Im Nin'Alu
Encyclopedia
"Im Nin'alu" is a Hebrew poem by 17th-century Rabbi
Shalom Shabazi
that has been set to music and sung by Israeli singer Ofra Haza
and others. The poem opens with the words :
Im nin'alu daltei n'divim daltei marom lo nin'alu
Even if the gates of the rich are closed, the gates of heaven will never be closed.
Full text of the poem as available here.
first performed this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on television on IBA
's General Television
in 1978. She went on to become famous in Europe with the song in the year 1988, when a remixed version thereof, produced by Izhar Ashdot
, reached the Top Ten in various countries and number one in several of these, most notably in West Germany
where it topped the charts for nine weeks in the summer of 1988. In the UK the track was a Top 20 hit, peaking at #15 and in the U.S. it reached #15 on Billboard
s Hot Dance Club Play chart and #18 on Hot Modern Rock Tracks. British duo Coldcut
produced a remix of Eric B. & Rakim
's "Paid In Full" which heavily sampled Im Nin'alu. The single reportedly sold some three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first world music
recordings to cross over to mainstream pop chart success. Even though Haza's version of the song shows her own interpretation, and its presentation was modern and popular, it still fits in with the Yemenite tradition that she represented.
The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs
, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday
of 1988.
In 1997 Haza re-recorded the track for her eponymous album Ofra Haza
, produced by Frank Peterson
of Enigma
and Gregorian
. The German promo 12" for the album's lead single "Show Me" also featured two remixes of "Im Nin'Alu".
In 2008 two new remixes were included on the greatest hits compilation Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed
.
The international followup single to "Im Nin'Alu (Played In Full)" in 1988 was a remix of the track "Galbi
", also originally from the Yemenite Songs
album.
in their single "Paid In Full", Snoop Dogg
used the same sample on his remake of "Paid In Full" titled "Paper'd Up" from his album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$
. Nas
also used the same sample in his diss song
to Jay Z entitled "H to the Homo".
Canadian band Delerium
sample the lyrics in their song 'Hidden Mask', from the 1989 album "Faces, Forms & Illusions
".
American Rap group Public Enemy also sampled the opening few seconds of the song (which are a cappella
) on the track 'Can't Truss It', featured on the 1991 album Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black
.
The song features very briefly as background music in a restaurant at the beginning of the 2000 film American Psycho
.
In 1998 Swedish DJ team C&N Project included a sample of the opening line Im nin'alu on their single "The Queen of Tel Aviv", which was credited to C&N Project Featuring Ofra Haza.
Israeli singer Michal Cohen performs "Im Nin‘alu" on La Kahena (2005) by DJ Cheb i Sabbah
.
Part of the song appears in Madonna
's song "Isaac" from her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor
(2005).
Im Nin'alu is the opening track on Eliyahu & The Qadim Ensemble's album Eastern Wind
(2009), lead vocals by Rachel Valfer. http://eliyahusills.com/music/music.html
In 2009 Punjabi MC remixed this song on his album named Indian Timing.
1988
1997
2008
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Shalom Shabazi
Shalom Shabazi
Rabbi Shalom ben Yosef Shabbazi, also Abba Shalem Shabbezi or Salim Elshibzi was one of the greatest Jewish poets who lived in 17th century Yemen and now considered the 'Poet of Yemen'. Shabbazi was born in 1619 at Jewish Sharab, close to Ta'izz, and lived most of his life in Ta'izz from which he...
that has been set to music and sung by Israeli singer Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....
and others. The poem opens with the words :
Im nin'alu daltei n'divim daltei marom lo nin'alu
Even if the gates of the rich are closed, the gates of heaven will never be closed.
Full text of the poem as available here.
History
Ofra HazaOfra Haza
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....
first performed this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on television on IBA
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...
's General Television
Channel 1 (Israel)
Channel 1 is one of the oldest television channels in Israel and one of five terrestrial channels in the country...
in 1978. She went on to become famous in Europe with the song in the year 1988, when a remixed version thereof, produced by 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:...
, reached the Top Ten in various countries and number one in several of these, most notably in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
where it topped the charts for nine weeks in the summer of 1988. In the UK the track was a Top 20 hit, peaking at #15 and in the U.S. it reached #15 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Dance Club Play chart and #18 on Hot Modern Rock Tracks. British duo Coldcut
Coldcut
Coldcut are an English dance music duo, comprising Matt Black and Jonathan More. Their signature style is electronic dance music, featuring cut up samples of hip hop, breaks, jazz, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia.-1980s:In 1986, computer programmer Matt...
produced a remix of Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
's "Paid In Full" which heavily sampled Im Nin'alu. The single reportedly sold some three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
recordings to cross over to mainstream pop chart success. Even though Haza's version of the song shows her own interpretation, and its presentation was modern and popular, it still fits in with the Yemenite tradition that she represented.
