Esther Ofarim Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Esther Ofarim
Ofarim in 1966
Background information
Native name	אסתר עופרים
Birth name	Esther Zaied
Also known as	Esther Reichstadt
Born	(1941-06-13) June 13, 1941 (age 84) Safed, Mandatory Palestine
Genres	Folk, pop, Israeli
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1959–present
Labels	Hed Arzi, Israphon, Philips, EMI, Mercury
Associated acts	Abi Ofarim Esther & Abi Ofarim

Esther Zaied, known by her married name Esther Ofarim (born June 13, 1941), is a famous singer from Israel. She became well-known after coming in second place at the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest. She represented Switzerland with her song "T'en va pas".

In the 1960s, Esther was part of a popular folk music duo called Esther & Abi Ofarim. She formed this group with her husband, Abi Ofarim, whom she married in 1958. After they divorced, Esther started a very successful solo career on her own.

Life and career
Personal life
Awards
Charted singles
Images for kids
See also

Life and career

Early life and beginnings

Esther Zaied was born in Safed, a city in what was then called Mandatory Palestine. Her family was Syrian Jewish. She started singing when she was a child, performing Hebrew and international folk songs.

In 1958, Esther met Abi Ofarim, who was a guitarist and dancer. She was a student at his dance studio in Haifa. They later got married. Esther also served for a few months in the Israeli Army.

In 1960, a famous American director named Otto Preminger gave Esther a small part in his movie Exodus. That same year, she played a role in a play called The Legend of Three and Four at the Habima Theatre. In 1961, Esther won first place at Israel's first pop song festival in Tel Aviv. She sang two songs, "Saëni Imchá Bemachol" and "Naamah."

In 1962, Esther released her first solo album, which was self-titled. She was also invited to perform with the legendary singer Frank Sinatra when he visited Israel. Later, a radio station called Kol Yisrael sent her to the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland, where she came in second place.

Esther Ofarim in the Netherlands for Grand Gala du Disque performance (1963)

Eurovision 1963

Esther and Abi moved to Geneva, Switzerland. In 1963, Esther took part in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Switzerland. Her song was "T'en va pas."

The competition was very close and a bit controversial. She came in second place, just behind the Danish duo Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann. At first, it looked like Switzerland had won, but after a change in the scores from Norway, Denmark ended up winning.

The song "T'en va pas" was released as a single and became popular, reaching No. 39 in Germany. In 1963, Esther also starred in a German film called Es war mir ein Vergnügen.

Esther & Abi Ofarim

Esther & Abi Ofarim arriving at Schiphol in Amsterdam on September 9 (1966)

Esther and Abi had great success on the music charts across Europe in 1963 and 1964. In late 1964, Esther went on a tour of the United States with a comedy and music group called the Smothers Brothers. People were very impressed with her singing and stage presence.

By 1965, Esther was very well-known throughout Europe. She performed in major concert halls and theaters. She also starred in German films and had her own television shows on the BBC and Eurovision.

In 1966, Esther and Abi had their first big hit with a song called "Noch einen Tanz." An English version of this song, "One More Dance", became a hit in the UK two years later. Their biggest success in Germany was in 1967 with "Morning of My Life," which was written by the famous Bee Gees. In 1968, their song "Cinderella Rockefella" reached the top of the music charts in many countries, including the UK. They performed live concerts in New York City and London, and toured Europe. The duo separated in 1969.

Solo career

Esther Ofarim, Hamburg concert (2001)

Esther started recording music as a solo artist in the early 1960s. She often sang in many different languages. In 1967, she released an album called Esther im Kinderland, where she sang 20 children's songs from eight countries in six different languages. After her divorce from Abi, she continued to perform and released several more albums.

On February 25, 1970, she had her own special television show on BBC1 called The Young Generation Meet Esther Ofarim. Later that year, she sang a song called "Long About Now" on Scott Walker's album 'Til the Band Comes In.

In 1982, she released an album called Complicated Ladies with other artists. In 1984, she acted in a play called Ghetto in Berlin. In the play, she sang songs like "Frühling" and "Unter deinen weissen Sternen." Some of her songs were also used in the 2004 Israeli film, Walk on Water.

Personal life

Esther married Abi Ofarim on December 11, 1958, when she was 17 years old. They separated in 1969 and officially divorced in Germany in November 1970.

Later, Esther married Philipp von Sell, who worked as an assistant television director. They had a son named David von Sell, who was born in New York in 1983. Esther and Philipp divorced when David was nine years old. David is now a musician and studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Awards

In 1965, Esther won an Edison Award at the Grand Gala du Disque in Holland, which is a major music award. One year later, she was voted Germany's best female singer.