,
A su marido tal ne le descubria
But didn't reveal it to her husband,
Topo una meara, alli lo pariria.
Until she found a cave where she would give birth.
Avraham avínu, padre querido,
Abraham our father, beloved father,
Padre bendicho, luz de Israel.
Blessed father, light of Israel.
Cuando el rey Nimrod al campo salia,
As King Nimrod went out into the field,
Mirava en el cielo y en la estreyeria,
He looked up at the sky and the stars,
Vido una luz santa en la giuderia,
And saw a holy light in the Jewish quarter,
Que havia de nacer Avraham avínu
Which signified the birth of Abraham our father.
Contributed by Elijah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ckubaseck
We also love your music in Germany (ama ilk defa Istanbul´da dinledik :)
@amankaptan
Awesome!! Love from turkey. Thanks for posting this!
@sunaozdemir
And love from Turkey again! Looks like we love your music. :)