Mordechai Shapiro (born December 9, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter and entertainer in the Orthodox pop industry. Jewish music producer Yitzy Waldner said that he has an "ability to do things with his voice no one else in this business can".

Biography

Mordechai Shapiro was born on December 9, 1989 in Monsey,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. His father was a

chazzan 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 ...

and his mother had a background as a trained opera singer. Growing up in a

Modern Orthodox Modern may refer to: History *Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Philosophy ...

household, he attended for grade school, and the

Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy The Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (MTA), also known as Yeshiva University High School for Boys (YUHSB), is a Modern Orthodox Jewish day school and yeshiva of Yeshiva University. It is located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan ...

for high school. Following his graduation from high school, Shapiro learned in

yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

in Yeshiva Netiv Aryeh and Yeshivas Bais Yisroel. In 2010, Shapiro married Raquel Guenoun.

Career

Shapiro made his musical debut in 1997 as the star soloist of the

Miami Boys Choir The Miami Boys Choir (MBC) is a boys' choir specializing in Orthodox pop since 1977. History In the early 1970s while studying in yeshivah in Toronto, Canada, Yerachmiel Begun created, directed, and recorded three successful albums with the T ...

. As a child, he performed with Jewish entertainers such as

Yaakov Shwekey Yaakov Choueka, better known by his stage name Yaakov Shwekey () is an Orthodox Jewish recording artist and musical entertainer. He is of Egyptian and Syrian Sephardic heritage from his father's side; and Ashkenazi from his mother‘s side. Famil ...

even before he gained significant attention. He left Miami Boys Choir in 2003 when his voice became too deep to fit into a children's choir. After leaving the choir, Shapiro took a break from music until his voice transitioned sufficiently. He was a student of voice teacher William Riley, who also taught

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...

and

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, ...

. Eventually, he began performing at weddings and other Jewish events as an independent artist. Shapiro's solo career debuted in 2016 when he was signed by producer Yitzy Waldner, with the release of his album ''Kol Haderech'', peaking at #15 on the

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

World Music chart. The album was followed by ''Machar'' in 2017, peaking at #3, and ''Hakol Mishamayim'' in 2019, peaking at #7. Shapiro is also known for his extravagant music videos- often including elaborate sets and dancers, showcasing his larger than life personality. His hit video for ''"Hakol Mishamayim"'' sits just under 11 Million views on YouTube. ''Hakol Mishamayim'' was filmed by Shimmy Socol, alongside ''Machar, Friends, Ein Od Milvado,'' also filmed by Socol. Shapiro has cited

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

and

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Regarded as a pop icon, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American ...

as his musical influences.

Discography

Albums *''Kol Haderech'' (2016) *''Machar'' (2017) *''Hakol Mishamayim'' (2019) *''Sing It (Freilach Band)'' (2021) *''Achas'' (2022) *''Yehei Rava'' (2025) Singles * ''Ani Maa'min'' (2013), debut single * ''B'yachad'' (2017) * ''K'dei Lehodos'' (2018) * ''Hakol Mishamayim - Acoustic Version'' (2020) * ''Ein Od Milvado'' (2020) * ''Vehi Sheamda'' (2021) * ''Abba'' (2021) * ''Tamid Yesh Siba'' (2022) * ''Achas'' (2022) * ''Abba - Remix'' (2022) * ''L'chai Olamim'' (2022), with Matt Dubb and

Benny Friedman Benjamin Friedman (March 18, 1905 – November 24, 1982) was an American football player and coach, and athletics administrator. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Friedman played college football as a halfback and quarterback for the University of ...

* ''Ani Yehudi'' (2023) * ''L'chai Olamim - VIP REMIX'' (2022), with Matt Dubb and

* ''Ani Yehudi - REMIX'' (2023) * ''Umibaladecha'' (2023), song for Ohel Sarala * ''Yesh Bi Emunah'' (2023), with Shmuel * ''Nagila'' (2024) * ''Elul'' (2024) with EKEV * ''Kivinu / Trying My Best'' (2025) * ''Ein Kelokeinu / Mi Anochi'' (2025)

References

External links

My Name Is Not Ben , Mordechai Shapiro on The Crockpot Show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shapiro, Mordechai 1990 births Living people People from Monsey, New York American Modern Orthodox Jews Jewish American musicians Jewish songwriters 21st-century American Jews Orthodox pop musicians