The King of Mizrahi Music in 1970s Israel
Zohar Argov, a Yemenite Israeli singer, became known as “The King of Mizrahi Music.” His 1970s cassette releases captured the underground sound of Mizrahi music, a genre rooted in Arabic melodies but often excluded from Israel’s cultural mainstream. As cassette technology spread, Mizrahim recorded and shared Arabic-style songs once shunned by Ashkenazic elites. Argov’s music broke cultural barriers, reshaping Israeli identity and paving the way for Mizrahi music’s rise to national prominence before his tragic death in 1987.
Credits
Zohar Argov, “Ha-peraḥ be-gani” (The Flower in My Garden), from Nakhon leha-yom (1982).
Discussion Questions
What is “Mizrahi music”? Is it just music made by Mizrahim or does it hold a more complex definition?
In what ways is this an example of how technological innovation and cultural change are related to each other? Are there any other similar cases that come to mind for you?
Why do you think many Israeli radio stations decided not to play Mizrahi music in Israel’s early decades?
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Political engagement is central to Mizrahi Jewish identity in Israel, from the Israeli Black Panthers, to Menahem Begin’s Likud, to the emergence of Shas.