我们经常会说：“音乐是世界共同的语言。”但现实中，有很多国家的音乐仍然经常被埋没。其中如以色列这个地方，如果不是Ofra Haza这位女歌手在世界乐坛上的出色表现，我们可能至今仍然对以色列的音乐感到迷惑。但可惜的是，Ofra Haza因感染艾滋病于2000年2月23日离开了这个世界，享年41岁。Ofra Haza1959年11月19日出生于以色列的Tel Aviv。她十二岁便开始演唱，但在七十年代中期，由于政治因素，被征入以色列军队，经过了两年的随军演出兼服役后，于1979年开始个人音乐事业的发展，随即在以色列走红，并且在邻近的地方如阿拉伯等地也受到了欢迎。1983年，她代表以色列参加了“全欧歌唱大赛”，以一曲 Hi ! 取得了第二名的好成绩，并且打入了欧洲市场。其实，Ofra Haza的音乐根源是一些十六世纪的音乐，这些音乐是由她的母亲引导她听的。她将这些风格加入到她自己的作品之中，产生了一种神奇的效果。 奥芙拉·哈扎（Ofra　Haza，1959—2000．2．23）：以色列最为杰出的通俗歌唱家（女中音）、歌词作者之一。能用希伯莱语、阿拉伯语与英语演唱，兼擅中东传统歌曲与西方通俗音乐。在欧美和亚洲等地都有大批忠实的歌迷。Ofra Haza演唱的“Im　Nin’alu”是以色列第一首被拍成MTV的歌曲。电影《埃及王子》的主题曲也是她演唱的。by Jason AnkenyLong one of Israels most popular singers, Ofra Haza broke through to international recognition during the mid-1980s when her traditional music found favor on the U.K. club circuit, its success leading to a series of unlikely pop projects. Born in Tel Aviv on November 19, 1959, Haza was the daughter of Yemenite parents forced to flee from their native countrys Muslim regime; at the age of 12 she joined the renowned Hatikva theatrical troupe, and with the group cut a number of award-winning records before serving a compulsory two-year tour of duty in the Israeli army. Upon her discharge, in 1979 she mounted a solo career, becoming a star not only at home but also in neigboring Arab nations; in 1983, her recording of Chai! placed second in the annual Eurovision Song Contest. Inspired by the ancient melodies taught to her by her mother, in 1985 Haza recorded Yemenite Songs, which featured traditional instruments as well as lyrics drawn from the 16th century poetry of Shalom Shabazi; not only a major hit at home, the album was also a worldbeat smash in England as well. With 1988s Shaday, she turned away from traditional sounds to pursue more dance-flavored material, and the single Im Ninal even reached the Top 20 on the U.K. pop charts, additionally becoming a club favorite in the U.S. Hazas music was also sampled on the Eric B. and Rakim rap classic Paid in Full, and her vocals later found their way into M.A.R.R.S. seminal Pump Up the Volume as well. 1989s Desert Wind was sung largely in English, and its release corresponded with Hazas first American tour. For 1992s Grammy-nominated Kirya, she teamed with producer Don Was, and welcomed guests Iggy Pop and Lou Reed; that same year, Haza also recorded the single Temple of Love with British goth-rockers the Sisters of Mercy. Despite her success, however, she was silent throughout the middle of the decade, finally resurfacing in 1997 with a self-titled LP issued on her new label BMG Ariola. Haza died unexpectedly of AIDS-related complications on February 23, 2000.