Name Amir Benayoun Role Singer-songwriter | Spouse Miriam Golan Record label Helicon Records | |
 | ||
Albums Fall, Champion in Black, Tree On the Water Parents Esther Benayoun, Maxim Benayoun Similar People Ivri Lider, Assi Azar, Yehuda Levi, Esti Ginzburg, Ninet Tayeb | ||
amir benayoun
Amir Benayoun (Hebrew: עמיר בניון) (born in August 30, 1975) is an Israeli singer-songwriter.
Contents
- amir benayoun
- Amir benayoun avinu malkeinu
- Biography
- Music career
- Awards and recognition
- Controversy
- Albums
- Compilations
- Mini Albums
- References
Amir benayoun avinu malkeinu
Biography
Amir Benayoun was born in Beersheba to Maxim and Esther Benayoun with Jewish origins from Algeria. His father was an oud player. From a very young age he showed great interest in music, playing with his father and his brother. While devoting himself to songwriting, he made a living working in home repair jobs. He was turned away from serving in the IDF, because of a drug problem. His embrace of Orthodox Judaism was inspired by one of his brothers.
Music career
In 1999 Benayoun released his first album, "Rak Ath" (Only You), selling 40,000 copies. Shortly after it came the second album, and in 2002 his third, "Shalechet" (Fall), was a big hit, establishing Benayoun in the mainstream of Israeli music.
Additionally, he wrote and composed songs for other artists, such as Gidi Gov and Gali Atari.
In 2011, Benayoun created an album in Arabic called "Zini" to support the people in the Syrian uprising.
Awards and recognition
In 2006, Benayoun won the Akum Award for his song, "Nitzacht Iti Hakol" but he refused to accept it and donated it instead.
Controversy
In November 2014, the President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin cancelled a scheduled performance by Benayoun at the president's official residence, after being shocked by reading his lyric dealing with an Arab dreaming of murdering Jews, especially Jewish babies, and after a wave of controversy arose in reaction to its circulation. Rivlin's decision was attacked from representatives of both sides of the political spectrum, by the religious for rebuffing a true patriot, by the left for intolerance of the right to free self-expression. A poll by Channel 2 News suggested 42% of Israelis concur with the song's sentiments. Meretz MK Issawi Frej has requested that the singer be investigation on incitement charges. Uri Avnery, who has translated the poem, and who says it is the expression of a decline in Benayoun's musical fortunes, claims that if you substitute David for Ahmed, and any foreign city for Jerusalem, what the lyric turns out to be is 'a perfect anti-Semitic poem'. He likened it to a poem he heard as a child in Germany before WW2, which ran:
A complete version has been given by Uri Avnery.