"I think I'm a stranger. I'm a stranger everywhere"
Disappointment with Israel's treatment of refugees from Ukraine, reluctance from the behavior of Gil Ofarim, her ex-husband's son, and the feeling after 60 years abroad that she has no home. Exclusive interview with the legendary Esther Ofarim on the occasion of her performance with Yoni Rechter at the Holon Theater
Sagi Ben Nun
07/04/2022
Thursday, 07 April 2022, 16:38 Updated: 16:40
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"So sad and all depressing. But we must continue on our own."
Esther Ofarim (Photo: PR)
"Who will give a chicken
bird a small branch in
infinity
of mental wanderings what tortures"
Thus begins "The Wandering Song" (also known as "Who will give a chicken"), written 90 years ago by David Shimoni and known especially in the cover version of Esther Ofarim.
The words describing the chicken wanderings also referred to the wanderers of Ofar, who left Israel decades ago and lives in Germany.
These days, "The Wandering Song" can also call for the great crisis of Ukrainian refugees, caused by the Russian invasion of their country.
It fits in with the description of their tormented soul from the wanderings imposed on them, and they can identify with the line that seals it: "I have no nest to rest."
"Unfortunately, we can say that the theme of this song is eternal, and certainly relevant today," says Esther Ofarim to Walla!
Culture In a conversation from Hamburg, Germany, "When I talk to a good friend of mine about murders, the answer is: Cain also murdered Abel. It's an old story that never ends. Really what is happening today is so sad and all depressing. But we must continue on our own."
Part of the sadness also stems from the fact that there are countries that are not willing to bring these war refugees into their territory.
"Israel was very, very disappointed in me. Israel's response to Ukrainian President Zalansky was very lukewarm, I would say. But I understand that there may be logistical and security reasons."
More on Walla!
Shalom Hanoch: "Writing without a thought about the melody frees me more"
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Almost 60 years outside of Israel.
Esther Ofarim (Photo: GettyImages)
After decades overseas, to what extent is there still a little bird inside you that is tormented by the fact that it has no nest?
"You ask me a pretty painful question. I always think about my life, my character and my story. This song is called 'The Wandering Song', and I'm been out for almost 60 years. But I did not actually leave Israel, as people sometimes gossip about me, I just I went to represent Israel. Israel sent me on days when we did not know these things. It happened in Poland, from there I came to Geneva, from there to New York, then to London, and so it went on and on, 'The Wandering Song.' "Wandering remains as part of my soul. I do sit in a very beautiful apartment by the lake of Hamburg. A wonderful area. But I think I am a stranger. I am a stranger everywhere. You see, I wander everywhere."
Israel has recently experienced a wave of terrorist attacks.
Did you follow from your place of residence in Germany?
How did you feel?
"Of course, I know, I read Haaretz in English and watch the BBC. The wave of terrorist attacks is definitely worrying. I wonder if it has to do with the atmosphere outside, in the world, an atmosphere of tension, hatred and revenge. There is always talk of revenge, of one taking revenge "In the second, and it's endless. This atmosphere with the war in Ukraine, and all the pictures you see. I always thought it was not good to produce films with murder and violence because it arouses in people these animal instincts. It's a fact. And it suits these days of Ukraine and Putin."
"I did not want to unite even in thought."
Esther and Avi Ofarim (Photo: GettyImages)
The mythological singer and wandering bird Esther Ofarim lands for another visit to Israel, and arrives especially at the "Days of Singing at the Holon Theater" festival to be held at Pesach, April 18-20, and returns two years after the last time in full format because of the corona. Holon, led by Guy Telem and under the artistic direction of Naomi Atias, will dedicate its performances to the great divas. Rechter and Ofarim for the first time, he has served many times as the musical director and much to collaborate with her in her performances in Europe. In the special show for the festival they will perform songs from both of their rich repertoires. "Our professional relationship lasts 45 years because we both love each other.
We meet whenever we have something to do together.
And I think he likes it. "
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Esther Ofarim's international breakthrough.
This happened in 1962, when the Voice of Israel decided to send her to a festival in Sopot, Poland with the wonderful song "Autumn" (which opens with the words "The leaves are already falling in the boulevards and gardens"), written by Samson Halafi and composed by Moshe Wilensky.
She qualified for second place by only ten points from first place, and the song became a huge hit.
What a huge song it is, "Autumn."
He breaks me down every time.
(Laughs) "I do not remember him unfortunately."
In this song there is an ambivalence that also exists in you, its performer: on the one hand, there is something very Israeli in its character.
