Harel Skaat
Encyclopedia
Harel Skaat is an Israeli singer and songwriter. He represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
with the song "Milim
" ("מילים", "Words").
Skaat has been singing and performing in public since he was a child. At the age of six, he won a children's song festival competition. While still in elementary school he appeared on national television and as a teenager, he was the lead singer for both his city's and high school's bands. During his mandatory duty with the Israeli Defense Forces, he sang in the Communication Corps. Band. Skaat's professional breakthrough came when he was a contestant on the second season of Kochav Nolad ("כוכב נולד", "A Star is Born"), a reality competition television show similar in format to American Idol
, and finished in second place. After the show ended, he signed a recording contract with Hed Arzi, one of the largest music companies in Israel.
His debut album, the self-titled Harel Skaat, was released in July 2006. It produced five hit singles, including the romantic ballad, "Ve'at" ("ואת", "And You"), which was the number one song of the year on both of the major Israeli year-end Hebrew song charts
. The album has been certified platinum in Israel. He followed up the album with a concert tour, which surpassed 200 concert shows, a milestone in Israeli music.
In early 2008, Skaat and Hed Arzi became embroiled in a year-long legal dispute. Shortly after the dispute was resolved, he entered into a new agreement with Aroma Music and Partner Communications and recorded his second album entitled Dmuyot (דמויות, Figures). The album was released in September 2009 and has been certified gold in Israel.
Generally classified in the media as a pop
singer, Skaat has been influenced by a wide variety of music, and his albums have featured an eclectic mix of songs, from rock
to romantic ballads. His singing and performing talents have been widely praised by critics and Israeli music industry professionals, but both his albums have received only mixed reviews. All of the songs on his official albums and EP have been sung in Hebrew, but Skaat has occasionally sung in English and in French in live concerts; he is currently working on a new album, which will be recorded in English. In December 2009, the Israel Broadcasting Authority
selected Skaat internally to be Israel's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. The contest was held in Oslo
, Norway
in late May 2010 and Israel placed 14th out of 39 entries.
to a Yemenite
and Iraqi Jewish family. When he was six years old he won a national children's festival competition entitled "A Star for the Evening – Singing Big" in his hometown and while still a child he appeared in an episode of a popular Israeli television show called Parpar Nehmad
(פרפר נחמד, Nice Butterfly). Throughout his youth, he continued to appear at festivals and television shows, and at the age of 15 he was the lead singer of both the Kfar Sava city band and his high school band. At 18, he sang with the Israel Defense Forces
' Communications Corps. Band, where he met and became friends with singer-songwriter, Dor Daniel. He attended Beit Zvi
, a college specializing in the performing arts, where he was awarded two of the university's most prestigious scholarships for his performances in school-produced musicals, including the outstanding achievement scholarship and the Sano Scholarship. While still in college, Skaat recorded and released a single, "Ein od Si'kui" ("אין עוד סיכוי", "No More Chance"); around the same time, he competed in a televised talent show called Ha'melech Ha'ba (המלך הבא, The Next King) along with Ninet Tayeb, (who later gained fame by winning the first season of Kokhav Nolad
). Rafael Mirila won the competition, while Tayeb finished third and Skaat finished in sixth place.
after a friend signed him up without his knowledge.
He emerged as the favorite, consistently receiving praise from the show's judges for his performances, which included his rendition of "Betoch" ("בתוך", "Inside") and the Hebrew version of the French song "Je Suis Malade" known as "Bdidut", ("בדידות", "Loneliness"), which he sang in the semi-finals (Ricky Gal, one of the judges on the show, said of the latter performance that it left her "almost speechless"). On his way to the finals, Skaat received the highest votes of each stage he competed, including the semi-final round where he defeated his competitors, including eventual winner, Harel Moyal
by a wide margin. The final show generated huge viewer interest in Israel. At the finals, Skaat sang the song "Hinenny Can" which originally performed by the Israeli most awarded singer
Yehoram Gaon
in the 1971 movie "Any Yerushalmy" . This version of the song went on to top the Israeli Music Channel's chart for a record-setting 80 days. Moyal's surprise win "sparked heated debate in the general public in Israel" and spurred accusations of voter manipulation by some of Skaat's fans. The allegations, which were denied by the producers of the television program, arose in part from perceived problems inherent in the voting system, which allowed for block voting and from online betting taking place before the finals.
with large fan bases and in the months after their appearances on Kokhav Nolad they were frequently characterized in the media as rivals in the manner of "Ofra Haza
- Yardena Arazi
of the eighties" A large part of Skaat's fan base has consisted of Israel's youth. He won the "Singer of the Year" from the Children's Channel three times from 2005–2007 and in 2007, 2008, and 2010 he was ranked number one out of Israel's Top 100 Stars by the youth magazine, Maariv Lanoar.
In the period between his appearance on Kokhav Nolad and the release of his first album in 2006, Skaat appeared dozens of times on Israeli television talk shows, and at televised special ceremonies and holiday events. In 2005, Skaat sang in front of an estimated 80,000 people at Rabin Square, Tel Aviv at the memorial rally for former prime-minister, Yitzhak Rabin
on the ten-year anniversary of his death. He continues to be a popular singer at holiday events, performing for example, in five different cities on Israel's Yom Ha'atzmaut
(יום העצמאות, Independence Day) 2010. He has also taken part in three Festigal children song festivals, which occur annually during the Hanukkah
season. At the 2004 Festigal, Skaat competed in a song contest, playing the part of Peter Pan
(a character which he told an interviewer that he identified with) and sang the song "Lauf" ("לעוף", "To Fly"). He again finished second to Moyal, who won the contest with the song "I Am Zorro" ("אני הוא זורו"); Ran Danker
finished third.
In 2005, Skaat performed in a musical play, He Who Dreamed (English translation), based on the last 10 years of the life of Yitzhak Rabin. The cast also included Gila Almagor
and Oded Teomi in the title role. In early 2006, Skaat was featured in a unique series of three-minute reality-based segments produced by Cellcom
, which was made available for download to its customers, among the first content of this kind in Israel's history.
criticized the lack of spontaneity of the album, and the inclusion of dance-tracks which the critic claimed undercut the singer's talents, but praised Skaat's soothing vocals and his ability to move listeners. In a review of the album for Ynet
, Roman Singer compared Skaat to a cultured rose without the thorns. Another review claimed that Skaat was "trapped" singing "romantic stories", but praised his warm singing of "Ve'at", and his singing talents which the writer claimed allows him to "express at higher levels".
