Mizrahi
tagStarted 1950sPeak 1980s–2010sLast big hit still active
Mizrahi combines Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and Hebrew popular-song elements into an Israeli Mediterranean sound marked by melismatic vocals, synth-string sheen, danceable drum patterns, and emotionally heightened melodies. It is at once intimate and extroverted—tearful in phrasing, celebratory in beat.
History
It grew out of the musical practices of Jewish communities from the Middle East and North Africa and their descendants in Israel, where local and regional repertoires mixed with cassette culture, wedding performance, and eventually mainstream pop production; once marginalized, the style moved toward the center through stars such as Zohar Argov, Zehava Ben, Eyal Golan, Sarit Hadad, Ofra Haza, and later Omer Adam.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Israeli popular-music histories
- Jewish music studies
- artist discographies