Shlomit Levi
| Shlomit Levi | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Shlomit Levi |
| Born |
March 9, 1983 Kiryat Ekron, Israel |
| Origin | Tenafly, New Jersey |
| Genres | World music, Middle Eastern music, Mizrahi, folk rock, folk metal |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Associated acts | Orphaned Land, Boaz Sharabi, Shlomit & RebbeSoul |
| Website |
www |
Shlomit Levi (Hebrew: שלומית לוי; born March 9, 1983) is an Israeli singer. She is a former member of the folk metal group Orphaned Land, performing on their albums Mabool (2004) and The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR (2010). She currently performs with American guitarist Bruce Burger in the world music duo Shlomit & RebbeSoul.
Early life
Levi was born in Kiryat Ekron to a Yemenite Jewish family before moving to Rehovot when she was 10. Her parents came to Israel from Yemen as teenagers during Operation Magic Carpet.[1][2] She began singing at the age of three and was exposed to traditional Yemenite music by her mother and grandmother, although she preferred listening to Western and Israeli music to fit in with her friends.[2][3] She stopped singing Yemenite music as a teenager but was later drawn back to it after hearing Ofra Haza's Yemenite Songs album.[2][4]
After serving in the Israel Defense Forces, Levi studied cognitive psychology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, receiving a master's degree focused on user interface design and a BA in social sciences.[1][2] During her time in college, she connected with student musicians and studied with a Black Hebrew voice teacher from Dimona.[3] After graduation, she briefly worked at a tech company in Airport City before deciding to pursue a music career.[1]
Career
Orphaned Land
Levi was put in touch by a mutual friend with the group Orphaned Land, who were auditioning female singers. At her audition, she impressed the band with her ability to sing mawwal. While not an official member, she toured with the band from 2004 to 2012 and appeared on two of their albums, Mabool (2004) and The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR (2010).[3]
Shlomit and RebbeSoul
In 2011, Levi was introduced by business manager Yedidia Snir to American musician Bruce Burger ("RebbeSoul"), who had recently moved to Israel.[1][2] They began collaborating as Shlomit & RebbeSoul and released an album, The Seal of Solomon, in 2015. She also collaborated with "RebbeSoul" and oudist George Simaan on a version of "Erev Shel Shoshanim".[2]
Personal life
A former resident of Kibbutz Givat Haim Ihud,[3] Levi moved to the United States in 2013 and currently lives in New Jersey with her family.[1][2]
Discography
Solo
- Shlomit Levi (Demo, 2009)
With Orphaned Land
- Mabool (2004)
- Sentenced/Orphaned Land (2005)
- Ararat EP (2005)
- The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR (2010)
- The Road to OR-Shalem (2011)
With Shlomit & RebbeSoul
- The Seal of Solomon (2015)
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Maurice Picow (May 3, 2012). "A 'rebbe' with soul". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 5 February 2016. Archived at rebbesoul.com.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Larry Yudelson (April 24, 2015). "Connecting through music". The Jewish Standard. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 Tomer Haruv (Nov 11, 2012). "Rock and Soul". Yedioth Ahronoth. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ↑ Ben Bresky (Oct 25, 2012). "Jewish Yemenite Music Sees Revival with Singer Shlomit Levi". Arutz Sheva.