Harel Skaat produced a string of "chart-leading hits", including "Kama Od Efshar" ("כמה עוד אפשר", "How Much More is Possible"), "Mashehu Mimeni" ("משהו ממני", "Something from Me"), "Kol Hatziporim" ("כל הציפורים", "All the Birds"), "Im Hu Yelech" ("אם הוא ילך", "If He Goes"), and the award-winning, romantic ballad, "Ve'at" ("ואת", "And You"), which stayed number one on the major Israeli music charts for seven weeks and finished as the number one song of the year on the Reshet Gimmel's and Galgalatz
's year-end music charts for 2006, and also on the BBC Israeli regional radio annual poll for 2006 ("Mashehu Mimeni" and "Kama Od Efshar" finished fourth and tenth respectively on the same poll). Skaat was named "Male Singer of 2006" by both Reshet Gimmel and Galgalatz. He also won "Singer of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for "Ve'at" in the Music 24 Channel's Israel Music Awards (AMI). In addition, "Im Hu Yelech" was named the best music video of the year by the Israeli Music Channel.
Produced by veteran record producer, Izhar Ashdot
, the album was certified gold less than one month after its release and eventually achieved platinum status. (Because of its small market size, the Israeli music industry certifies an album to be gold when it sells 20,000 copies.) The album's commercial success was not only important to Skaat's burgeoning career, but it also proved helpful in launching the careers of three young singer-songwriters, Keren Peles
, Dor Daniel, and Kfir Epstein, who each wrote hit songs on the album, and went on to release successful debut albums of their own. Skaat co-wrote one song on the album, "Afilu Shesreifot" ("אפילו שהשריפות", "Even Though it's Burning").
sued Skaat for breach of contract, claiming that he had secretly recorded new material for a new CD for a rival company before their contract had expired, and demanding all the recordings Skaat might have made in secret. In court, Skaat denied that he had broken their contract, but Hed Artzi successfully won a temporary injunction against Skaat, which kept the singer from recording any new material. A resolution seemed possible in December 2008 when the Israel Broadcasting Authority
(IBA) selected Skaat to be the country's representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
. Skaat and Hed Artzi renewed their negotiations to resolve the conflict but when these broke down, the record company contested the IBA's selection, which forced Skaat to drop out. In February 2009, the Tel Aviv District Court granted Skaat permission to return to the studio. (The IBA eventually selected Achinoam Nini
and Mira Awad
to represent Israel with the song "There Must be Another Way", and they finished 16th in the contest.)
The two parties subsequently reached a compromise and Skaat soon entered into a new agreement with Aroma Music and Partner Communications. Skaat's second album, Dmuyot (דמויות, Figures [alternative translations of the title include "Images" and "Characters"]) was released on 1 September 2009. The album contained the hit song "Muvan Li Achshav" ("מובן לי עכשיו", "Now I Understand"), which was released as a single and sold exclusively in Israel at Aroma Espresso Bar
's chain of coffee shops. Other singles from the album include "Boi Ha Yom" ("בואי היום", "Come Today"), "Sof", ("סוף", "End") and "Od Ya'ir Alay" ("עוד יאיר עלי", "Shine on Me"). The majority of the album was produced by either Peter Roth or Izhar Ashdot
, with a number of young Israeli songwriters contributing songs to it, including Ofer Bashan, Yali Sobol, Ben-Artzi, Sheila Ferber, Kfir Epstein, Didi Shachar, Ilai Botner, and Yoav Degani. Skaat co-wrote four of the songs on the album ("Sof", "Od Ya'ir Alay", "Dmuyot", and "Zippor" ("ציפור", "Bird")), including two which were released as singles.
Although it has been certified gold in Israel, Dmuyot did not achieve the same level of commercial success as his first album. The album's biggest hit, "Muvan Li Achshav" placed number 34 on the Reshet Gimmel annual music chart for 2009.
Critically, the reviews of the album were mixed. For example, a review by Yossi Hersonski praised the "beautiful melody" of "Sof" but found the lyrics to be overly-sentimental. In contrast, Hersonski wrote that "Dmuyot", the closing song on the album was a monologue by Skaat with "his soul, confessing his weaknesses", and that Skaat's singing "is very emotional, but more polished this time"
selected Skaat to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
. The announcement was made at the Knesset
, Israel's legislative body. The selection was preceded by several days of speculation and confusion, and followed by criticism of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and calls for an investigation of the selection process. On 15 March 2010, "Milim" ("מילים", "Words") written by Noam Horev and composed by Tomer Hadadi, was selected uninaminously as the Israeli song entry for the Eurovision contest when it won the Kdam Eurovision, the country's pre-Eurovision selection competition. The four songs chosen as finalists for the Kdam Eurovision, including "Milim", were recorded in a studio by Skaat and released on a special EP
entitled Eurovision 2010 At the Kdam Eurovision, Skaat sang "Milim" in Hebrew with the backing of string instruments, but before the Eurovision contest Skaat re-recorded it again entirely in Hebrew but with an altered vocal arrangement and with a full orchestra accompaniment. Because it was known by early March 2010 that the majority of Eurovision entries for that year would probably be sung in English (24 of the 39 entries at the Eurovision contest sang in English), there was some coverage in the Israeli media prior to Eurovision as to which language "Milim" should be sung—Hebrew, English, French, or in some combination of the languages.
Ultimately, Skaat sang the song in both the semi-finals (where he passed) and finals of Eurovision entirely in Hebrew, performing the altered version with the full orchestra accompaniment (although at Eurovision 2010, there was no live orchestra present, which meant that he sang with the backing of a recorded track). To promote the Israeli entry, a music video of "Milim" was released and Skaat also recorded and released English and French versions of the song.
At Oslo, Skaat explained to the press that "Milim" is about loss, such as in a break-up, but that for him, it has a deeper meaning. Skaat said, "this song touches me deeply. My grandfather died just days before the selections in Israel, and this gives me a very deep feeling, I feel that I'm really singing this song for him. He wanted me to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest for five years, and then he got to hear that I was going to take part in the national selection before he passed away."
Despite being listed as one of the favorites to win on several online betting sites, Israel placed only 14th in the Eurovision contest's 50/50-result. Detailed analysis shows a wide difference between the overall voting of the viewers and the juries, both of whom had equal weight in determining the results of the finals. Israel placed fifth out of the 25 entries in the finals with the juries, but only 19th with the televoters. Had it been up to the public, Israel would not have made it past the semi-final rounds, placing 12th in a field of 17 with televoters in the second semi-final; Skaat's strong placement with the juries in the second semi-finals secured Israel's place in the finals.
