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.
Kibui Orot
Esther Ofarim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Al tehom shvilo pasach vegam avar
Derech ein katzeh lo ad merosh haselah
Kol hachatzotzrot kara
Lail ba el hamidbar
Mimedurot ashan oleh
Utzlil tupin nadam nadam
[...]
Lail ba el hamidbar
Mimedurot ashan oleh
Utzlil tupin nadam nadam
Al arvot nitzat yare'ach ufanav kadam
[...]
Lail ba el hamidbar
Mimedurot ashan oleh
Utzlil tupin nadam nadam
Al arvot nitzat yare'ach ufanav kadam
The first few lines of Esther Ofarim's song Kibui Orot create a lyrical landscape of the desert, conveying a sense of aimlessness and perhaps even danger. The singer describes a rugged path that leads into the wilderness, a path that spans teeming depths and has no end in sight. Further, the trumpet calls draw attention to the strange and unknown terrain, perhaps hinting at a sense of unrest and urgency.
As the verse continues, the lyrics describe the journey through the desolate landscape, with the stars, the smoke, and mystical sounds rising from the caravans spiraling around. The lyrics represent the feelings of being surrounded by the vast emptiness and feeling like every echo of sound and movement within that void is heightened. The words paint a picture of the desert that evokes a feeling of being lost and perhaps even a bit haunted by the dark mysteries of the unknown.
In conclusion, Esther Ofarim's Kibui Orot is a lyrical work with a richly symbolic description of the desert landscape. The singer uses her voice to fill the void created by the emptiness and portrays a person's journey through the treacherous and dark wilderness.
Line by Line Meaning
Derech rav hagdud halach el hamidbar
A large group traveled on a road towards the desert
Al tehom shvilo pasach vegam avar
They crossed over deep valleys and went beyond them
Derech ein katzeh lo ad merosh haselah
The road was long and winding, leading up to the top of a rock
Kol hachatzotzrot kara
All the trumpets sounded and echoed through the desert
Lail ba el hamidbar
Nightfall came in the desert
Mimedurot ashan oleh
Smoke rose from the bonfires
Utzlil tupin nadam nadam
A sweet flute played softly
Al arvot nitzat yare'ach ufanav kadam
The moon rose above the trees and ahead of them
Lail ba el hamidbar
Nightfall came in the desert
Mimedurot ashan oleh
Smoke rose from the bonfires
Utzlil tupin nadam nadam
A sweet flute played softly
Al arvot nitzat yare'ach ufanav kadam
The moon rose above the trees and ahead of them
Lail ba el hamidbar
Nightfall came in the desert
Mimedurot ashan oleh
Smoke rose from the bonfires
Utzlil tupin nadam nadam
A sweet flute played softly
Al arvot nitzat yare'ach ufanav kadam
The moon rose above the trees and ahead of them
Contributed by Jake Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.