Nostalgia Sunday – Mike Brant
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Music, Nostalgia Sunday, Pop Culture
It would be an understatement to say that the American influence in Israel is huge. TV shows, movies, music, fashion, fast-food and retail chains… let’s face it: all that’s missing is Target and WalMart. And Cosco. But back in olden times – the 1950s, 60s and 70s – Europe held far more sway over Israeli cultural tastes.
One Israeli pop singer who truly made it in terms of international success was Mike Brant. Who?, you ask, and I answer: Shame on you for not knowing about one of Israel’s most famous exports of all time! A sex-on-legs power balladeer, Brant achieved international fame in the early 70’s, mainly in France, which is why folks from the US never heard of him. But Quebecers did – take a look at this crowd of Canadians as they sit, transfixed, while their idol sings his biggest hit from 1970 “Laisse-moi t’aimer” (“Let me love you”).
Can you believe those pipes as he hits the high notes. Unbelievable. And he makes it looks so easy. No wonder that when French actress Sylvie Vartan caught Brant’s act in a Teheran night club (yes, that Teheran), she immediately invited him to come and meet French producer Jean Renard, who had made Johnny Halliday into a star. And if you don’t know who Johnny Halliday is, then again, shame on you and click here.
Brant’s string of hits included “Qui Saura”, a French version of “Que Sera” that José Feliciano had performed at the San Remo Music Festival. And if you don’t know what the San Remo Music Festival is, I have no words. How have you managed to evade these major cultural milestones till now? Just click here.
Play that song for any Israeli woman aged 45 and over, and she’ll begin singing and weeping at the same time. Why cry? Because Brant’s life ended tragically, rock star style, with a descent into drugs and a purported suicide in 1975 at the age of 28 when fell or jumped from a Paris hotel room window. 
Supposedly, his Haifa grave is a site for fan pilgrimages. I don’t know, I haven’t been. What is for certain is that he is greatly revered by Israelis of a certain age who recall the European cachet that Moshe “Mike Brant” Brand imparted to us. So close your eyes, lean back, clear your mind of all previous prejudices and repeat after me: “I love Europop… I love Europop,” and enjoy.
A long biography of Brant, written in pidgin English but with great photos, can be found here.
Nostalgia Sunday – Eurovision and A-ba-ni-bi’s lasting legacy
Filed under: General, Israeliness, Life, Music, Nostalgia Sunday, Pop Culture
The 53rd annual Eurovision song contest takes place this week! Oh, joy! And if you live under a rock, or in a country where they have better things to do, and don’t know about this annual Europe-wide musical extravaganza, here is a brief explanation.
This year, Israel will be represented by singers Noa and Mira Awad, and while we wish the duo well, their entry, a message song called “There must be a better way”, isn’t the sort of light fare that has put Israel up top in years gone by.
Israel won Eurovision for the first time in 1977, with the entry A-ba-ni-bi, sung by Izhar Cohen and Apha-beta. It was a great moment in Israeli pop culture history, when we proved to the world we could be a nation like any other, crafting light, catchy Europop ditties, wearing tight outfits and dancing to the disco beat. (When Israel won Eurovision again the following year, national euphoria hit heights not seen since the Six Day War).
Over the years, it transpires, A-ba-ni-bi has developed a following, particularly among those nations whose agenda includes proving to the world they could be a nation like any other, crafting light, catchy Europop ditties, wearing tight outfits and dancing to the disco beat. Here we present a variety of renditions, starting with a camp version in Thai:
Chinese Mandarin:
Iceland’s 2008 Eurovision Song Contest entrants Euroband:
Netherlands:
A trance version in Spanish:
And of course, the good old original:
Izhar Cohen is still around, still performing and even appeared in a commercial for the Israel Postal Service. For more versions of A-ba-ni-bi, check out NME and the EuroCovers blog. And check out the official Eurovision YouTube site for more videos, past and present.
Nostalgia Sunday – Dizengoff 99
Filed under: General, Israeliness, Movies, Nostalgia Sunday, Pop Culture
Thirty years ago, apparently, the film Dizengoff 99 hit Israeli movie theaters and apparently I was there. I distinctly remember going to see the movie but, beyond that, have very little recollection about what it was actually about. You would think this might indicate a forgettable film. But no. In fact, Dizengoff 99 has just been released on DVD, with additional material and interviews about what is being touted as an Israeli cult flick.
Hmmm… I do remember there was a menage a trois with Gali Atari, Anat Atzmon and my beloved Gidi Gov… and so does everyone else, I guess, because that’s what comes up when you Google it and seems to be what this alleged cult is all about. Well, you didn’t get many scenes like that in Israeli movies, back in those days, so it must have made an impression.
