Rami Fortis
Encyclopedia
Rami Fortis often Fortis, is an Israel
i rock singer.
origin. He served in the 1973 Yom Kippur war
and was influenced by his experiences at the front. He began his musical career in 1975 as a lighting-man in the shows of Tamuz
- one of Israel's prominent rock groups at that time. The band would get him on stage to sing one or two songs in their concerts.
His 1978 debut album, Plonter, is considered a breakthrough in Israeli music. It was regarded as one of the wildest and noisiest albums ever to be recorded in Israel
, way ahead of its time. Influenced by such artists as The Clash
, Sex Pistols
, Iggy Pop
and The Ramones
, it was characterized by topics and a style that were unfamiliar and unconventional in Israel at the time.
A group of his Tel Aviv friends, guitar player Berry Sakharof
(with whom Fortis had played in S.O.B), bass player Malka Spigel
(who was Fortis' girlfriend at the time) & singer/ poet Samy Birnbach (who had contributed lyrics to Plonter) formed Minimal Compact
in 1981 in Amsterdam
. The band established itself as an alternative rock
band in Europe, signing to Belgium's Crammed Records label, making two albums and adding drummer Max Franken
. In 1984 Fortis was asked to join and stayed with them up to the first split in 1988. He was part of the line up which produced the band's two best known albums: Deadly Weapons produced by Tuxedomoon
's Peter Principle
and Raging Souls produced by Wire
's Colin Newman
. He went on to tour with them extensively in Europe and Japan. Minimal Compact
remain notable as the first (mainly) Israeli band to have gained considerable success outside of the country. They had a song ("When I go") included in Wim Wenders
' Wings of Desire
soundtrack and had covers designed by Neville Brody
and Russell Mills
.
On his return to Israel in 1988, Fortis recorded his second album, Sipurim Mehakufsa (Tales from the Box), a collaboration with Berry Sakharof
which has been described as "the best thing to happen to Israeli Rock". Later albums included a collaboration with Mashina
's Shlomi Bracha. Since 2004 the collaboration with Berry Sakharof
has been revived with the re-formation of the duo Fortisakharof.
Fortis resides in Beit Yitzhak and is married to Naomi, director of the Batsheva Dance Company
.
In 2008, Fortis was featured on the documentary movie On the Move, about Ehud Banai and the Refugees
.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i rock singer.
Biography
Rami Fortis is of Iraqi and ItalianItalian Jews
Italian Jews can be used in a broad sense to mean all Jews living or with roots in Italy or in a narrower sense to mean the ancient community who use the Italian rite, as distinct from the communities dating from medieval or modern times who use the Sephardi or Ashkenazi rite.-Divisions:Italian...
origin. He served in the 1973 Yom Kippur war
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
and was influenced by his experiences at the front. He began his musical career in 1975 as a lighting-man in the shows of Tamuz
Tamouz (band)
Tamouz was an Israeli rock band which released the influential album "End of the Orange Season" in 1976.The band did not attain much commercial success, but they are a reference point in Israeli Rock, with hits like: "Sof Onat Ha'Tapuzim" and "Ma She'Youter Amok Yoter Cachol"...
- one of Israel's prominent rock groups at that time. The band would get him on stage to sing one or two songs in their concerts.
His 1978 debut album, Plonter, is considered a breakthrough in Israeli music. It was regarded as one of the wildest and noisiest albums ever to be recorded in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, way ahead of its time. Influenced by such artists as The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
and The Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, it was characterized by topics and a style that were unfamiliar and unconventional in Israel at the time.
A group of his Tel Aviv friends, guitar player Berry Sakharof
Berry Sakharof
Berry Sakharof is an Israeli rock guitarist, songwriter and singer.-Biography:Sakharof was born in Izmir, Turkey in 1957. His family immigrated to Israel when he was 3 years old.-Start of career:...
(with whom Fortis had played in S.O.B), bass player Malka Spigel
Malka Spigel
Malka Spigel is a founding member of the Israeli rock band Minimal Compact. She has also worked as a solo artist, and as a visual artist, exhibiting in prominent venues such as The Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Royal Festival Hall...
(who was Fortis' girlfriend at the time) & singer/ poet Samy Birnbach (who had contributed lyrics to Plonter) formed Minimal Compact
Minimal Compact
Minimal Compact were an Israeli rock band associated with the post punk and indie rock movement of the 1980s.-Biography:Between its foundation in 1981 and its dissolution seven years later, Minimal Compact played a small role in the European rock scene...
in 1981 in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. The band established itself as an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band in Europe, signing to Belgium's Crammed Records label, making two albums and adding drummer Max Franken
Max Franken
Max Franken was the drummer for Minimal Compact, an Israeli rock band that achieved success outside the country. He is also a member of Githead along with Colin Newman, Robin Rimbaud and fellow Minimal Compact member Malka Spigel.-External links:*...
