Yosef "Jo" Amar (, ) (1 June 1930 – 26 June 2009
nytimes.com, 9 July 2009.) was a Moroccan-Israeli singer and

hazzan A ''hazzan'' (; , lit. Hazan) or ''chazzan'' (, plural ; ; ) is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who leads the congregation in songful prayer. In English, this prayer leader is often referred to as a cantor, a term al ...

, notable for his pioneering of the

Mizrahi ''Mizrachi'' or ''Mizrahi'' () has two meanings. In the literal Hebrew meaning ''eastern'', it may refer to: * Mizrahi Jews, Jews from the Middle East and North Africa * Mizrahi (surname), a Sephardic surname, given to Jews who got to the Iberia ...

genre and his influence on many artists such as

Zohar Argov Zohar Orkabi (; July 16, 1955 – November 6, 1987), known professionally as Zohar Argov (), was an Israeli singer. A distinctive voice in the Mizrahi music scene, Argov is widely known in Israel as "The king of Mizrahi music". However, he remai ...

(who would cover one of Amar’s songs "Barcelona"),

Eyal Golan Eyal Golan (; born Eyal Bitton; 12 April 1971) is an Israeli singer who sings in the Mizrahi music pop fusion genre and considered one of the most successful singers in Israel. Golan reported the highest income of all singers in Israel in 2011. ...

, Ishai Levi and Oren Hen.

Biography

Joseph (Jo) Amar was born in

Settat Settat () is a city in Morocco between the national capital Rabat and Marrakesh. Settat is located by road south of the centre of Casablanca, roughly an hour's drive. It is the capital of Settat Province and is its largest city in both size and ...

, and began his singing career in the late 1940s in Morocco. In 1956, Amar emigrated from Morocco to

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

where he lived on

Moshav A moshav (, plural ', "settlement, village") is a type of Israeli village or town or Jewish settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists between 1904 and 1 ...

Yad Rambam. Jo Amar performed with

Lilith Nagar Lilith "Lilit" Naggar (; born 1935), also known as Layla Najar (Arabic: ليلى نجار), is an Israeli Arabic-language television host, actress, and singer. Biography Lilit Naggar was born on August 22, 1935, in Mandate Palestine but grew up in ...

in the 1960 Israel Song Festival, winning third place with the song "Leil HaChag." The first verse of the song was sung in Arabic. He was a pioneer in the introduction of Moroccan

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

liturgical music Liturgical music originated as a part of religious ceremony, and includes a number of traditions, both ancient and modern. Liturgical music is well known as a part of Catholic Mass, the Anglican Holy Communion service (or Eucharist) and Evensong, ...

to Israel. He became associated with

mizrahi music Mizrahi music ( ' , "Eastern music/Oriental music") refers to a music genre in Israel that combines elements from the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe; and is mostly performed by Israelis of Mizrahi Jewish descent. It is usually sung i ...

, mixing the melodies of traditional

Sephardic Jewish Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...

music with

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

ic music and Western music. Amar tried to introduce

Mizrahi music Mizrahi music ( ' , "Eastern music/Oriental music") refers to a music genre in Israel that combines elements from the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe; and is mostly performed by Israelis of Mizrahi Jewish descent. It is usually sung i ...

originating in Middle Eastern or North African countries to mainstream Israeli culture. He then moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1970, where he performed music and became noted for his work as a Jewish cantor. Within twenty years, he moved back to Israel. He published an anthology of liturgical music from Morocco and recorded more than 20 albums, including two with the

Israeli Andalusian Orchestra The Israeli Andalusian Orchestra () is a musical ensemble based in Ashdod, Israel. History Originating as a project to honor the heritage of immigrants from the Maghreb, the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra was formed in Ashdod in December 1987, as a ...

(התזמורת האנדלוסית הישראלית). His hits include "Yismah Moshe", "Shalom LeVen Dodi", "Barcelona", "Song of the Drunkard", "Ani Havatzelet HaSharon", and many more. In 2008, a musical evening of tribute was held in his honor in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. Mayor

Uri Lupoliansky Uri Lupolianski (; born 1951) is an Israeli politician who served as the mayor of Jerusalem from 2003 to 2008 and is the founder of Yad Sarah. Biography Born August 29, 1951 in Haifa, Israel, Lupolianski studied at the Yavne School in Haifa and ...

presented Amar with a certificate of appreciation, and selections from a movie on his life, beginning with his childhood in Morocco, were screened.

Death

Jo Amar died aged 79, at the home of his son in

Woodmere, New York Woodmere is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 18,669 at the 2020 census. Woodmere is one of the Long Island communities known as the Five Towns, wh ...

. He had been suffering from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

. He was buried at Moshav Yad Rambam, in central Israel.

References

Sources

* Menashe Ravina, Shlomo Skolsky (Ed.): ''Who is who in ACUM. Authors, Composers and Music Publishers, biographical notes and principal works''. Acum Ltd., Societe d'Auteurs, Compositeurs et Editeurs de Musique en Israel, 1965.

External links

Obituary for Jo Amar
''The New York Times''; accessed 25 February 2016.
Notice of Jo Amar's death
''The Jerusalem Post'', jpost.com; accessed 25 February 2016. {{DEFAULTSORT:Amar, Jo 1930 births 2009 deaths Israeli hazzans 20th-century Israeli male singers Moroccan emigrants to Israel 20th-century Moroccan male singers 20th-century Moroccan Jews People from Settat Deaths from Parkinson's disease in New York (state)

Biography

Death

See also

References

Sources

External links