On the other hand, it deals with a season that is almost never in the country, "Autumn".
Esther Ofarim is also perceived as a very Israeli singer, even though you are not in Israel.
"It's true, there is no autumn in Israel. Look, the people who wrote these old songs are actually European. And it's very important in Europe, autumn and the change of seasons in general. They live it very well. The song was composed by Wilensky, who was famous in the world but not here long ago, Think about it a lot. Since I've been here so long, autumn is one of my favorite seasons. Autumn is wonderful. Your statement that I'm like the autumn that is not in Israel is beautiful but it's also sad. But now I come to Israel in the spring. Some people prefer "Spring. And spring is also wonderful in Hamburg."
More on Walla!
"Music is our weapon": an interview with Ukraine's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest
To the full article
A year after the world break in the festival in Poland, Ofarim was sent to represent Switzerland at the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest held in London, sang in French "T'en Va Pas" and almost won.
The song could have reached number one had it not been for Norway changing its vote in favor of Denmark's song due to a mistake in reading the winning songs and re-reading them.
Ofarim finished in second place.
However, she said in interviews that she does not like the Eurovision Song Contest.
"After representing Israel in Poland, I came to Geneva. To do something, every day I went to the Swiss radio station and recorded songs there. The station sent me to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest. In fact I came in first place but in the end I was 22. I was so young and I did not know the world yet, but I knew I did not like it. "
Do you regret participating in the Eurovision Song Contest?
And / or about something else?
"I do not regret the Eurovision. Sometimes I do things I have to do, like brush my shoes. I know the Eurovision is part of my story but it does not interest me. What do I regret? I do not remember."
"What do I regret? I do not remember."
Esther Ofarim (Photo: GettyImages)
What is the dose of anti-Semitism in Germany, where you lived, during this period?
"Look, anti-Semitism will probably last until the end of time. There are barely 15 million Jews in the world. This is also the amount of residents in a city as big as Karachi. Now they talk about Zalansky being a Jew. And it has not stopped and ended. As for anti-Semitism in Germany, I do not know it. "I may have the right to be far from everything. I have never seen or heard of anti-Semitism in Germany."
Last weekend, it was decided in Germany to prosecute singer Gil Ofarim, the son of her ex-husband Avi Ofarim, in a defamation lawsuit.
This is after last October Gil accused hotel workers in Leipzig of anti-Semitism.
Gil posted a video on social media claiming that a receptionist at the hotel demanded that he remove the Star of David he was working on, before checking in.
The video went viral with millions of views and gained international acclaim, sparked allegations of anti-Semitism in Germany, and the singer again accused the Germans of anti-Semitism in post-incident interviews.
It was reported, however, that in an internal investigation of the hotel and a police investigation, no evidence was found to confirm his claim.
And the chain he showed in the video was not recorded on security cameras.
Following this it was reported a week ago that the prosecution in Leipzig will file an indictment against Gil on suspicion of spreading defamation.
In an interview with Walla!
Culture, which took place just before the announcement of the lawsuit against Gil, Esther Ofarim responds for the first time to an affair in which her ex-husband's son got involved: "I do not know this man, I do not know the hotel. I know what was written in the newspaper and Google. It would happen to me I would never tell it. But there are people who do ahhh ראה Look, he became famous. Here in Germany they are very sensitive to this issue of anti-Semitism. You and I do not know if it will happen again, like 80 years ago. I have not lived in Israel for 60 years, I have lived in Germany and in the past in other places, and I have never seen it here in person. ".
More on Walla!
And I just wanted to sing
To the full article
Over the years, you have often received offers to unite the Ofarim duo with your ex-husband, the late Avi Ofarim, and rejected them again and again. Or a lone show?
(Laughs). "I did not want to unite even in thought.
I do not want to answer such an insulting question.
The profession does not always determine, and there are things you can choose in a human, spiritual and mental way. "
The lead duo's song, "Cinderella Rockefeller", which they released when they were married, was a huge international hit, reached number one on the UK singles chart and stayed there for three weeks.
Ofarim mentions a less remembered fact about him.
"This song was released with my partner back then, but the truth is I first sang it in 66-67 with the band Smothers Brothers. I was in Los Angeles and they had the most famous TV show in the United States back then. They were two brothers, and with one of them, "Tommy, I sang the song. Then someone was pushed, did not want to say his name, and it became a lager, what to do."
Which of your hits are you particularly attached to and what do you think is the secret of their power?
