Here It Ain't Europe: Mizrahi Music Challenges Israel’s Western Image

Doron Medalie is an Israeli songwriter and composer. Born and raised in Ramat HaSharon, Israel, Medalie attended the Alon High School for the Arts and studied music at the Yamaha Music School and theater at Habima. He has composed more than five hundred songs, including five of Israel’s submissions to the Eurovision Song Contest, one of which (“Toy,” cowritten with Stav Berger and performed by Netta Barzilai) went on to win the contest in 2015. Most of Medalie’s songs are written in a Middle Eastern pop style. He is an outspoken gay man and has used his platform to advocate for LGBT rights in Israel. He lives in Jaffa.

Margalit (“Margol”) Tzan’ani is an Israeli singer, composer, and television personality whose music combines blues, rock, pop, and Middle Eastern styles. Tzan’ani was born in Aden, Yemen, and immigrated to Israel with her family when she was one year old. She performed at weddings and private events as part of the successful band Shokolada, and in 1973 she joined the quartet Haknufiah, which performed blues and soul, which were then new genres on the Israeli scene. Tzan'ani has released over a dozen major studio albums, in addition to many compilations and singles, and her fusion of Middle Eastern music with other styles has made her an important figure in Mizrahi music. She has also had numerous television roles, including host of the talk and variety show Margol (1990s) and as a judge on Kokhav Nolad, the Israeli version of American Idol (early 2000s). Tzan’ani lives in Azor, a village outside Tel Aviv.

Arisa is an entertainment group founded by Uriel Yekutiel, Omer Tobi, and Yotam Pappo. The group produces Mizrahi-themed parties and events at gay clubs and has collaborated on songs with singers such as Margalit Tzan’ani, Dana International, and Omer Adam. The song “Tel Aviv,” written with songwriter Doron Medalie and performed by Omer Adam, became the official anthem of Tel Aviv’s Pride Parade in 2013.