In spite of the disappointing results, Israel received something of a consolation prize, as the country swept the Eurovision-sanctioned 2010 Marcel Bezençon Awards
, winning for best artist, best composition, and best entry of the contest. It is the first time in the history of the awards, which are selected by the contest's accredited media and press, participating composers, and commentators that a single country has won more than one award in the same year. At the end of the Eurovision contest, Skaat expressed pride and gratitude. He told one reporter, "I’m proud and happy over the performance and for representing [Israel]. “We brought Israel artistic accolades. It was a fun experience and I enjoyed every minute of it. After all, it’s just sports.” While Christer Björkman, a founder of the Marcel Bezençon Awards
awards, stated, "The awards given to the Israeli entry show a virtue of the prize. It reveals something that didn't come across in the vote of the contest.... This song is very beautiful, and we've been here two weeks now, but it might be that this song doesn't reach out in the same way the first time you hear it".
in Tel Aviv (home to the
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
). The tour eventually passed the 200 concert mark, an achievement which has been widely noted in the Israeli media. In 2009 Skaat began a second concert tour to promote the Dmuyot album. Reuters' music writer and critic, Assaf Nevo began his review of the launch of that tour by noting that if a computer were to create the ultimate Israeli pop singer it would resemble Skaat, who he wrote combined the charisma of Shlomo Artzi
, the star quality of Ivri Lider
, the vocal clarity of Izhar Cohen
, the cuteness of Evitar Banai, and the sensitivity of Rami Kleinstein. While Nevo viewed Skaat as a good pop singer, he believed that Skaat's music did not extend beyond this genre.
Skaat has also frequently appeared at the Zappa night clubs in Tel Aviv and Herzliya, which regularly features live music from both Israeli and international musicians.
One of Skaat's first major appearances after Eurovision was on 28 July 2010 in Tel Aviv at a tribute to the French singer, Serge Gainsbourg
. Skaat had been scheduled to perform at the opening ceremony of the XIX International Festival of Arts, "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk
" in Belarus on 9 July 2010, but his appearance was canceled by the organizers two days before the event. The organizers cited a need to downsize the number of concerts as a reason for the cancellation, but Israeli diplomatic sources alleged that the cancellation was due to political reasons and the Israeli ambassador to Belarus refused to attend the opening ceremony in protest.
In March 2011, Skaat took part in a unique collaboration: singing three of his songs live in the Sharon Levi's Barcelona Dance Company's tap dance show, "Fragments", which debuted in Paris.
(alternative spelling: Shay Gabso), Ninet Tayeb, Harel Moyal
, and other Kokhav Nolad graduates.
Skaat has said, "My wish was always to be a singer, and I'm still working on it." Skaat is one of many well-known singers, both past and present, of Yemenite Jewish heritage—a long line that includes Bracha Zefira, Shoshana Damari, Haim Moshe
, Zohar Argov
, Ofra Haza
, Gali Atari
, Dana International
, Achinoam Nini
(Noa), and many others. However, unlike the music of some Yemenite Jewish singers, there have been generally few hints of the distinctive singing style often associated with that culture in Skaat's music. Although Skaat has said that he has been influenced by Rivka Zohar and he has named Rami Kleinstein and Sarit Hadad
as two of his favorite singers, he stated in a February 2010 interview that, "I don't think I [have] ever been influenced by someone in specific. I have always listened to so many different kinds of music. I feel as if I have learned from each singer I listened to and still do. From the vigour of the great female singers, through the song interpretation of French performers to the intricate structures of classical music pieces. I find inspiration in them all!"
Skaat is reportedly working on a new album, which will be recorded in English, the first of his to be targeted at an international audience. Among those who have been enlisted to work on the project is Grammy award winning producer, Narada Michael Walden
, who has worked with a number of musicians including Whitney Houston
and Mariah Carey
. Skaat is also working concurrently on a new album for the Israeli market. The first single from his upcoming Israeli album, "Od Tihye Li Ahava" ("תהיה לי אהבה", the song translates in English roughly as "I Still Have Love") was released in June 2011 and with its uptempo beat is a musical departure from much of the singer's previous work.
and television station, Channel 24 conducted a number of special polls in which the public selected their favorite songs, singers, bands, and music videos of the past decade. Skaat placed second on the poll for male singer of the decade (after Eyal Golan
), while two of his songs, "Ve'at" and "Hineni Kan", placed fourth and 21st respectively on the poll for song of the decade ("Mima'amakim" by the Idan Raichel
Project placed first on the poll). The winners and a countdown of the top 20 songs were revealed live on Israeli television at an all-star show on 15 October 2009 at Jerusalem's Sultan's Pool
in front of an estimated 8,000 spectators. The concert featured many of the musicians (including Skaat) performing songs that made it on the poll.
. The statement came after years of public speculation about Skaat's sexual orientation and after a controversial public outing by Israeli film producer and gay activist, Gal Ochovsky, after Skaat performed at a July 2010 memorial to mark the one year anniversary of an attack on a Tel Aviv gay youth center
.
In June 2010, Skaat purchased an apartment at one of the Arlosoroff Towers, a pair of planned commercial and residential high rise buildings in Tel Aviv's Ayalon Triangle. Skaat has been actively involved with charities aimed at children with disabilities. For recreation, he sometimes likes to engage in high thrill activities, such as skydiving, bungee jumping, and rafting.
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
with the song "Milim
Milim
"Milim" is a song composed by Tomer Adaddi with lyrics by Noam Horev that was recorded by the Israeli singer, Harel Skaat. The song was the Israeli song entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 where the Israeli entry finished 14th out of 39 countries despite being one of the favorites entering...
" ("מילים", "Words").
Skaat has been singing and performing in public since he was a child. At the age of six, he won a children's song festival competition. While still in elementary school he appeared on national television and as a teenager, he was the lead singer for both his city's and high school's bands. During his mandatory duty with the Israeli Defense Forces, he sang in the Communication Corps. Band. Skaat's professional breakthrough came when he was a contestant on the second season of Kochav Nolad ("כוכב נולד", "A Star is Born"), a reality competition television show similar in format to American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, and finished in second place. After the show ended, he signed a recording contract with Hed Arzi, one of the largest music companies in Israel.