. In 1984 Fortis was asked to join and stayed with them up to the first split in 1988. He was part of the line up which produced the band's two best known albums: Deadly Weapons produced by Tuxedomoon
Tuxedomoon
Tuxedomoon is an experimental post-punk/New Wave group formed in San Francisco, California, consisting of core members Blaine L. Reininger, Steven Brown and Peter Principle....
's Peter Principle
Peter Principle
The Peter Principle states that "in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence", meaning that employees tend to be promoted until they reach a position at which they cannot work competently. It was formulated by Dr. Laurence J...
and Raging Souls produced by Wire
Wire (band)
Wire are an English rock band, formed in London in October 1976 by Colin Newman , Graham Lewis , Bruce Gilbert , and Robert Gotobed...
's Colin Newman
Colin Newman
Colin Newman is an English musician, record producer and record label owner.-Biography:Newman is a member of the rock band Wire. When the band temporarily split in 1980, Newman pursued a solo career. His first solo LP, A-Z, was released in 1980 on the Beggar's Banquet label...
. He went on to tour with them extensively in Europe and Japan. Minimal Compact
Minimal Compact
Minimal Compact were an Israeli rock band associated with the post punk and indie rock movement of the 1980s.-Biography:Between its foundation in 1981 and its dissolution seven years later, Minimal Compact played a small role in the European rock scene...
remain notable as the first (mainly) Israeli band to have gained considerable success outside of the country. They had a song ("When I go") included in Wim Wenders
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders is a German film director, playwright, author, photographer and producer.-Early life:Wenders was born in Düsseldorf. He graduated from high school in Oberhausen in the Ruhr area. He then studied medicine and philosophy in Freiburg and Düsseldorf...
' Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire
Wings of Desire is a 1987 Franco-German romantic fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of the human inhabitants and comfort those who are in distress...
soundtrack and had covers designed by Neville Brody
Neville Brody
Neville Brody is an English graphic designer, typographer and art director.Neville Brody is an alumnus of the London College of Printing and Hornsey College of Art, and is known for his work on The Face magazine and Arena magazine , as well as for designing record covers for artists such as...
and Russell Mills
Russell Mills
Russell Mills is a British artist who was born in Ripon, Yorkshire, UK in 1952. He paints, creates multimedia installations, designs stage sets and lighting and has produced record covers and book covers for Brian Eno, the Cocteau Twins,Michael Nyman, David Sylvian, Peter Gabriel, and Nine Inch...
.
On his return to Israel in 1988, Fortis recorded his second album, Sipurim Mehakufsa (Tales from the Box), a collaboration with Berry Sakharof
Berry Sakharof
Berry Sakharof is an Israeli rock guitarist, songwriter and singer.-Biography:Sakharof was born in Izmir, Turkey in 1957. His family immigrated to Israel when he was 3 years old.-Start of career:...
which has been described as "the best thing to happen to Israeli Rock". Later albums included a collaboration with Mashina
Mashina
Mashina are an Israeli pop rock band which was active from 1984 to 1995, and then again from 2003 to the present. The band is considered by many to be Israel's most important and influential rock band...
's Shlomi Bracha. Since 2004 the collaboration with Berry Sakharof
Berry Sakharof
Berry Sakharof is an Israeli rock guitarist, songwriter and singer.-Biography:Sakharof was born in Izmir, Turkey in 1957. His family immigrated to Israel when he was 3 years old.-Start of career:...
has been revived with the re-formation of the duo Fortisakharof.
Fortis resides in Beit Yitzhak and is married to Naomi, director of the Batsheva Dance Company
Batsheva Dance Company
The Batsheva Dance Company is an internationally acclaimed dance company based in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was founded by Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva De Rothschild in 1964....
.
In 2008, Fortis was featured on the documentary movie On the Move, about Ehud Banai and the Refugees
Ehud Banai
-Early life:Banai, of Persian Jewish and Afghan Jewish descent, was born in Jerusalem to the actor Yaakov Banai, the eldest of the Banai siblings, and moved to Givataim at the age of four.-Music career:...
.
Discography
- 1978 – Plonter (Knot),
- 1988 – Sipurim Mehakufsa (Tales from the Box),
- 1990–1900? (Fortisakharof)
- 1992 – Lehitraot Bechalomotai (See You in My Dreams),
- 1992 – Kshehagitara Menaseret Et Halaila (When the Guitar Saws the Night) (Live, Fortisakharof)
- 1994 – Shoter Poshea VeHa’anak Halochesh (Cop Crook and the Whispering Giant)
- 1996 – Eifo Hasusim (Where’s the Horses) (Fortis Bros.)
- 1998 – Ratz Al Haketzeh (Running on the Edge) (With Shlomi Bracha)
- 2001 – Hatzi Otomati (Semi Automatic)
- 2006 – Al Hamishmeret (On Guard) (Fortisakharof)
- 2009 - Fortis Meshulash (Triangle, also meaning Triple) (3-cd set)