Ishay Ribo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ishay Ribo
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
ישי ריבו
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| Born | February 3, 1989 Marseille, France |
| Genres | Contemporary Jewish religious music, piyyut, nigun, pizmonim, folk, rock |
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| Years active | 2007–present |
| Associated acts | Omer Adam, Amir Benayoun, Shlomo Artzi, Idan Raichel, Gad Elbaz, Avraham Fried, Motty Steinmetz |
Ishay Ribo (Hebrew: ישי ריבו, born February 3, 1989) is a popular Israeli singer and songwriter. He is an Orthodox Jew from a Sephardic background. Ishay Ribo is well-known in Israel among many different groups, including religious and non-religious Jewish people. He has released several successful albums, with some becoming gold or platinum records.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Ishay Ribo was born in Marseille, France, on February 3, 1989. His parents were also from France, having moved there from Morocco and Algeria. When Ishay was eight and a half years old, his family moved to Israel. This move is called aliyah. In Israel, his family became more religious.
He first lived in Kfar Adumim and went to a religious school. Later, he studied in yeshivot (religious schools) in Jerusalem. After he got married, he continued his religious studies.
Ishay started working on his first music album before joining the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). He served in the army for two years and even sang in the IDF Rabbinical Choir.
Ishay Ribo's Music Career
Ishay Ribo began singing when he was eight years old. By age thirteen, he was already writing and recording his own songs at home. When he was seventeen, he learned to play the guitar, after writing about 100 songs! He didn't have any formal music lessons. Ishay and his friends even formed a band called "Tachlis," which mixed heavy metal rock with religious lyrics.
In 2012, Ishay Ribo became the first religious singer to join the Idan Raichel Project. He performed a song called "Ohr Kazeh" ("A Light Like This") on one of Idan Raichel's albums. He also sang "Tochu Ratzuf Ahavah" at one of Raichel's concerts.
Ishay has also performed on other albums. In 2019, he sang "Nitzacht Iti HaKol" ("You Won Everything With Me") with Amir Benayoun at a concert in Jerusalem. The music video for this song was watched over a million times in its first week! He also performed with Akiva Turgeman in Caesarea.
On September 3, 2023, Ishay Ribo made history. He was the first Israeli artist to headline a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The concert was completely sold out! Other Israeli artists like Akiva and Amir Dadon joined him, along with American Hassidic artist Avraham Fried. Ishay Ribo returned to Madison Square Garden in September 2024.
In November 2023, Ishay Ribo sang at the "March for Israel" rally in Washington, D.C. This event brought together nearly 300,000 people, making it the largest pro-Israel gathering ever.
Solo Albums and Hit Songs
The songs on the album [Tocho Ratzuf Ahavah], all of them by Ribo, are endlessly mature and sensitive; the melodies sometimes sound like a familiar synagogue tune, sometimes like rock classics
In 2014, Ishay Ribo released his first album, Tocho Ratzuf Ahavah ("He Is Filled With Continuous Love"). One song from this album, "Kol Dodi" ("The Voice of My Beloved"), won second place at the 2013 Israel Song Festival. The album was so popular that it was certified gold.
His second album, Pachad Gevahim ("Fear of Heights"), came out in 2016 and also went gold. In 2018, he released Shetach Afor ("Gray Area"), which was certified platinum, meaning it sold even more copies! A song from this album, "Lashuv HaBaita" ("Coming Home"), became his biggest hit. Its music video has been viewed over 49 million times on YouTube.
In 2018, he sang "Nafshi" ("My Soul") as a duet with Hasidic singer Motty Steinmetz. Ishay sings his part in traditional Hebrew, while Motty sings with a Hasidic accent. Ishay Ribo released his album Elul 5779 in 2019. This album includes special religious songs and hymns.
In March 2024, he released a new song called Porchim L'shuvam. His full fifth album, Sof Chama Lavo, was released in September 2024.
I believe that good music can bring people together. When you write it in a certain way, it can touch people and it can open things up. This is the generation we're in now. There's a process of redemption in what I do, there's the ethereal and the material.
Ishay Ribo performs concerts all over Israel. He often sings with other famous artists like Shlomo Artzi and Omer Adam. His audiences often sing along with him, showing how much they love his music.
Songwriting for Others
Ishay Ribo also writes songs for other singers. He has written for artists like Gad Elbaz and Avraham Fried.
Ishay Ribo's Musical Style
Ishay Ribo's songs are all about spirituality, faith, and God. He decided to focus on these topics when he was 14. Even though he first wanted to sing only for religious audiences, his music has become popular with non-religious people too. Music critics say he successfully "bridges the divide" between religious and secular audiences because of his unique music and artistic expression.
My music has reached the broadest audience possible, from the most chasidic people who I would never have expected to listen to it, to complete atheists who write to me and say, "I don't believe in anything, but your songs awaken something in my soul".
Unlike some religious music that uses old verses, Ishay Ribo writes his own lyrics. He gets ideas from many religious sources, like ancient commentaries and synagogue sermons. He mostly sings in Hebrew. Ishay describes his music as "rock/folk." People often praise his "mature" voice and great stage presence.
Ishay Ribo says that singers Eviatar Banai and Amir Benayoun have influenced his music.
Awards and Achievements
Ishay Ribo has received many awards and honors:
- In 2012, he won an ACUM prize for encouraging creativity.
- For his first album, Tocho Ratzuf Ahavah, he was named Singer of the Year, Discovery of the Year, and Song of the Year by different radio stations and newspapers.
- In 2017, he performed at the torch-lighting ceremony for Israel's 69th Independence Day. This is a very important national event.
- In 2019, he won the Israel Minister of Education's Uri Orbach Prize for Jewish Culture in music.
- Also in 2019, he won first place for having the Most Views on YouTube by an Orthodox Jewish Artist for the second year in a row. His official YouTube channel had 224 million views and 212,000 subscribers!
Personal Life
Ishay Ribo is married to Yael, and they have five children. They live in Jerusalem.
Discography
Studio Albums
- 2014: Tocho Ratzuf Ahavah ("He Is Filled With Continuous Love")
- 2016: Pachad Gevahim ("Fear of Heights")
- 2017: "התשמע קולי - גלגלצ במחווה לאלבום "החלונות הגבוהים
- 2018: Shetach Afor ("Gray Area")
- 2019: Elul Taf Shin Ayin Tes ("Elul 5779")
- 2024: Sof Chama Lavo
See also
- Music of Israel
