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Ofra Haza (Hebrew: עפרה חזה November 19, 1957 – February 23, 2000) was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist. 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. Inspired by a love of her Yemeni Jewish culture, the appeal of her musical art quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience, somehow bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries. As her career progressed, Haza was able to switch between traditional and more... MORE

Ofra Haza (Hebrew: עפרה חזה November 19, 1957 – February 23, 2000) was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist. 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. Inspired by a love of her Yemeni Jewish culture, the appeal of her musical art quickly spread to a wider Middle Eastern audience, somehow bridging the divide between Israel and the Arab countries. As her career progressed, Haza was able to switch between traditional and more commercial singing styles without jeopardizing her credibility. Her music fused elements of Eastern and Western instrumentation, orchestration and dance-beat. She became successful in Europe and the Americas; during her singing career, she earned many platinum and gold discs. Haza was born the youngest of nine children in the poor Tel Aviv neighborhood of Hatikvah. Her first home was at 39 Boaz Street. 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 LESS