The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs
Yemenite Songs
Yemenite Songs a.k.a. Shirey Teyman is a 1984 album by Ofra Haza, in which the Israeli pop star returned to her roots interpreting traditional Yemeni Jewish songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi...
, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday
Shaday
Shaday was a 1988 album by Ofra Haza, released after the international chart success of the single "Im Nin' Alu ." Like the follow-up "Galbi," it was originally included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, which consisted of traditional folk songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century...
of 1988.
In 1997 Haza re-recorded the track for her eponymous album Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza (album)
Ofra Haza is the eponymous 1997 album by Israeli singer Ofra Haza. The album was produced by Frank Peterson , recorded both in Hamburg as well as at legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, and includes the single release "Show Me", an updated version of "Im Nin' Alu", songs co-written by Peterson,...
, produced by Frank Peterson
Frank Peterson
Frank Peterson is a German music producer known for his work with Enigma and artists such as Sarah Brightman, Ofra Haza, Gregorian, Princessa and Andrea Bocelli on his first international album Romanza in 1997....
of Enigma
Enigma (band)
Enigma was a British disco band from the 1980s. Their only singles were "Ain't No Stopping" and "I Love Music", which reached #11 and #25 in the UK Singles Chart respectively in 1981. They also released an album, Ain't No Stoppin' which reached #80 in the UK Albums Chart in September 1981...
and Gregorian
Gregorian (band)
Gregorian is a German band headed by Frank Peterson that performs Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. The band features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment.- Band history :...
. The German promo 12" for the album's lead single "Show Me" also featured two remixes of "Im Nin'Alu".
In 2008 two new remixes were included on the greatest hits compilation Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed
Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed
Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed is a 2008 greatest hits album of recordings by Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released on the Edel Records label...
.
The international followup single to "Im Nin'Alu (Played In Full)" in 1988 was a remix of the track "Galbi
Galbi (song)
"Galbi" is an Arabic poem by the 17th century Yemenite Rabbi Shalom Shabazi which later was set to music, and was sung by Israeli Yemenite singer Ofra Haza and others...
", also originally from the Yemenite Songs
Yemenite Songs
Yemenite Songs a.k.a. Shirey Teyman is a 1984 album by Ofra Haza, in which the Israeli pop star returned to her roots interpreting traditional Yemeni Jewish songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi...
album.
Samples and other versions
The song was sampled by rap duo Eric B. & RakimEric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
in their single "Paid In Full", Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
used the same sample on his remake of "Paid In Full" titled "Paper'd Up" from his album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$
Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$
* Rolling Stone - 3 stars out of 5 - "Snoop stretches his silky flow over tracks by underground ace Hi-Tek and the unstoppable Neptunes."* Spin - 8 out of 10 - "The most spirited pop record of his career....Paid Tha Cost is Snoop unleashed."...
. Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
also used the same sample in his diss song
Diss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...
to Jay Z entitled "H to the Homo".
Canadian band Delerium
Delerium
Delerium is a band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, formed in 1987, originally as a side project of the influential industrial music act, Front Line Assembly...
sample the lyrics in their song 'Hidden Mask', from the 1989 album "Faces, Forms & Illusions
Faces, Forms & Illusions
Faces, Forms & Illusions is an album by the Canadian ambient/electronic music group Delerium that was released on January 6, 1989 on the Dossier label. . The album was re-issued in 1997 on Cleopatra Records with the bonus track "Dark Star" added and "Hidden Mask" removed...
".
American Rap group Public Enemy also sampled the opening few seconds of the song (which are a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
) on the track 'Can't Truss It', featured on the 1991 album Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black
Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black
Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released October 3, 1991 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. It debuts production team Imperial Grand Ministers of Funk, which consisted of producers Stuart Robertz, Cerwin 'C-Dawg'...
.
The song features very briefly as background music in a restaurant at the beginning of the 2000 film American Psycho
American Psycho (film)
American Psycho is a 2000 cult thriller film directed by Mary Harron based on Bret Easton Ellis's novel of the same name. Though predominantly a psycho thriller, the film also blends elements of horror, satire, and black comedy...
.