His debut album, the self-titled Harel Skaat, was released in July 2006. It produced five hit singles, including the romantic ballad, "Ve'at" ("ואת", "And You"), which was the number one song of the year on both of the major Israeli year-end Hebrew song charts
Israeli annual Hebrew song chart
Israeli annual Hebrew song chart is an annual Israeli Hebrew song contest, broadcast on radio on Rosh Hashanah every year since 1963. There are two Hebrew song chart contests - one on the radio channel Reshet Gimmel and the other on the radio channel Galgalatz which is operated by the Israel...
. The album has been certified platinum in Israel. He followed up the album with a concert tour, which surpassed 200 concert shows, a milestone in Israeli music.
In early 2008, Skaat and Hed Arzi became embroiled in a year-long legal dispute. Shortly after the dispute was resolved, he entered into a new agreement with Aroma Music and Partner Communications and recorded his second album entitled Dmuyot (דמויות, Figures). The album was released in September 2009 and has been certified gold in Israel.
Generally classified in the media as a pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer, Skaat has been influenced by a wide variety of music, and his albums have featured an eclectic mix of songs, from rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
to romantic ballads. His singing and performing talents have been widely praised by critics and Israeli music industry professionals, but both his albums have received only mixed reviews. All of the songs on his official albums and EP have been sung in Hebrew, but Skaat has occasionally sung in English and in French in live concerts; he is currently working on a new album, which will be recorded in English. In December 2009, the Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority is Israel's state broadcasting network.It grew out of the radio station Kol Yisrael, which made its first broadcast as an independent station on . The name of the organisation operating Kol Yisrael was changed to Israel Broadcasting Service in 1951...
selected Skaat internally to be Israel's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. The contest was held in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in late May 2010 and Israel placed 14th out of 39 entries.
Early life
Harel Skaat was born on 8 August 1981, in Kfar Sava, IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to a Yemenite
Yemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen . Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet...
and Iraqi Jewish family. When he was six years old he won a national children's festival competition entitled "A Star for the Evening – Singing Big" in his hometown and while still a child he appeared in an episode of a popular Israeli television show called Parpar Nehmad
Parpar Nehmad
Parpar Nechmad is a long-running Israeli children's television program, aimed mainly at pre-schoolers. The show premiered in January 1982 and rann until 2004. It was produced by the Israeli Educational Television , and to this day remains successful in re-runs on IETV's home network, Channel...
(פרפר נחמד, Nice Butterfly). Throughout his youth, he continued to appear at festivals and television shows, and at the age of 15 he was the lead singer of both the Kfar Sava city band and his high school band. At 18, he sang with the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
' Communications Corps. Band, where he met and became friends with singer-songwriter, Dor Daniel. He attended Beit Zvi
Beit Zvi
Beit Zvi is an acting school located in Ramat Gan, Israel. Graduates of the school are much in demand in the Israeli theater world.-History:...
, a college specializing in the performing arts, where he was awarded two of the university's most prestigious scholarships for his performances in school-produced musicals, including the outstanding achievement scholarship and the Sano Scholarship. While still in college, Skaat recorded and released a single, "Ein od Si'kui" ("אין עוד סיכוי", "No More Chance"); around the same time, he competed in a televised talent show called Ha'melech Ha'ba (המלך הבא, The Next King) along with Ninet Tayeb, (who later gained fame by winning the first season of Kokhav Nolad
Kokhav Nolad
Kokhav Nolad is an Israeli reality television show searching for talented new vocalists based on the British Pop Idol and American Idol model. Since its debut on Israeli Channel 2 in 2003, Kokhav Nolad has achieved great popularity and turned out many new musical stars...
). Rafael Mirila won the competition, while Tayeb finished third and Skaat finished in sixth place.
Kokhav Nolad
In 2004, during his second year of studies at Beit Zvi, Skaat became a contestant on Kokhav NoladKokhav Nolad
Kokhav Nolad is an Israeli reality television show searching for talented new vocalists based on the British Pop Idol and American Idol model. Since its debut on Israeli Channel 2 in 2003, Kokhav Nolad has achieved great popularity and turned out many new musical stars...
after a friend signed him up without his knowledge.
He emerged as the favorite, consistently receiving praise from the show's judges for his performances, which included his rendition of "Betoch" ("בתוך", "Inside") and the Hebrew version of the French song "Je Suis Malade" known as "Bdidut", ("בדידות", "Loneliness"), which he sang in the semi-finals (Ricky Gal, one of the judges on the show, said of the latter performance that it left her "almost speechless"). On his way to the finals, Skaat received the highest votes of each stage he competed, including the semi-final round where he defeated his competitors, including eventual winner, Harel Moyal
Harel Moyal
Harel Moyal is a popular young Israeli pop singer-songwriter and stage actor who won the second season of the Israeli television series Kochav Nolad...
by a wide margin. The final show generated huge viewer interest in Israel. At the finals, Skaat sang the song "Hinenny Can" which originally performed by the Israeli most awarded singer
Music of Israel
The music of Israel is a combination of Jewish and non-Jewish music traditions that have come together over the course of a century to create a distinctive musical culture. For more than 100 years, musicians have sought original stylistic elements that would define the emerging national spirit...
Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon is a Jewish Israeli singer, actor, director, producer, TV and radio host, and public figure...
in the 1971 movie "Any Yerushalmy" . This version of the song went on to top the Israeli Music Channel's chart for a record-setting 80 days. Moyal's surprise win "sparked heated debate in the general public in Israel" and spurred accusations of voter manipulation by some of Skaat's fans. The allegations, which were denied by the producers of the television program, arose in part from perceived problems inherent in the voting system, which allowed for block voting and from online betting taking place before the finals.
After Kokhav Nolad
Both Skaat and Moyal emerged from Kokhav NoladKokhav Nolad
Kokhav Nolad is an Israeli reality television show searching for talented new vocalists based on the British Pop Idol and American Idol model. Since its debut on Israeli Channel 2 in 2003, Kokhav Nolad has achieved great popularity and turned out many new musical stars...
with large fan bases and in the months after their appearances on Kokhav Nolad they were frequently characterized in the media as rivals in the manner of "Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....
