Shoshana Damari ( he, שושנה דמארי; March 31, 1923 – February 14, 2006) was a Yemeni-
Israeli
Israeli may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel
* Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel
* Modern Hebrew, a language
* ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008
* Guni Israeli ...
singer known as the "Queen of Hebrew Music."
Biography
![Shoshana Damari1961](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Shoshana_Damari1961.jpg)
Shoshana Damari was born in
Dhamar, Yemen
Dhamar ( ar, ذَمَار, Ḏamār; Old South Arabian: 𐩹𐩣𐩧 ''Ḏmr'') is a city in south-western Yemen. It is located at , at an elevation of around .
Overview
Dhamar is situated to the south of Sana'a, north of Ibb, and west of ...
. Her family
immigrated to
Mandate Palestine
Mandatory Palestine ( ar, فلسطين الانتدابية '; he, פָּלֶשְׂתִּינָה (א״י) ', where "E.Y." indicates ''’Eretz Yiśrā’ēl'', the Land of Israel) was a geopolitical entity established between 1920 and 1948 i ...
in 1924 and settled in
Rishon LeZion
Rishon LeZion ( he, רִאשׁוֹן לְצִיּוֹן , ''lit.'' First to Zion, Arabic: راشون لتسيون) is a city in Israel, located along the central Israeli coastal plain south of Tel Aviv. It is part of the Gush Dan metropolitan ar ...
.
[Encyclopedia of Jewish Women: Shoshana Damari](_blank)
/ref>
From a young age Damari played drums and sang accompaniment for her mother, who performed at family celebrations and gatherings of the Yemenite community in Israel. At age 14, her first songs were broadcast on the radio. She studied singing and acting at the Shulamit Studio in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
, where she met Shlomo Bosmi, the studio manager who became her personal manager. They wed in 1939 and had a daughter, Nava.
Damari died in Tel Aviv after a brief bout of pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
. She died whilst ''Kalaniyot'' was sung by her family and friends who had been sitting in vigil during her final few days. She was buried in the Trumpeldor Cemetery
Trumpeldor Cemetery ( he, בית הקברות טרומפלדור), often referred to as the "Old Cemetery," is a historic cemetery on Trumpeldor Street in Tel Aviv, Israel. The cemetery covers 10.6 acres, and contains approximately 5,000 graves. ...
in Tel Aviv.
Music career
In 1945, Damari joined Li-La-Lo, a revue theater established by impresario Moshe Wallin. The group performed light entertainment and satire as a counterweight to the serious theater of the time.
Damari became known for her distinctive husky voice and Yemenite pronunciation.
Her first record was released in 1948 and her best-known song ''Kalaniyot ''Kalaniyot'' (English: "anemones") is an Israeli song that became popular in the days leading up to the establishment of the State of Israel and has remained an Israeli classic.
The lyrics, by Nathan Alterman, describe a little girl who dreams she ...
'' (Anemones), by Moshe Wilensky, dates from that period. She was especially popular among Israeli soldiers, for whom she frequently performed. After the independence of Israel and throughout the late 1970s, Damari performed all over the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, France, England, South Africa, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Canada, Scandinavia and Japan.
She was warmly received by the audience at national and international festivals in Israel and abroad, serving as Israel's unofficial cultural ambassador and earning the title of “First lady of Israeli song.”[Shoshana Damari](_blank)
Jewish Women's Archive
In the mid-1980s, Damari teamed up with Boaz Sharabi
Boaz Sharabi ( he, בעז שרעבי; born 28 May 1947) is an Israeli singer-songwriter, composer and lyricist, known for Israeli classics as ''Latet'', ''Halevai'', ''At Li Laila'', ''Pamela'', ''Lashir Itach'', ''Kol Od'', ''Mi Yada Shekach Yi ...
for a duet that brought her back into the limelight.
In 2005, she recorded two tracks for the ''Mimaamakim'' album by Idan Raichel's Project and participated in some of their live performances. The two had been slated to begin another joint project.
Awards and recognition
In 1988, Damari was awarded the Israel Prize
The Israel Prize ( he, פרס ישראל; ''pras israél'') is an award bestowed by the State of Israel, and regarded as the state's highest cultural honor.
History
The Israel Prize is awarded annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state cer ...
for Hebrew song. and an ACUM lifetime achievement award in 1995.
On March 31, 2013, Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
celebrated her 90th birthday with a Google Doodle
A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
.
Film career
*'' Hill 24 Doesn't Answer''
*''Be'Ein Moledet''
*''Hatikvah''
See also
*List of Israel Prize recipients
This is a complete list of recipients of the Israel Prize from the inception of the Prize in 1953 through to 2022.
List
For each year, the recipients are, in most instances, listed in the order in which they appear on the official Israel Prize ...
*Music of Israel
The music of Israel is a combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical culture. For almost 150 years, musicians have sought original stylistic elements ...
References
External links
''Jerusalem Post'' "Renowned singer and cultural icon Shoshana Damari dies" February 14, 2006
*
Recordings of Shoshana Damari
on The House of Hebrew Songs, National Library of Israel
The National Library of Israel (NLI; he, הספרייה הלאומית, translit=HaSifria HaLeumit; ar, المكتبة الوطنية في إسرائيل), formerly Jewish National and University Library (JNUL; he, בית הספרים הלא ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Damari, Shoshana
1923 births
2006 deaths
Yemeni emigrants to Mandatory Palestine
Jews in Mandatory Palestine
Israel Prize in Hebrew song recipients
Israel Prize women recipients
Israeli film actresses
Israeli stage actresses
20th-century Israeli women singers
Jewish Israeli musicians
Jewish Israeli actresses
Deaths from pneumonia in Israel
Burials at Trumpeldor Cemetery
Yemeni singers