Of Mizrahi Jewish (Yemenite-Jewish) descent, Haza's music is 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 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 the Israeli public and was the subject of much controversy in Israel. In Israel, Haza was a highly influential cultural figure, referred to as one of the country's biggest cultural icons, who helped to popularize Mizrahi culture.
Biography
In 1969, at the age of 12, Haza joined a local theater troupe, and manager Bezalel Aloni spotted her singing talent. He staged many of his productions around Haza, and later became her manager and mentor. At the age of 19, she became Israel's first pop star and retrospectively, music journalists described her as "The Madonna of the East".
She came to fame in the late 80s, with her album Shaday and her single Im Nin'Alu which reached #1 on several European charts in 1988 and remained for nine straight weeks in top position on the German charts. Then she impressed the whole world with her album Yemenite Songs, which was later released in the US as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. She added more high-tech elements and worked with producers such as Thomas Dolby and Don Was.
She also lent her vocals to a 1992 re-recording of The Sisters of Mercy's single "Temple of Love," subtitled "Touched by the Hand of Ofra Haza" (a tongue-in-cheek reference to New Order who had a hit with "Touched by the Hand of God").
Her voice has been described as mezzo-soprano, of near-flawless tonal quality, capable of lending itself to a variety of musical styles with apparent ease. Her style, including elements of Hebrew pop, sounds tasty, yet exotic, and the strength of her voice gained her many admirers.
Ofra Haza died at the age of 42 in 2000 – the cause being widely reported as organ failure or pneumonia, reportedly arising from HIV/AIDS complications. Her family declined to confirm or deny these reports however, stating that it was Haza's wish that the matter should remain private. There was considerable media interest into the circumstances of her death. Ofra Haza married Doron Ashkenazi in 1997, who died in 2001 of an overdose of crystallized cocaine. He was suspected of having infected Haza with the HIV virus.
Ofra represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest in Germany in 1983 with the song “חי” (Chai (חי), usually pronounced like the English word “hi” or “high,” a word and symbol that means “life”) and finished second with six points disparity. Her greatest hits collections Melody of the Heart Vols 1 and 2 comes in two 3CD boxed set collections.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ofra_Haza
Shaday
Ofra Haza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I look back on yesteryear
A picture's coming clear
I see my father work the fields
My mother holds me near
I travelled far but now I'm here
To sing for you my tears
The yellow moon shines in my eyes
Oh, Oh EL-SHADAY
Oh, Oh EL-SHADAY
Tell me who am I
Tell me who am I
Oh, EL-SHADAY
Many years and tears ago
My people were scattered
Taking with them broken souls
From homes, where time once mattered
My lovely Land, my lonely Land
Alone two thousand years
And now returned our Holy Land
But fields are filled with tears
YAH RUHI YAH YUMA
RAWINI FAIN BAYTIK
ANA MADLUMA YAH YUMA
B'YEAD B'YEAD MINIK
YAH YUMA
Ofra Haza's song "Shaday" is a powerful and emotional tribute to her heritage and people's history. The song is written in Hebrew and is a fusion of traditional Yemenite music with contemporary dance beats that became a hit in the 1980s. The lyrics tell a story of the singer's upbringing and history and convey a strong message about the resilience and struggles of the Jewish people.
The opening line of the song, "Shaday Amor no da'ay," is a phrase that translates to "Shaday, my love, don't be enough," which could mean that the singer is hoping for more from her love, but could also refer to a want for more from life in general. The following lines painting a picture of the singer's past, her parents working in the fields, and her mother holding her near. She traveled far, but she's now here to sing her tears. The yellow moon shining in her eyes represents the pain and sadness she has experienced.
In the next verse, the singer shares the history of her people, who were scattered many years ago and took with them broken souls from their once vibrantly functioning homes. Her heart aches for her lovely but lonely land, which lay dormant for two thousand years until they returned to their holy home. The melody of this song, combined with the lyrics and the deep emotion expressed in Ofra Haza's voice, creates a powerful impact on the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
SHADAY AMOR NO DA'AY...
I am here to sing for you about my sorrowful past.
As I look back on yesteryear
With a sense of nostalgia, I remember the past.
A picture's coming clear
The memories are becoming more vivid and clear.
I see my father work the fields
My father worked hard in the fields to provide for us.
My mother holds me near
My mother was always there for me, holding me close.
I travelled far but now I'm here
After journeying far and wide, I have arrived here.
To sing for you my tears
I am here to share my sadness through my music.
The yellow moon shines in my eyes
The moonlight illuminates my eyes as I cry.
And watches while I cry
As I cry, the moon witnesses my pain.
Oh, Oh EL-SHADAY
I call upon the name of El Shaddai, the Almighty.
Tell me who am I
I ask El Shaddai to reveal my true identity.
Many years and tears ago
A long time ago, there was much sadness and pain.
My people were scattered
My people were forced to leave their homes and were spread out.
Taking with them broken souls
As they left, their spirits were shattered.
