It's an interesting time to be an Iranian-Israeli pop star. The standoff between Iran and Israel over Iran's nuclear program is one of the hottest issues on the globe.
Rita Johanforuz, known to her fans as Rita, is one of Israel's biggest stars, and her new album My Joys mixes traditional Persian songs with electronic music, Central Asian flutes and strings, and Balkan brass. It’s gotten Rita a lot of attention because she sings several songs in Farsi, the language of Iran; she was born in Iran, and her Jewish family emigrated to Israel when she was eight.
This kind of multicultural approach raises no American eyebrows. But Israel is different. Jordan Elgrably of the Levantine Cultural Center in Los Angeles says the mere fact that Rita is an Israeli singing in Farsi makes this album political. "It’s a political act if you’re an Israeli Jew and you choose to speak Arabic in public," Elgrably says,"because [in Israel] the Arab culture is seen as the enemy culture. And now Iran is the enemy."
For musicologist Oded Erez of the University of California, Los Angeles, Rita's new album reflects an important shift in Israeli culture. Hebrew has long been the glue that held this nation of immigrants together. "The aim of the cultural project of Zionism was to create a monoculture, a homogeneous culture based on Hebrew and on Hebrew creation and art, " Erez says. More and more Israeli artists have been singing in other languages, but it's still a big deal for a major pop star like Rita to do so. "Israel became much more of a plural culture. " Erez explains, "And in this sense Hebrewism is heavily challenged."
It's illegal in Iran to import an Israeli CD, but Rita's new songs got out through Farsi satellite channels and on the Internet. And in Los Angeles, her fans cut across all demographics. Atena Sarmast is a college student who works at a Persian bookstore on Westwood Avenue, the heart of "Tehrangeles." Her family is Muslim, and they left Tehran when she was 15. "She's mixing the Eastern style with some Western style," Atena says of Rita, "which is very nice, and a lot of young generations like that.”
Rita herself insists that her music has no political agenda. "I’m so ignorant in politics,” she says. “For millions of dollars and diamonds, I wouldn’t touch such a thing.”
Rita’s North American tour continues this weekend in San Francisco.
Video: Rita, “Shaneh” (live)
Let's / Bo
Artist: RitaAlbum: Days of Innocence / Yemei HatomLabel: Helicon RecordsPurchase: AmazonOsta Karim
Artist: RitaAlbum: My Joys (Ha'smachot Sheli)Label: 2012 RISH Productions LtdPurchase: AmazonNothing Left
Artist: RitaAlbum: My Joys (Ha'smachot Sheli)Label: 2012 RISH Productions LtdPurchase: AmazonShane
Artist: RitaAlbum: My Joys (Ha'smachot Sheli)Label: 2012 RISH Productions LtdPurchase: AmazonGole Maryam
Artist: RitaAlbum: My Joys (Ha'smachot Sheli)Label: 2012 RISH Productions LtdPurchase: AmazonBeegharar (Offer Nissim Club Remix)
Artist: Rita, Offer NissimAlbum: My Joys (Remixes)Label: 2012 RISH Productions LtdPurchase: AmazonContributors:
Avishay Artsy
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Comments [7]
I went to Strathmore Theater and saw Rita Jahanforouz on November 13. She touched my heart and soul with her words of wisdom, her beautiful Feminin energy,and her connection to her Ancestral home Iran. she is a true Persian. her and her Band Sang in both Persian and Hebrew. Love Israel, Love Iran. come back to Washington DC, Rita.. 2013 please..
P.S. Persians are not Arabs
Jordan ElGrably has some weird notions about modern day Israel. Sure, in the early days of the state Hebrew was heavily promoted - perhaps at the expense of Arabic and Farsi, but definitely at the expense of Yiddish. Nowadays? Smart Israelis flock to Arabic classes and it is taught in high schools. Manifestations of Arabic and Persian culture are everywhere - in food, in music, you name it. We have annual Festivals that celebrate manifestations of Middle Eastern Culture (I recently attended sold out shows at the Oud Festival in Jerusalem) and the crowds are not even predominantly Middle Eastern Jews. Rita is also not the only artist that performs in a Middle Eastern language. Off the top of my head there's the super popular Balkan Beat Box and Soulico as well as all the Mizrachi singers and bands in the country. I think ElGrably's political orientation blinds him to some very basic and readily apparent facts about Israel. Look me up if you're ever in Israel, Jordan. I'll gladly show you what I mean!
Thank you for this article, but I'm compelled to clarify that Iranians are not Arabs and don't speak Arabic. The majority of Iranians are Persian and speak Farsi, a language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. Having said that, Rita's music is lovely and I hope she certainly does make millions of dollars and diamonds! :)
she speaks farsi not arabic and she is not an arab
I'm not sure I buy her stance that's she's not political and then equates it to money??? She's not political, but does a very political move that brings her attention and speaks on the air about it? Maybe she's just into selling records and getting press... and millions of dollars and diamonds.
Most positively beautiful music. I shall run out and buy it.
THANK YOU FOR THIS STORY!! It brought tears to my eyes. I never hear beautiful stories like this through most media...in this conflicted world, we need to hear more about hope and efforts to bridge divides. I'm an Iranian-American and now Rita's newest fan. :) And so, Studio 360, I forgive you for not choosing my campaign jingle over those of what seemed like professional musicians. :/
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