- Yardena Arazi
Yardena Arazi
Yardena Arazi is an Israeli singer and entertainer.-Biography:Yardena Arazi was born on Kibbutz Kabri and grew up in Haifa. Arazi is the daughter of Jewish immigrants from France and Germany. She joined the Beit Rothschild group at 16 and became its lead vocalist. She did her military service in...
of the eighties" A large part of Skaat's fan base has consisted of Israel's youth. He won the "Singer of the Year" from the Children's Channel three times from 2005–2007 and in 2007, 2008, and 2010 he was ranked number one out of Israel's Top 100 Stars by the youth magazine, Maariv Lanoar.
In the period between his appearance on Kokhav Nolad and the release of his first album in 2006, Skaat appeared dozens of times on Israeli television talk shows, and at televised special ceremonies and holiday events. In 2005, Skaat sang in front of an estimated 80,000 people at Rabin Square, Tel Aviv at the memorial rally for former prime-minister, Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin
' was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77 and 1992 until his assassination in 1995....
on the ten-year anniversary of his death. He continues to be a popular singer at holiday events, performing for example, in five different cities on Israel's Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut commemorates Israel's declaration of Independence in 1948. It is celebrated on 5 Iyar according to the Hebrew calendar. Yom Ha'atzmaut is preceded by Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day.-History:...
(יום העצמאות, Independence Day) 2010. He has also taken part in three Festigal children song festivals, which occur annually during the Hanukkah
Hanukkah
Hanukkah , also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE...
season. At the 2004 Festigal, Skaat competed in a song contest, playing the part of Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
(a character which he told an interviewer that he identified with) and sang the song "Lauf" ("לעוף", "To Fly"). He again finished second to Moyal, who won the contest with the song "I Am Zorro" ("אני הוא זורו"); Ran Danker
Ran Danker
Ran Danker is an Israeli actor, singer and model. He is the son of Israeli actor Eli Danker. He has sung such songs as "אני אש" . He has also starred in the hit Israeli series HaShir Shelanu...
finished third.
In 2005, Skaat performed in a musical play, He Who Dreamed (English translation), based on the last 10 years of the life of Yitzhak Rabin. The cast also included Gila Almagor
Gila Almagor
Gila Almagor is an Israeli actress, film star, and author.-Biography:Gila Almagor was born four months after the death of her father, Max Alexandrowitz, a Jewish immigrant from Germany who was killed by an Arab sniper while working as a policeman in Haifa...
and Oded Teomi in the title role. In early 2006, Skaat was featured in a unique series of three-minute reality-based segments produced by Cellcom
Cellcom (Israel)
Cellcom is a major Israeli telecommunications company. Founded in 1994, most of the company's business is centered around wireless service...
, which was made available for download to its customers, among the first content of this kind in Israel's history.
Debut album
Skaat released his debut album, Harel Skaat (הראל סקעת), in July 2006. Reviews of the album were mixed. A review in The Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
criticized the lack of spontaneity of the album, and the inclusion of dance-tracks which the critic claimed undercut the singer's talents, but praised Skaat's soothing vocals and his ability to move listeners. In a review of the album for Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
, Roman Singer compared Skaat to a cultured rose without the thorns. Another review claimed that Skaat was "trapped" singing "romantic stories", but praised his warm singing of "Ve'at", and his singing talents which the writer claimed allows him to "express at higher levels".
Harel Skaat produced a string of "chart-leading hits", including "Kama Od Efshar" ("כמה עוד אפשר", "How Much More is Possible"), "Mashehu Mimeni" ("משהו ממני", "Something from Me"), "Kol Hatziporim" ("כל הציפורים", "All the Birds"), "Im Hu Yelech" ("אם הוא ילך", "If He Goes"), and the award-winning, romantic ballad, "Ve'at" ("ואת", "And You"), which stayed number one on the major Israeli music charts for seven weeks and finished as the number one song of the year on the Reshet Gimmel's and Galgalatz
Galgalatz
Galgalatz is a popular Israeli radio station operated by Israel Defense Forces Radio. This is the second of two Israel Defense Forces-operated stations, while the first one is Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz. The station was established in 1993 and broadcasts primarily nonstop pop music and...
's year-end music charts for 2006, and also on the BBC Israeli regional radio annual poll for 2006 ("Mashehu Mimeni" and "Kama Od Efshar" finished fourth and tenth respectively on the same poll). Skaat was named "Male Singer of 2006" by both Reshet Gimmel and Galgalatz. He also won "Singer of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for "Ve'at" in the Music 24 Channel's Israel Music Awards (AMI). In addition, "Im Hu Yelech" was named the best music video of the year by the Israeli Music Channel.
Produced by veteran record producer, Izhar Ashdot
Izhar Ashdot
Izhar Ashdot is an Israeli singer-songwriter, guitarist, and a record producer. He is a co-founding member of the Israeli rock band T-Slam.-Start of his Career:...
, the album was certified gold less than one month after its release and eventually achieved platinum status. (Because of its small market size, the Israeli music industry certifies an album to be gold when it sells 20,000 copies.) The album's commercial success was not only important to Skaat's burgeoning career, but it also proved helpful in launching the careers of three young singer-songwriters, Keren Peles
Keren Peles
-Music career:Peles graduated from the Rimon music school. In 2005 she became famous for her songwiriting for Miri Mesika and Shiri Maimon.Her debut album, If This Is Life was released in July 2006 and was certified gold after selling 20,000 copies. Peles wrote all of the songs on the album...
, Dor Daniel, and Kfir Epstein, who each wrote hit songs on the album, and went on to release successful debut albums of their own. Skaat co-wrote one song on the album, "Afilu Shesreifot" ("אפילו שהשריפות", "Even Though it's Burning").
Dmuyot
In early 2008, Hed ArtziHed Artzi
Hed Arzi Music , is an Israeli music company that is involved with producing music, importing albums from abroad, and distributing Israeli and international music...
sued Skaat for breach of contract, claiming that he had secretly recorded new material for a new CD for a rival company before their contract had expired, and demanding all the recordings Skaat might have made in secret. In court, Skaat denied that he had broken their contract, but Hed Artzi successfully won a temporary injunction against Skaat, which kept the singer from recording any new material. A resolution seemed possible in December 2008 when the Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority is Israel's state broadcasting network.It grew out of the radio station Kol Yisrael, which made its first broadcast as an independent station on . The name of the organisation operating Kol Yisrael was changed to Israel Broadcasting Service in 1951...
