Esther Ofarim facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Esther Ofarim
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Ofarim in 1966
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
אסתר עופרים
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| Birth name | Esther Zaied |
| Also known as | Esther Reichstadt |
| Born | June 13, 1941 Safed, Mandatory Palestine |
| Genres | Folk, pop, Israeli |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1959–present |
| Labels | Hed Arzi, Israphon, Philips, EMI, Mercury |
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Esther Zaied, known as Esther Ofarim (born June 13, 1941), is a famous singer from Israel. She became well-known for her beautiful voice. In 1963, she represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest. She sang the song "T'en va pas" and finished in second place.
Esther married Abi Ofarim in 1958. They formed a popular folk duo called Esther & Abi Ofarim in the 1960s. After they divorced, Esther started a very successful solo singing career.
Contents
Life and Career
Early Life and Music 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. She performed many Hebrew and international folk songs.
In 1958, Esther met Abi Ofarim. He was a guitarist and dancer. She was a student at his dance studio in Haifa. Esther and Abi later got married. She also served in the Israeli Army for a few months.
Esther had a small part in the movie Exodus in 1960. She also acted in a play called The Legend of Three and Four. In 1961, she won first place at Israel's first pop song festival in Tel Aviv. She sang "Saëni Imchá Bemachol" and "Naamah".
In 1962, Esther released her first solo album. She was even invited to sing with the famous Frank Sinatra in Israel. She also came in second place at the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland.
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Eurovision Song Contest 1963
Esther and Abi moved to Geneva, Switzerland. There, Esther took part in the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest. She sang for Switzerland with the song "T'en va pas".
The competition was very close and a bit controversial. Esther's song finished in second place. The Danish duo Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann won with their song "Dansevise".
The song "T'en va pas" was released as a single. It became popular in Germany, reaching number 39 on the music charts. In 1963, Esther also starred in a German film called Es war mir ein Vergnügen.
Esther & Abi Ofarim Duo
Esther and Abi became very successful in Europe in 1963 and 1964. In 1964, Esther went on a tour of the United States. She performed with the Smothers Brothers. People were very impressed by her singing and stage presence.
By 1965, Esther was famous across Europe. She performed in big concert halls and theaters. She also appeared in German films and had her own TV shows. These shows were on channels like BBC and Eurovision.
In 1966, Esther and Abi had their first big hit song, "Noch einen Tanz". An English version, "One More Dance", was also a hit in the UK. Their biggest success in Germany was "Morning of My Life" in 1967. This song was written by the Bee Gees. In 1968, their song "Cinderella Rockefella" topped the music charts in many countries, including the UK. They performed live concerts in New York City and London. They also toured all over Europe. The duo separated in 1969.
Solo Career After the Duo
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. On this album, she sang 20 children's songs from eight countries in six different languages. After her divorce from Abi, she continued to perform and released many more albums.
On February 25, 1970, she had her own TV special on BBC1. It was called The Young Generation Meet Esther Ofarim. Later that year, she sang "Long About Now" on Scott Walker's album 'Til the Band Comes In.
In 1982, she released the album Complicated Ladies. She worked with other artists like Eberhard Schoener on this album.
In 1984, Esther acted in a play called Ghetto in Berlin. She sang songs like "Frühling" and "Unter deinen weissen Sternen" in the play. 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. Their divorce was finalized in Germany in November 1970.
Esther later married Philipp von Sell. He was 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. He studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Awards and Recognition
In 1965, Esther won an Edison Award in Holland. This award is a big honor in music. One year later, she was voted Germany's best female singer.
See also
In Spanish: Esther Ofarim para niños
- Music of Israel
- Culture of Israel
