Rita (Israeli singer)
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Rita Yahan-Farouz (Hebrew: ריטה יהאן-פרוז, stage name Rita, b. March 24, 1962) is an Israeli pop singer and actress.
Early life
Rita Yahan-Farouz was born in Tehran, Iran. Her family emigrated to Israel in 1970.
Musical and acting career
1980s
Rita began her career in 1980 as part of a musical troupe in the Israeli Army. In 1982, she attended the "Beit Zvi" school of acting. Her first exposure to the general public in Israel was at the 1986 Pre-Eurovision Song Contest (known as the Kdam-Eurovision), which decided who would represent Israel in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. Rita did not win, but her song,"Shvil habricha", along with her provocative performance, garnered much interest. That same year, Rita starred in an adaptation of My Fair Lady and released her self-titled debut album, Rita, which went triple platinum, selling over 120,000 copies.
In 1988, Rita released her second album, Yemei Ha'Tom (Days of Innocence), which was produced by her husband, Rami Kleinstein, and which included a song by noted Israeli playwright Hanoch Levin. In 1988 and 1989 she was chosen as Singer of the Year by Israel's national radio station.[1]
1990s
In 1990, Rita finally got her chance to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest with her song Shara Barkhovot (Singing in the Streets), but only achieved 18th place. After a brief hiatus, Rita returned in 1994 with her third album, Ahava Gedola (Big Love), which was also successful and led to a three-year tour around the country. Tahanot Bazman (Stations in Time) was released in 1996, consisting mainly of previously unreleased material.
In 1998, Rita was invited to sing the Israeli national Anthem Hatikvah (The Hope) as part of Israel's jubilee celebration Paamonei ha'yovel (The Jubilee Bells). There was a minor uproar concerning the amount of money she would be paid, which seemed exorbitant to some, but she was finally convinced to perform following a call from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She reportedly donated her fee to charity.
In 1999, Rita released Tiftah Halon (Open a Window) which was also a great success, followed by Hamtzan (oxygen) in 2003 which was less successful. In 2004, Rita played the role of Roxie Hart in an adaptation of Chicago for the Beit Lessin Theater.[2]
2000s
In 2006, Rita put on a new show called One (in English) which ran for a month at the Israel Trade Fairs & Convention Center. Directed by Hanoch Rozen, it was a lavish affair including lasers, flamethrowers, 3-D images, smoke machines and forty dancers, acrobats, and actors. Over 100,000 tickets were sold.
After five years during which she didn't release any new albums, Rita released her 7th album, "Remazim" (Clues).
2010s
In 2010 she performed in a special concert at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem, in the presence of Italian prime minster Silvio Berlusconi, and Israeli president Shimon Peres. She sang her musical version to Bialik's poem "Hachanasini tachat Knafayg" and an aria in Italian.
Personal life
Rita was married to the popular singer, composer, and keyboardist Rami Kleinstein, with whom she has two daughters - Meshi and Noam. The couple performed together in 2001. On September 3, 2007, however, it was announced that Rita and Rami were separating.
Discography
| Year | Album | Translation | Israel Certificate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Rita | 4x Platinum | |
| 1987 | Breaking Those Walls | Gold | |
| 1988 | Yamey Ha-Tom | The Days of Innocence | 5x Gold |
| 1994 | Ahava Gdola | A Great Love | 4x Platinum |
| 1996 | Tahanot BaZman | Stages in Time | 2x Platinum |
| 1999 | Tiftah Halon | Open a Window | 2x Platinum |
| 2000 | Time for Peace | Gold | |
| 2001 | Rita & Rami On Stage | 5x Gold | |
| 2003 | Hamtsan | Oxygen | Gold |
| 2007 | One Live | Gold | |
| 2008 | Remazim | Clues | Platinum |
References
- Friedman, Motti. "Rita." The Department for Jewish Zionist Education web site, retrieved August 19, 2006.
- Griver, Simon. "The Ingathering of the Exiles." Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs web site, retrieved March 25, 2005.
- Hartog, Kelly. "Diva Sings Out About Her Tour, Fans". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, January 4, 2005. Retrieved March 25, 2005.
- Pri, Tal. "Behind the Curtains of 'Chicago'" (in Hebrew). nrg Maariv, retrieved March 25, 2005.
External links
- Official website
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