(IBA) selected Skaat to be the country's representative in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
. Skaat and Hed Artzi renewed their negotiations to resolve the conflict but when these broke down, the record company contested the IBA's selection, which forced Skaat to drop out. In February 2009, the Tel Aviv District Court granted Skaat permission to return to the studio. (The IBA eventually selected Achinoam Nini
Achinoam Nini
Achinoam Nini , also known by her professional name, Noa, is a leading Israeli international concert and recording artist.-Career:...
and Mira Awad
Mira Awad
Mīrā ’Anwar ‘Awaḍ is an Israeli Arab singer, actress, and songwriter.‘Awaḍ lives in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 2009, she was chosen to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest along with Jewish-Israeli singer Achinoam Nini, singing the song There Must Be Another Way. She was the first Arab to...
to represent Israel with the song "There Must be Another Way", and they finished 16th in the contest.)
The two parties subsequently reached a compromise and Skaat soon entered into a new agreement with Aroma Music and Partner Communications. Skaat's second album, Dmuyot (דמויות, Figures [alternative translations of the title include "Images" and "Characters"]) was released on 1 September 2009. The album contained the hit song "Muvan Li Achshav" ("מובן לי עכשיו", "Now I Understand"), which was released as a single and sold exclusively in Israel at Aroma Espresso Bar
Aroma Espresso Bar
Aroma Espresso Bar is an Israeli espresso and coffee chain with 123 branches around the country, several branches in the United States, Canada and Ukraine and single locations in Germany, Cyprus, Romania and Kazakhstan...
's chain of coffee shops. Other singles from the album include "Boi Ha Yom" ("בואי היום", "Come Today"), "Sof", ("סוף", "End") and "Od Ya'ir Alay" ("עוד יאיר עלי", "Shine on Me"). The majority of the album was produced by either Peter Roth or Izhar Ashdot
Izhar Ashdot
Izhar Ashdot is an Israeli singer-songwriter, guitarist, and a record producer. He is a co-founding member of the Israeli rock band T-Slam.-Start of his Career:...
, with a number of young Israeli songwriters contributing songs to it, including Ofer Bashan, Yali Sobol, Ben-Artzi, Sheila Ferber, Kfir Epstein, Didi Shachar, Ilai Botner, and Yoav Degani. Skaat co-wrote four of the songs on the album ("Sof", "Od Ya'ir Alay", "Dmuyot", and "Zippor" ("ציפור", "Bird")), including two which were released as singles.
Although it has been certified gold in Israel, Dmuyot did not achieve the same level of commercial success as his first album. The album's biggest hit, "Muvan Li Achshav" placed number 34 on the Reshet Gimmel annual music chart for 2009.
Critically, the reviews of the album were mixed. For example, a review by Yossi Hersonski praised the "beautiful melody" of "Sof" but found the lyrics to be overly-sentimental. In contrast, Hersonski wrote that "Dmuyot", the closing song on the album was a monologue by Skaat with "his soul, confessing his weaknesses", and that Skaat's singing "is very emotional, but more polished this time"
Eurovision 2010
In December 2009, the Israel Broadcasting AuthorityIsrael Broadcasting Authority
Israel Broadcasting Authority is Israel's state broadcasting network.It grew out of the radio station Kol Yisrael, which made its first broadcast as an independent station on . The name of the organisation operating Kol Yisrael was changed to Israel Broadcasting Service in 1951...
selected Skaat to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
. The announcement was made at the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
, Israel's legislative body. The selection was preceded by several days of speculation and confusion, and followed by criticism of the Israel Broadcasting Authority and calls for an investigation of the selection process. On 15 March 2010, "Milim" ("מילים", "Words") written by Noam Horev and composed by Tomer Hadadi, was selected uninaminously as the Israeli song entry for the Eurovision contest when it won the Kdam Eurovision, the country's pre-Eurovision selection competition. The four songs chosen as finalists for the Kdam Eurovision, including "Milim", were recorded in a studio by Skaat and released on a special EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
entitled Eurovision 2010 At the Kdam Eurovision, Skaat sang "Milim" in Hebrew with the backing of string instruments, but before the Eurovision contest Skaat re-recorded it again entirely in Hebrew but with an altered vocal arrangement and with a full orchestra accompaniment. Because it was known by early March 2010 that the majority of Eurovision entries for that year would probably be sung in English (24 of the 39 entries at the Eurovision contest sang in English), there was some coverage in the Israeli media prior to Eurovision as to which language "Milim" should be sung—Hebrew, English, French, or in some combination of the languages.
Ultimately, Skaat sang the song in both the semi-finals (where he passed) and finals of Eurovision entirely in Hebrew, performing the altered version with the full orchestra accompaniment (although at Eurovision 2010, there was no live orchestra present, which meant that he sang with the backing of a recorded track). To promote the Israeli entry, a music video of "Milim" was released and Skaat also recorded and released English and French versions of the song.
At Oslo, Skaat explained to the press that "Milim" is about loss, such as in a break-up, but that for him, it has a deeper meaning. Skaat said, "this song touches me deeply. My grandfather died just days before the selections in Israel, and this gives me a very deep feeling, I feel that I'm really singing this song for him. He wanted me to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest for five years, and then he got to hear that I was going to take part in the national selection before he passed away."
Despite being listed as one of the favorites to win on several online betting sites, Israel placed only 14th in the Eurovision contest's 50/50-result. Detailed analysis shows a wide difference between the overall voting of the viewers and the juries, both of whom had equal weight in determining the results of the finals. Israel placed fifth out of the 25 entries in the finals with the juries, but only 19th with the televoters. Had it been up to the public, Israel would not have made it past the semi-final rounds, placing 12th in a field of 17 with televoters in the second semi-final; Skaat's strong placement with the juries in the second semi-finals secured Israel's place in the finals.
In spite of the disappointing results, Israel received something of a consolation prize, as the country swept the Eurovision-sanctioned 2010 Marcel Bezençon Awards
Marcel Bezençon Awards
The Marcel Bezençon Awards were first handed out during the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 in Tallinn, Estonia honoringthe best competing songs in the final...
, winning for best artist, best composition, and best entry of the contest. It is the first time in the history of the awards, which are selected by the contest's accredited media and press, participating composers, and commentators that a single country has won more than one award in the same year. At the end of the Eurovision contest, Skaat expressed pride and gratitude. He told one reporter, "I’m proud and happy over the performance and for representing [Israel]. “We brought Israel artistic accolades. It was a fun experience and I enjoyed every minute of it. After all, it’s just sports.” While Christer Björkman, a founder of the Marcel Bezençon Awards
Marcel Bezençon Awards
The Marcel Bezençon Awards were first handed out during the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 in Tallinn, Estonia honoringthe best competing songs in the final...
awards, stated, "The awards given to the Israeli entry show a virtue of the prize. It reveals something that didn't come across in the vote of the contest.... This song is very beautiful, and we've been here two weeks now, but it might be that this song doesn't reach out in the same way the first time you hear it".