From homes, where time once mattered
Their homes, once full of life, became empty and desolate.
My lovely Land, my lonely Land
My land is beautiful, but it is also lonely.
Alone two thousand years
For two thousand years, my people have been without a homeland.
And now returned our Holy Land
Finally, we have been able to return to our holy land.
But fields are filled with tears
Despite our return, there is still much sadness and sorrow in our land.
YAH RUHI YAH YUMA
My spirit and being cry out to you.
RAWINI FAIN BAYTIK
Please lead me back to my home.
ANA MADLUMA YAH YUMA
I am lost, oh my people.
B'YEAD B'YEAD MINIK
But I am still holding on to you, my people.
YAH YUMA
Oh my people.
Contributed by Nolan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RockonHolland
Lyrics, from the inlay of the album:
SHADAY AMOR NO DAAY...
AS I LOOK BACK ON YESTERYEAR
A PICTURE'S COMING CLEAR
I SEE MY FATHER WORK THE FIELDS
MY MOTHER HOLDS ME NEAR
I TRAVELLED FAR BUT NOW I'M HERE
TO SING FOR YOU MY TEARS
THE YELLOW MOON SHINES IN MY EYES
AND WATCHES WHILE I CRY
OH… OH… EL SHADAY
OH… OH… EL SHADAY
TELL ME WHO AM I
TELL ME WHO AM I
OH… EL SHADAY
MANY YEARS AND TEARS AGO
MY PEOPLE WERE SCATTERED
TAKING WITH THEM BROKEN SOULS
FROM HOMES, WHERE TIME ONCE MATTERED
MY LOVELY LAND MY LONELY LAND
ALONE TWO THOUSAND YEARS
AND NOW RETURNED OUR HOLY LAND
BUT FIELDS ARE FILLED WITH TEARS
YA ROOHI YA YOOMA
RAWINI FAIN BAITEAK
ANA MADLOOMA YA YOOMA
BIEAD BIEAD MINIK
YA YOOMA…
Nanka Mateva
Копринена песен
Песента засиява,
Облича се бавно
Във нежна коприна
Завива свиоте ноти
Като копринени ларви
Със финните нишки
Във топло гнездо..
Певицата запява
От дъхът и, както
Врялата вода,
Ларвите умъртвява
Развиват, навиват
Предът...
Петолния,
Копринени тонове,
Акорди звънят
Инструменти,
Като станове я тъчът
А гласът на певицата
Като сувалка минава
През душите ни
Заедно всички трептим
Чудесни перелини....
Летят, и се сливат
Със сини морета,
Пъстри есенни небета
Бели поеми, лебеди
Полета...пролетни
Изсъхнали от лятото
Цветя...
Сбогом, певице любима
Не е вярно, че те няма,
Сега ти,
Във звездна коприна
Обличаш...песента
"След сън у молитва"
Нанка Матева
Miriam NH
May you rest in peace Ofra, I always have tears in my eye when I hear your spiritual songs. God bless your soul in heaven.
aziz OURIAGHLI haddad
I feel the same like you i love her so much
jasmaart
Her voice was from another universe ❤
Violetta Onwuegbu
really, you tell the true. This voice is fro an other Universe. Simple super
Violetta Onwuegbu
When I hear her, the tears coming to my exes and I can't síy simple what I feel- This woman was a fantastic and rest in peace, but let she come to my dreams in every day with her very great voice. Let me not sleep. Very beautyfol
Stefano Mangiacapra
Meravigliosa canzone. Parole e voce che entrano nel cuore e nell'anima. Anche se sei in un posto lontano sei sempre con noi. Riposa in pace. ❤
Macsim
L'hanno ammazzata povera
Jancelia Vitorino
@Macsim quem gostaria de saber da história desse cantor
RockonHolland
Lyrics, from the inlay of the album:
SHADAY AMOR NO DAAY...
AS I LOOK BACK ON YESTERYEAR
A PICTURE'S COMING CLEAR
I SEE MY FATHER WORK THE FIELDS
MY MOTHER HOLDS ME NEAR
I TRAVELLED FAR BUT NOW I'M HERE
TO SING FOR YOU MY TEARS
THE YELLOW MOON SHINES IN MY EYES
AND WATCHES WHILE I CRY
OH… OH… EL SHADAY
OH… OH… EL SHADAY
TELL ME WHO AM I
TELL ME WHO AM I
OH… EL SHADAY
MANY YEARS AND TEARS AGO
MY PEOPLE WERE SCATTERED
TAKING WITH THEM BROKEN SOULS
FROM HOMES, WHERE TIME ONCE MATTERED
MY LOVELY LAND MY LONELY LAND
ALONE TWO THOUSAND YEARS
AND NOW RETURNED OUR HOLY LAND
BUT FIELDS ARE FILLED WITH TEARS
YA ROOHI YA YOOMA
RAWINI FAIN BAITEAK
ANA MADLOOMA YA YOOMA
BIEAD BIEAD MINIK
YA YOOMA…
72Yonatan
Thank you for the lyrics - Holland