Yoni Rechter
Yoni Rechter | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Genres | Rock, Jazz, Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, composer, pianist, arranger |
| Years active | 1972—present |
| Labels | Hed Arzi Music, NMC Music, Helicon Records |
Yoni Rechter (Hebrew: יוני רכטר; born November 18, 1951) is an Israeli musician, composer, pianist, arranger and singer.
Biography
Yonatan (Yoni) Rechter was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. He was the son of Israeli architect Ya'akov Rechter and stepson of Israeli actress Hanna Meron. He attended Tichon Hadash high school. At sixteen, he composed the music for the hit song "Tears of Angels" (דמעות של מלאכים, "Dma'ot Shel Mal'achim"), written by his high school classmate Dan Minster.[1]
Rechter served in the Israeli Artillery Corps. In 1972, after his release from the army he joined the Israeli band Kaveret, collaborating with Gidi Gov, Danny Sanderson, Alon Ole'archick and others. He stayed with the group until it disbanded in 1976.
Rechter is married to Dafna, a former art teacher, with whom he has two sons.[2]
Music career
Apart from playing the keyboard in Kaveret, he formed the progressive rock duo "14 Octaves" with Avner Kenner and arranged and wrote songs for leading Israeli singers, among them Arik Einstein. One of the songs he composed for Einstein was "Your Forehead is Ornamented" (עטור מצחך in Hebrew, "Atur Mitz'chech".) Its first version was arranged by Rechter, and was sung by Arik Einstein with Korin Allal and Yehudit Ravitz. He later produced albums for Gidi Gov, Esther Ofarim, Yossi Banai and Yehudit Ravitz. One of his performances with Ravitz, which was titled "Once And Forever" (באופן קבוע וחד פעמי, "Be'Ofen Kavu'ah Ve'Chad Pe'ami"), was also released as an album.
In 1978, Rechter collaborated on "The Sixteenth Sheep" (הכבש השישה-עשר, "Ha'Keves Ha'Shishah Asar"), an album of poem by Yonatan Geffen set to music. Rechter's debut album "Intending" (התכוונות, "Hitkavnut") came out in 1979. It included quiet ballads, some based on the lyrics of Israeli songwriter Eli Mohar.
In 1981, Rechter participated with other musicians such as Matti Caspi and Yitzhak Klepter in the instrumental album "Lines" (קווים in Hebrew, "Kavim"). In 1982, he produced another one of Gidi Gov's albums, entitled "40:06", and composed all of its melodies. In 1984, he produced Israeli singer Nurit Galron's album "One Soft Touch" (נגיעה אחת רכה "Negi'aa Achat Rakah").
In 1986, he took part in shows alongside Israeli comedians and performers Gidi Gov, Moni Moshonov and Shlomo Baraba in the comedy show "A One-Time Evening" (ערב חד-פעמי "Erev Chad Pe'ami"), and in the Gulf War in 1991 they did a follow-up show, "A Conventional One-Time Evening" (ערב חד פעמי קונבנציונאלי).
Rechter continued working in the eighties and nineties with Arik Einstein. In the 1988 album "From the Songs of Avraham Chalfi (משירי אברהם חלפי ) he composed and arranged the music to accompany the lyrics of Israeli poet Avraham Chalfi. In the album "I Used To Be a Child" (ייתי פעם ילד , "Hayiti Pa'am Yeled") he composed and arranged all songs, some of which became very popular in Israel. In the album "The Lion, The Dove and a Blue Hen" (האריה, היונה ותרנגולת כחולה , "Ha'Arie, Ha'Yonah Ve'Tarnegolet Kchulah") Rechter composed and arranged more children's songs.
In 1991, the Israel Festival and the Israeli Broadcasting Authority produced an evening of Rechter songs titled "The Main Thing is The Romance" (העיקר זה הרומנטיקה "Ha'Ikar Ze Ha'Romantika"), which aired on Israeli television and was released as an album. Israeli singers Gidi Gov, Mazi Cohen, Chaim Tzinovich and Yehudit Ravits performed.
In 1995, Rechter and Eli Mohar released an album titled "Thoughts and Options" (מחשבות ואפשרויות, "Machshavot Ve'Efsharuiot"), which was not as big a success as his previous albums.
In 2002, Rechter released a solo album, titled "Another Story" (עוד סיפור). The album, which was divided into three sections, consisted of mostly intimate songs. The album was well-received by music critics, but was not a commercial success. Rechter also took part in composing and arranging music for many theatre plays and shows.
In 2005, Rechter released a best of double CD entitled "Each time I play", filled with his own recordings, as well as pieces with many other singers.
In addition to his artistic career, Rechter contributed for two and a half decades[3] as a reservist for the Israel Defence Forces. There Rechter (together with other artists) adjudged auditions for the IDF's musical troupes. This enabled him to take an active role in decisions and in discovering the next generation of young talent to carry Israel's musical heritage. Among the winners of those auditions are some of Israel's most outstanding composers / songwriters, such as Idan Reichel,[4] Lior Navok (recipient of DMA from New England Conservatory), Aron Razel, and his brother Yonatan Razel.[5]
Awards
In 2008, Rechter won the EMET Prize, awarded for extraordinary achievement in art, science and culture.[2]
Albums
- The Sixteenth Sheep (הכבש השישה-עשר, Ha'Keves Ha'Shisha-Asar)
- Intending (התכוונות, Hitkavnut)
- Love Has Many Faces (האהבה, פנים רבות לה Ha'Ahava, Panim Rabot La) With Arik Einstein
- Once And Forever (באופן קבוע וחד פעמי, Be'Ofen Kavuah Ve'Chad Pe'ami) With Yehudith Ravitz
- At Eye Level (בגובה העיניים, Be'Govah Ha'Einayim) With Eli Mohar
- Romance Is What Matters (העיקר זה הרומנטיקה, Ha'Ikar Ze Ha'Romantica)
- Lines (קווים, Kavim)
- Thoughts and Options (מחשבות ואפשרויות, Machshavot Ve'Efsharuiot) With Eli Mohar
- Another Story (עוד סיפור, Od Sipur)
- Right Now (ממש עכשיו, Mamash Achshav) A live recording
- The Lion, The Dove and a Blue Hen (האריה, היונה ותרנגולת כחולה, Ha'Arie, Ha'Yonah Ve'Tarnegolet Kchulah)
- 14 Octavas With Avner Kenner
- From The Songs of Avraham Chalfi (משירי אברהם חלפי, Mi'Shirei Avraham Chalfi)
- I Used to be a Child (הייתי פעם ילד, Hayiti Pa'am Yeled) With Arik Einstein
- A Legend in the Sands (אגדה בחולות, Agada Ba'Cholot)