What is impressive is the cast and crew. Aside from Gov, who was making a transition from singer to singer-actor, and Atari, who subsequently made an about-face back to the safety of the recording studio, there is Atzmon, a legendary beauty and every Israeli man’s fantasy as the dream girl in Lemon Popsicle (a true Israeli cult film). Also worth noting: this was one of the first films produced by Arnon Milchan.
The director, Avi Nesher, has made some truly great Israeli films such as The Secrets, Turn Left at the End of the World, and another true Israeli cult film – Ha-Lahaka, (also: Sing Your Heart Out), about the life and times of an IDF entertainment troupe. Dizengoff 99 may not be his finest work, but it does serve to document Tel Aviv nightlife in the late 70s and the soundtrack features the era’s great: Yehudit Ravitz, Zvika Pick, Arik Sinai, David Broza, Danny Litani, Dori Ben-Zeev, Yitzhak Klepter, Ricki Gal, Yigal Bashan and of course, Gali Atari, fresh from her 1979 Eurovision “Hallelujah” win.
By the way, there really is a Dizengoff 99 — today it houses the Bauhaus Center.
Dynamic duo Ahinoam Nini and Mira Awad
Filed under: General, Israeliness, Music, Pop Culture, coexistence
Mira Awad
[/caption]Even as we’re fighting for the lives of residents of the South, we Israelis are also keeping a close eye on how we’re being perceived by the rest of the world. I don’t mean the anti-Israel protests that have plagued European and Asian cities the last two weeks, but where it really counts – the entertainment world.
Perhaps that’s why the Israel Broadcasting Authority committee which choses Israel’s performer to represent the country at the annual pop schlock fest Eurovision Song Contest, has selected a Yemenite Jew and a Christian Arab – Ahinoam Nini and Mira Awad - to perform at the May 16th show in Moscow.
Although purported to have no political influences, the much derided song contest has always blown hot and cold with Israel – depending on whether we were the good little children of the Oslo era or the big bad guys who invaded Lebanon, the West Bank, Gaza, take your pick…
So what better antidote to the anti-Israel blues than to package a beautiful liberal singer with a beyond Israel’s borders reputation like Nini (known in the rest of the world as Noa) and a well regarded Israeli Arab singer and actress like Awad.
At least the two are highly regarded professionals, and a few notches above the Israel Idol caliber of our recent reps.
The two have collaborated previously on a Middle-Easternized version of the The Beatles’ “We Can Work it Out”. Whatever song they end up choosing, the coexistence message that Nini and Awad will likely offer is bound to captivate the spangle and glitter polyanna crowd at Eurovision and the millions of bored Europeans and Asians who gather around the continent to view and vote.
Count this bored boy in.
Teapacks retires…
Referencing the once flourishing music scene they once called Sderot the “Seattle” of Israel due to the influential bands coming out of the area. The most popular of these bands was Teapacks who went on to be one of the top selling bands in the country and even represented Israel at the Eurovision song competition. Now before I moved to Israel back in 1997 my taste in Israeli music… was…uh…misguided. I’ll save myself the embarrassment and hold off on the listening habits of a previous life. I have my army buddies to thank for getting me in line.
When I was enrolled in Ulpan (intensive Hebrew course) I listened to Teapack’s earlier albums endlessly. They were an amalgamation of ethnic music and rock with somewhat witty lyrics. I learned a tremendous amount of Hebrew transcribing their lyrics. Their live show was always better than their records and I had the opportunity to see them probably about ten times.
As is the case with bands that have integrity, their sound evolved. My music tastes evolved as well and I no longer connected to their more disco pop oriented sound (though their lyrics remained filled with humor and wit). They are widely known for their song “Push the Button” which they performed at Eurovision in 2007 which was all about the threat of Nuclear destruction. I didn’t get it and certainly couldn’t connect with lyrics such as “I wanna see the flowers bloom/Don’t wanna go kaput kaboom.”
After over 18 years as a band, ten albums and numerous hits Teapacks is calling it quits. And not a moment too soon.
Third place for Shiri
The buzz over Shiri Maimon’s live performance Thursday at the 2008 MTV European Awards was formidable indeed, and the attractive singer didn’t disappoint her Israeli fan base. She might have taken fourth place at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest, but when all of the votes were tallied, she beat that mark by earning third place at the MTV awards in the “Europe’s Favorite Act” category (Turkey’s Emre Aydin took home the statuette).
At this rate, Maimon should win second place in the 2011 Soul Train Awards, paving the way for a 2014 Grammy.
The entire studio version of “Now That You’re Gone,” Maimon’s latest hit single in English, and the song she performed on MTV Europe, can be heard here.
Perhaps the 2008 MTV European Awards weren’t quite ready for Maimon, as the scale of the proceedings seems to have been more global than local, according to YNet’s coverage:
Former Beatle Paul McCartney stole the show at the ceremony, as he was named Ultimate Legend. The other big winner was Britney Spears, who won Act of 2008 and Album of the Year. She did not attend the event.