Concerts
In 2006, Skaat began a concert tour to promote his debut album, performing throughout Israel, including a concert at the Frederic R. Mann AuditoriumFrederic R. Mann Auditorium
Fredric R. Mann Culture Center, commonly referred to as The Culture Palace, is a performing arts venue in Tel Aviv, Israel, which was opened in 1957 at Habima Square.It is home to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra....
in Tel Aviv (home to the
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is the leading symphony orchestra in Israel. It was originally known as the Palestine Orchestra, and in Hebrew as התזמורת הסימפונית הארץ ישראלית The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit...
). The tour eventually passed the 200 concert mark, an achievement which has been widely noted in the Israeli media. In 2009 Skaat began a second concert tour to promote the Dmuyot album. Reuters' music writer and critic, Assaf Nevo began his review of the launch of that tour by noting that if a computer were to create the ultimate Israeli pop singer it would resemble Skaat, who he wrote combined the charisma of Shlomo Artzi
Shlomo Artzi
Shlomo Artzi is an Israeli folk rock singer-songwriter, and composer.He was born on November 26, 1949, in Moshav Alonei Abba. In the course of his career, he has sold over 1.5 million albums, making him one of Israel's most successful male singers....
, the star quality of Ivri Lider
Ivri Lider
Ivri Lider is an Israeli pop rock singer-songwriter. He is one of the biggest-selling contemporary artists in Israeli music, and has won the Male Singer of the Year honor from major Israeli national and local radio stations since entering the Israeli music scene in the late 1990s...
, the vocal clarity of Izhar Cohen
Izhar Cohen
Izhar Cohen is an Israeli singer and actor.Representing Israel, he won the 1978 Eurovision Song Contest with the group Alphabeta performing "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" with music by Nurit Hirsh and words by Ehud Manor...
, the cuteness of Evitar Banai, and the sensitivity of Rami Kleinstein. While Nevo viewed Skaat as a good pop singer, he believed that Skaat's music did not extend beyond this genre.
Skaat has also frequently appeared at the Zappa night clubs in Tel Aviv and Herzliya, which regularly features live music from both Israeli and international musicians.
One of Skaat's first major appearances after Eurovision was on 28 July 2010 in Tel Aviv at a tribute to the French singer, Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
. Skaat had been scheduled to perform at the opening ceremony of the XIX International Festival of Arts, "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk
Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk
The International Festival of Arts "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" is an annual festival held in Vitebsk, Belarus under the auspices of the Belarussian Government since 1992. Its main program is devoted to Slavic music. The main participants are artists from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, with guests...
" in Belarus on 9 July 2010, but his appearance was canceled by the organizers two days before the event. The organizers cited a need to downsize the number of concerts as a reason for the cancellation, but Israeli diplomatic sources alleged that the cancellation was due to political reasons and the Israeli ambassador to Belarus refused to attend the opening ceremony in protest.
In March 2011, Skaat took part in a unique collaboration: singing three of his songs live in the Sharon Levi's Barcelona Dance Company's tap dance show, "Fragments", which debuted in Paris.
Musical style
Skaat has been called a "convincing and captivating" performer and his singing has been described as "smooth, precise, very clean and very clear". In an article reviewing the first decade of the century in Israeli music he was called "the most passionate singer in Israel from 2006-2007". In addition to the criticisms of Skaat's music which has been noted elsewhere in the article, some of the criticism of the singer has focused on his association with Kokhav Nolad and the phenomenon of instant celebrity. A 2006 article published on Nrg.co.il criticized the pleasant, but "mainstreamed" and essentially non-progressive nature of the dominant contemporary Israeli pop music, including that by Skaat, Shai GabsoShai Gabso
Shai Gabso is an Israeli singer. He won second place in the first season of Kokhav Nolad .-Biography:Shai Gabso was born on July 20, 1984 in Rishon Lezion. He became religiously observant at the age of twelve. Gabso's single Arim Roshi has been hailed as a patriotic anthem...
(alternative spelling: Shay Gabso), Ninet Tayeb, Harel Moyal
Harel Moyal
Harel Moyal is a popular young Israeli pop singer-songwriter and stage actor who won the second season of the Israeli television series Kochav Nolad...
, and other Kokhav Nolad graduates.
Skaat has said, "My wish was always to be a singer, and I'm still working on it." Skaat is one of many well-known singers, both past and present, of Yemenite Jewish heritage—a long line that includes Bracha Zefira, Shoshana Damari, Haim Moshe
Haim Moshe
Haim Moshe born 1956)is an Israeli singer whose musical style has crossed over from Yemenite and Mediterranean "ethnic" music to include mainstream Israeli and western pop elements. He has helped Mizrahi music achieve wide popularityboth in Israel...
, Zohar Argov
Zohar Argov
Zohar Argov was a popular Israeli singer and a distinctive voice in the Mizrahi music scene.- Background :The most serious hurdle on the way to stardom was Argov's socioeconomic background. He was born in Rishon LeZion, and grew up in a poor family, the eldest of ten children...
, Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....
, Gali Atari
Gali Atari
Avigail "Gali" Atari is an Israeli actress and singer.-Career:She first appeared on the international scene in 1971, when she represented Israel at the World Popular Song Festival in Japan with the songs "All free" and "Give love away"...
, Dana International
Dana International
Sharon Cohen , professionally known as Dana International is an Israeli pop singer of Yemenite Jewish ancestry. She has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums, positioning herself as one of Israel's most successful musical acts ever...
, Achinoam Nini
Achinoam Nini
Achinoam Nini , also known by her professional name, Noa, is a leading Israeli international concert and recording artist.-Career:...
(Noa), and many others. However, unlike the music of some Yemenite Jewish singers, there have been generally few hints of the distinctive singing style often associated with that culture in Skaat's music. Although Skaat has said that he has been influenced by Rivka Zohar and he has named Rami Kleinstein and Sarit Hadad
Sarit Hadad
Sarit Hadad is an acclaimed Israeli singer. She stems from a musician family with both origins in the Tunisia and Caucases...
as two of his favorite singers, he stated in a February 2010 interview that, "I don't think I [have] ever been influenced by someone in specific. I have always listened to so many different kinds of music. I feel as if I have learned from each singer I listened to and still do. From the vigour of the great female singers, through the song interpretation of French performers to the intricate structures of classical music pieces. I find inspiration in them all!"