"The song 'and maybe' is charming in its lyrics and story. 'There were nights' known of course was part of the development of the Land of Israel. The song 'relaxation' is lovely, it opens with the words 'if there is a distant place'. "Longing. Longing for something we may not know, that we feel we deserve, like relaxation. There are so many beautiful Hebrew songs. And there are other songs as well."
"I do not want to answer such an insulting question."
Esther Ofarim (Photo: GettyImages)
You say some of your great classics are longing songs.
Your voice also evokes personal, national and musical longings for many.
And what do you miss the most?
"I'm not that nostalgic. I happened to be traveling with a good friend here yesterday and we touched on my life and my career a bit. And I thought that England was the most important part of my career. The people I met in London, and everything that happened to me there, in the seventies and eighties. The rest ".
In your career you have not always gone for sure, nor have you been afraid of musical experiments, from joining an East-West ensemble to touching the New Wave.
"I think it's good sometimes not to go for sure because otherwise it's boring. Look, here in Germany my repertoire is a bit different. Although there are some Hebrew songs we perform here, but I mostly sing my more American and English songs, like the cover version of the song 'She's "So sometimes I do go for sure. To really sing a song you have to feel at home with it, even if it's in French or Italian, I sang in all those languages."
About a year and a half ago, you released a beautiful cover version of the song "Second Bird" with Yoni Rechter, as part of the "Order of the Hour" project.
What is the chance that you will release a new song in Hebrew?
"I'm meeting with Yoni Rechter now, maybe I should consult with him about new songs."
More on Walla!
45 years have passed, a lot has changed in the world, but "The 16th Lamb" remains perfect
To the full article
Will there be a new song in Hebrew?
Esther Ofarim and Yoni Rechter (Photo: Maariv, Eli Dassah)
Alongside your long and wonderful connection with Rechter, are you interested in connecting with younger musicians as well, like Idan Raichel or Noga Erez or someone else?
"No. I also do not like to tell you, but I do not listen to anything, not even to Mozart that I like. I left it a long time ago. And the names you mentioned I may have once seen in the newspaper but I have no idea really. I do not listen to radio and do not play records."
Since you have been one of the pioneers of Israel's musical success in the world, what is your advice for a young Israeli musician who dreams of succeeding overseas?
"The rule for me is to be real and whole with yourself. And of course you need good taste. I really care what the song says. For example, the text, the lyrics, the story, it's so important to me. The melody is just the attire of the story. That's what matters to me in the song I sing. "Let's say I sing the 'Wandering Song', so we talk about the wanderings, the longings and if you will also the loneliness.
In the cinematic classic "Angels in the Sky of Berlin" by German director Wim Wenders, one of the characters says: "Time heals all pain, but what if the greatest pain is time itself?".
What will you save for death?
"I count the days up to 120."
Do you have thoughts of 'how would I like to be remembered'?
"Let me be remembered as a wise, true and genuine person. The rest - singer, beautiful woman - does not matter."
More on Walla!
Recognition, Correction, Justice: The awarding of the Israel Prize to Avihu Medina is a historic moment
To the full article
"I count the days up to 120."
Esther Ofarim (Photo: Maariv, Eli Dassah)
Becoming a mythological singer in Israel can relate, among other things, to your great talent, to the huge successes, to the amazing songs, to your magic and perhaps also to the tension between your Israeli music and the fact that you do not live here.
But maybe your becoming a mythologist is also related to the fact that you rarely interview?
Maybe the escape from the media created a certain mystery around you?
"I have no answer, I do not know how we become mythological. It is true that I rarely interview. You know, you were so punctual in your phone call to me. You called at 11 o'clock, just as we had scheduled. A minute before 11 I looked at the clock, and saw that it remained. "Another minute. I said to myself, if he does not call in five minutes I will have an excuse to wind down and I will go for a walk, even though the sun is not shining today."
In most of your interviews I've seen in the past you talk about a thought or a desire or an intention to return to live in Israel - but it did not happen.
"I can go back and say even today that I want to return to Israel. We talk about that, about longing. Sometimes you do not touch longing. It's like some bubble around you. Sometimes you do not know why you miss. You miss home, the place you belong to, people "They understand you. I have it here. Because I've been here more than the years you've lived. I'm not alone, I have a son. There's life around as well. The fact that I happen to be a singer is not that important."
If you said it so many times, over decades, why did it not actually happen?
"What kept me from returning to Israel? Maybe this thing needs to be packed! (Laughs). The truth is I have no answer to that. But soon, soon it will happen!"
culture
Music
Israeli music
Tags
Esther Ofarim
Yoni Rechter
Antisemitism
Eurovision
Germany
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