Ofra Haza – Im nin’Alu
When Ofra Haza released “Im nin’Alu”, it probably looked like just another exotic weird hit, to the western world. An almost unknown singer, definitely with a great voice, a weird Israeli name, a weird title for the song, unintelligible lyrics. Iconic images in the video: the desert, the look of an eastern princess. We can say, that probably the emotional communication overcame the song itself.
Actually I think that this was a sort of damage for Ofra, who really succeeded in joining the efforts of a art based life with the reality of a very difficult environment. She had been a theatre actress since her childhood, then she had been a musician, a singer, later an actress. And yet she had to comply with her military duties from time to time. But she gathered her success, like the second place at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1983. Or the great success of her first album, up to the release of “Shaday”, her second album, which included this hit.
“Im nin’Alu” is the first verse of an Hebrew poem mentioning the Gates of Heaven. Sadly, Ofra found herself very close to the gates of heaven several times. She sang about the Gates of Heaven in 1988. Indeed she had been very close to the Gates of Heaven one year before, when she survived a plane crash. Sadly, “the Israeli Madonna” nickname due to her look and music, passed the gates of heaven few years later, at only 42. Ofra lost her life in 2000 due to a pneumonia which hit her body, already weakened by a disease.
After 30 years, probably few could tell the title of this song, but I’m sure that amoung the 80s fans, very very few have forgotten Ofra Haza.
#quotefromthe80s
Take me away, I need your help
Somebody cries within the herd
Oh my God, I need your help
#ImNinAlu #OfraHaza
Ofra Haza on Wikipedia
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