Skaat is reportedly working on a new album, which will be recorded in English, the first of his to be targeted at an international audience. Among those who have been enlisted to work on the project is Grammy award winning producer, Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden
Narada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
, who has worked with a number of musicians including Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
. Skaat is also working concurrently on a new album for the Israeli market. The first single from his upcoming Israeli album, "Od Tihye Li Ahava" ("תהיה לי אהבה", the song translates in English roughly as "I Still Have Love") was released in June 2011 and with its uptempo beat is a musical departure from much of the singer's previous work.
Special recognition
In late 2009, to celebrate the end of the decade on the Jewish calendar, Israeli radio station, GalgalatzGalgalatz
Galgalatz is a popular Israeli radio station operated by Israel Defense Forces Radio. This is the second of two Israel Defense Forces-operated stations, while the first one is Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz. The station was established in 1993 and broadcasts primarily nonstop pop music and...
and television station, Channel 24 conducted a number of special polls in which the public selected their favorite songs, singers, bands, and music videos of the past decade. Skaat placed second on the poll for male singer of the decade (after Eyal Golan
Eyal Golan
Eyal Golan, , is a popular Israeli singer who sings in the Mizrahi style. Golan is one of the most successful singers of the Mizrahi genre in Israel...
), while two of his songs, "Ve'at" and "Hineni Kan", placed fourth and 21st respectively on the poll for song of the decade ("Mima'amakim" by the Idan Raichel
Idan Raichel
Idan Raichel is an Israeli singer-songwriter and a musician, known for his Idan Raichel Project , distinctive for its fusion of electronics, traditional Hebrew texts, Middle Eastern and Ethiopian music. Prior to the Project, Raichel was a keyboardist, collaborating with artists such as Ivri Lider...
Project placed first on the poll). The winners and a countdown of the top 20 songs were revealed live on Israeli television at an all-star show on 15 October 2009 at Jerusalem's Sultan's Pool
Sultan's Pool
The Sultan's Pool is an ancient water basin by the west side of Mount Zion. It was part of the water supply network for Jerusalem from antiquity to late Ottoman Empire times. During the Crusaders times it was known as Lacus Germani.Currently it is dry in summer and used for concerts and festivals....
in front of an estimated 8,000 spectators. The concert featured many of the musicians (including Skaat) performing songs that made it on the poll.
Personal life
In a documentary first broadcast on Israeli television in October 2010, Skaat stated that he is gayHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. The statement came after years of public speculation about Skaat's sexual orientation and after a controversial public outing by Israeli film producer and gay activist, Gal Ochovsky, after Skaat performed at a July 2010 memorial to mark the one year anniversary of an attack on a Tel Aviv gay youth center
2009 Tel Aviv gay centre shooting
The 2009 Tel Aviv gay centre shooting resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to at least fifteen others at the Tel Aviv branch of the Israeli GLBT Association, at the "Bar-Noar" , on Nahmani Street in Tel Aviv, Israel, on 1 August 2009. A 26-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl were killed...
.
In June 2010, Skaat purchased an apartment at one of the Arlosoroff Towers, a pair of planned commercial and residential high rise buildings in Tel Aviv's Ayalon Triangle. Skaat has been actively involved with charities aimed at children with disabilities. For recreation, he sometimes likes to engage in high thrill activities, such as skydiving, bungee jumping, and rafting.
Studio albums
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Harel Skaat (הראל סקעת) |
| 2009 | Dmuyot (דמויות, Figures) |
EPs
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2010 | Eurovision 2010 (אירוויזיון 2010) |
Singles
| Year | Title | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Ein Od Si'kui (אין עוד סיכוי, No More Chance) |
Shmuel Elbaz (שמואל אלבז) |
| 2006 | Ve'at (ואת, And You) |
Keren Peles Keren Peles -Music career:Peles graduated from the Rimon music school. In 2005 she became famous for her songwiriting for Miri Mesika and Shiri Maimon.Her debut album, If This Is Life was released in July 2006 and was certified gold after selling 20,000 copies. Peles wrote all of the songs on the album... (קרן פלס) |
| 2006 | Kama Od Efshar (כמה עוד אפשר, How Much) |
Sagit Shir (שגית שיר) |
| 2006 | Mashehu Mimeni (משהו ממני, Something from Me) |
Dor Daniel (דור דניאל) |
| 2006 | Kol Hatziporim (כל הציפורים, All the Birds) |
Keren Peles Keren Peles -Music career:Peles graduated from the Rimon music school. In 2005 she became famous for her songwiriting for Miri Mesika and Shiri Maimon.Her debut album, If This Is Life was released in July 2006 and was certified gold after selling 20,000 copies. Peles wrote all of the songs on the album... (קרן פלס) |
| 2007 | Im Hu Yelech (אם הוא ילך, If He Goes) |
Kfir Epstein (כפיר אפשטיין) |
| 2009 | Muvan Li Achshav (מובן לי עכשיו, It's Clear to Me Now) |
Ofer Bashan (עפר בשן) |
| 2009 | Boi Ha Yom (בואי היום, Come Today) |
Yahli Sobol (יהלי סובול) |
| 2009 | Sof (סוף, End) |
Ilai Botner, Harel Skaat (עילי בוטנר, הראל סקעת) |
| 2009 | Od Yair Alay (עוד יאיר עלי, His Light Will Shine on Me) |
Ofer Bashan, Benny Bashan, Harel Skaat (עפר בשן, בני בשן, הראל סקעת) |
| 2010 | Milim Milim "Milim" is a song composed by Tomer Adaddi with lyrics by Noam Horev that was recorded by the Israeli singer, Harel Skaat. The song was the Israeli song entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 where the Israeli entry finished 14th out of 39 countries despite being one of the favorites entering... (מילים, Words) |
Tomer Adaddi, Noam Horev (תומר הדדי, נועם חורב) |
| 2011 | Od Tihye Li Ahava (תהיה לי אהבה, I Still Have Love) |
Harel Skaat, Noam Horev, Yahel Doron Guy Mensch, (Ran Shem Tov, producer) |
External links
- Harel Skaat meets and performs for delegation of Chinese students in Israel
- Interview with Chinese fans of Harel Skaat