McCartney was one of several stars on the night to pay tribute to Barack Obama following his victory in the US presidential election this week.
In fact, being a down-home local girl thrust into the glitzy world of international power is exactly what was on Maimon’s mind leading up to the performance. In an interview with Ma’ariv La’noar, the singer defended herself against accusations that she had turned into a spoiled superstar, claiming that the Israeli market is simply too small to be able to support the whims of a real diva. To back up her claims, Maimon cited rumors that Mariah Carey demands 6000 flowers decorate her every dressing room.
Some day, you too shall merit such treatment, Shiri.
Maimon on MTV Europe
MTV might be the ultimate trendsetter when it comes to the Eighties niche cable programming revolution in the US, but until recently, many countries were able to establish their own local music video channels that competed for ratings against MTV Europe and MTV Asia, to name two examples of regional versions of the channel.
Over the past few years, however, MTV has aggressively gone local-global, offering its brand name to licensees in countries around the world. MTV Israel might not be much more than a glorified, Viacom-approved YouTube so far, but plans to go on TV are in the works.
Now the trend is coming full circle, with the 2008 MTV European Awards on November 6 offering a “Europe’s Favorite Act” category, its 23 nominees made up of regional winners. If nothing else, it’s a clever way to get esoteric markets to tune in to the mega-broadcast. Representing Israel at Liverpool’s Echo Arena will be Shiri Maimon, no stranger to international pop competition, currently starring in a recurring role on Bad Girls, a soap opera on the local MTV-competing Music 24 channel.
So a few weeks after Liverpool pop finally came to Israel, Israeli pop is finally going to Liverpool.
Following a second-place win on the American Idol-emulating local TV show Kochav Nolad, Maimon took fourth place at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest. She also has released three hit albums on Helicon Records. Regardless, becoming the first-ever Israeli performer at the MTV European Awards feels special to her, as she told YNet:
“For me, it is amazing to represent Israel in Europe again,” said Maimon.
“This may be a cliché, but it is really a dream come true to appear on an MTV stage. I will try doing the best I can, just like I love,” she said.
The general public is invited to vote for a Shiri victory in Dublin by clicking here.
Nostalgia Sunday
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Music, Pop Culture
Probably it’s because “Mamma Mia!” starring Meryl Streep is coming to town but I can’t stop singing songs from the 1974 Eurovision contest. That’s the year ABBA won for “Waterloo” and changed the world’s musical landscape forever, providing a human face to Europop – and a very attractive one, too. Benny, Bjorn, Anni-Frid and Agnetha absolutely blew the crowd away with their glam-rock gear and flying-V guitars – not to mention tuneful vocals and a killer hook – so much so that some of the other amazing things that happened in that same competition have been forgotten.
For example, another singer who would later attain major pop star status in the US, Olivia Newton-John, represented the UK – what do you think of that?! Mouth and MacNeil, who’d already had a minor US chart hit with “How Do You Do?”, represented the Netherlands – who knew they were Dutch? The Italian entry, “Si“, was banned from broadcast in that country because of an upcoming referendum on divorce, and the Portuguese song was also a political hot potato – if you can believe it.
Plus, Kaveret, also known as Poogy, represented Israel.
That last one was so important to die-hard Kaveret fans such as my sisters and myself that our parents actually allowed us to skip out on the last part of the Passover seder to watch the competition. Unfortunately, their entry “I Gave Her My Life”, was lackluster both musically and visually.
Even I could tell that my beloved Gidi Gov in his knit wool vest was no match for the ABBA girls’ satin, silver and spangles, despite my severe romatic crush and undying loyalty (this still holds true so call me, Gidi!). Plus, they just stood in a line, singing and strumming, so the world never had a chance to find out neither what amazing musical technicians Yitzhak Klepter, Alon Oleartchick, Yoni Rechter, Danny Sanderson and Ephraim Shamir were, nor how exciting and funny was their onstage camraderie.
Only three years later, Israel would find the key to becoming a Eurovision hit-maker with “Abanibi” and “Hallelujah” (not to mention “Diva“) but those were still pre-formula, pre-Eurovision-as-Gay-funland days. And while Kaveret’s loss was pretty disappointing for the schoolyard set, it didn’t affect any band member adversely. They’ve all gone on to varying degrees of success (most in music, some in TV and drummer Meir Fenigstein founded the Israeli Film Festivals in New York and LA). Most importantly, Poogy’s place in Israeli pop culture history is assured, with taking 7th place in Eurovision just a footnote in their Wikipedia entry.
Eurovision Night
Tonight’s that annual fun night: Eurovision!!
Yahoo!
Get out the scratch pads & pencils and start scoring your favorite country/group while crossing fingers for Israeli contender Boaz Mauda who you can check here. This is the number he’ll be performing in Belgrade this eve…
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