In 1998 Swedish DJ team C&N Project included a sample of the opening line Im nin'alu on their single "The Queen of Tel Aviv", which was credited to C&N Project Featuring Ofra Haza.
Israeli singer Michal Cohen performs "Im Nin‘alu" on La Kahena (2005) by DJ Cheb i Sabbah
Cheb i Sabbah
Cheb i Sabbah , born Haim Serge El Baz in Constantine, Algeria, is a club DJ based in San Francisco, California....
.
Part of the song appears in Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's song "Isaac" from her 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor
Confessions on a Dance Floor
Confessions on a Dance Floor is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on November 15, 2005 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was a complete departure from her last studio album, American Life . It included influences of 70s and 80s disco as well as...
(2005).
Im Nin'alu is the opening track on Eliyahu & The Qadim Ensemble's album Eastern Wind
Eastern Wind
Eastern Wind is singer/songwriter Chris de Burgh's fifth studio album, released in 1980.-Track listing:All songs written by Chris de Burgh#"The Traveller" – 4:11#"The Record Company Bash" – 3:54#"Tonight" – 3:28#"Wall of Silence" – 3:48...
(2009), lead vocals by Rachel Valfer. http://eliyahusills.com/music/music.html
In 2009 Punjabi MC remixed this song on his album named Indian Timing.
Official versions and remixes
1984- Original recording, Yemenite SongsYemenite SongsYemenite Songs a.k.a. Shirey Teyman is a 1984 album by Ofra Haza, in which the Israeli pop star returned to her roots interpreting traditional Yemeni Jewish songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi...
album a.k.a. Traditional Version - 5:18
1988
- ShadayShadayShaday was a 1988 album by Ofra Haza, released after the international chart success of the single "Im Nin' Alu ." Like the follow-up "Galbi," it was originally included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, which consisted of traditional folk songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century...
Album Mix (Played In Full 7" Mix - English Vocal - Edited) - 3:29 - Played In Full Edit (Ariola RecordsAriola RecordsAriola Records is a German record label. As of the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of BMG which in turn has since become a part of the international media conglomerate Sony Music Entertainment...
7", West Germany) - 3:53 - Played In Full 7" Mix - 4:05
- Played In Full 7" Mix - English Vocal - 4:05
- Played In Full - 7" Yemen Vocal (TeldecTeldecThe Teldec is a German record label in Hamburg, Germany. Today the label is a property of Warner Music Group.-History:...
7", West Germany) - 4:50 - Played In Full Mix (12") - 5:45
- Instrumental Dub (U.S. 12") - 5:49
- Extended Mix (12") - 6:40
- Gates of Heaven Mix (Mark KaminsMark KaminsMark Kamins is a New York club DJ.He is best known for helping launch the career of one-time girlfriend Madonna by presenting a demo to Seymour Stein of Sire Records. He also produced her first single "Everybody" in 1982...
and Frank Inglese, U.S. 12") - 6:54
1997
- "Im Nin'Alu 2000" - 1997 re-recording, album Ofra HazaOfra Haza (album)Ofra Haza is the eponymous 1997 album by Israeli singer Ofra Haza. The album was produced by Frank Peterson , recorded both in Hamburg as well as at legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, and includes the single release "Show Me", an updated version of "Im Nin' Alu", songs co-written by Peterson,...
- 3:38 - 1997 Re-Recording - Ofra Goes To Hollywood Mix ("Show Me" Promo 12", Germany) - 5:15
- 1997 Re-Recording - Some Skunk Funk Remix ("Show Me" Promo 12", Germany) - 7:30
2008
- 2008 Version, album Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs RemixedForever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs RemixedForever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed is a 2008 greatest hits album of recordings by Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released on the Edel Records label...
- Unplugged Mix, album Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs RemixedForever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs RemixedForever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed is a 2008 greatest hits album of recordings by Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released on the Edel Records label...
- Bridge Mix, album "Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs RemixedForever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs RemixedForever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed is a 2008 greatest hits album of recordings by Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released on the Edel Records label...
" - Brixxton Squad Mix, album "Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs RemixedForever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs RemixedForever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed is a 2008 greatest hits album of recordings by Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released on the Edel Records label...
"
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Silver | 1988 | 200,000 |
| Germany | Gold | 1988 | 250,000 |
| Sweden | Gold | September 21, 1988 | 10,000 |
Charts
| Chart (1988/89) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 1 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 6 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 16 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 15 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 18 |
| End of year chart (1988) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 11 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 4 |