Margalit Tzan'ani

Margalit Tzan'ani
Background information
Born December 19, 1948 (1948-12-19) (age 63)
Netanya, Israel
Origin Israel
Genres Mizrahi, Soul, Arab
Occupations Singer, TV host
Years active 1971 - present
Associated acts Rachel Shapira, Jaroslav Jakubovic
Website http://62.219.83.33/margol/

Margalit Tzan'ani (Hebrew: מרגלית צנעני‎, born December 19, 1948[1]), also known as Margol, is an Israeli singer and television personality. Tzan'ani is famous for her repertoire of Israeli oriental music style with soul influences, as well as jazz, blues, rock, pop and Arab music.

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Biography

Margalit was born in Netanya to a religious Yemenite Jewish family. She was the eldest of seven children. Her father, Shalom, was a diamond industry worker, and her mother, Lola, was a housewife.[2] She married Mordy Lavie in 1977 and has one son, Assaf. She divorced in 1985. For many years she performed at weddings and private events. She also worked at a stall in the Jaffa flea market and as a salesgirl at Hamashbir Latzarchan department store. Today she lives in Azor, a village on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, with her son, who writes some of her songs.[2]

Musical career

Tzan'ani started her career at the age of 19 in the Israeli production of "Hair", where she performed alongside Zvika Pick and Tzedi Tzarfati.[2] For the audition, she sang Rak al atzmi lesaper yadati, based on a poem by the poetess Rachel.[2]

She was an extra in the movie "Kazablan", released in 1973. That year, she also participated in the musical "Lili Gam" (Lili Too) with Yizhar Cohen and Roman Sharon. Tzan'ani worked between the years 1970-1980 in a successful wedding band called "Shokolada". In 1985 she took part in the song "Rotzim Shalom" ("We Want Peace"), an Israeli version of the song "We Are the World". Tzan'ani's breakthrough was in 1986, when she appeared in "Siba LiMesiba" (A reason for a Party) a Friday night television show hosted by Rivka Michaeli on IBA. She sang "Na'ari Shuva Elay" (My Boy, Come Back to Me), one of her biggest hits.

Her first album, also called "Na'ari Shuva Elay", was released in 1986, with the help of Yehuda Keysar and musical adapter Haim Hadad. Keysar and Hadad paid for the master recording and sold it to Nissim Ben-Haim, her first producer. She also participated in the Israeli Kids Festival of that year with "Asaf Sheli" (My Asaf).

In 1989, Tzan'ani released the album Menta (Mint), her first collaboration with Jaroslav Jakubovic who adapted it in jazz style and composed some of the songs. The album included hits like "Od Yehiye Li" (I'll Have) and "Menta". That same year, she joined the cast of the movie "Al Hapanim", together with Rivka Michaeli and Nuli Omer and appeared in the Fesitgal children's songs contest with the song "Nesikhot Shkhorot" (Black Princesses) which came in third.

In 1990, her album "Homot Hemar" (Clay Barriers) was released, again produced by Jakubovic, and for the first time included songs Margol wrote. That year, she participated the Festigal again, this time with the song "Gan Eden" (Heaven) that came fifth.

Tzan'ani performed with Shlomo Gronich in the Arad festival of 1992. Together they recorded the song "Bama'agal" (In the circle) for Dan Shilon's prime time Channel 2 show "Beshidur Hai" (Live Broadcast).

In 1995, she took part in the song "Kutonet Pasim" (Coat of many colors) record in Israel Defense Forces Radio, as part of an Immigrant Absorption Minister of Israel's information campaign. That year, she released another album , "Eretz Esh Eretz Yam" (Fire Land, Sea Land).

In 1997, she released another album called "Hofshi" (Free), included the songs "Hofshi", "Alhembera Cofee" and "Maybe". In 1998, she recorded a cover version of the Israeli classic song "Pizmon Ha'Agada" (The Legend's Chours) for the album "Avoda Ivrit", on which famous Israeli musicians recorded cover versions to Israeli classics, for noting the 50 years celebration of Israel's independence. She also made a cover version of "Like Drunk" by Zohar Argov for the album "Friends Singing Zohar" in his memory.

Most of the "LeOlam" (Forever), released in 2003 was written by Margol. In 2005, she released the album "Galeh Li" (Tell Me) that included the super-hit "Az Ma?!" (So What?!). Most of this album's songs was written by her son. In 2006, she released her album "Hameytav." That summer she went to America with Yardena Arazi, Ilanit, Ruti Navon and Shlomit Aharon for a tour of Jewish communities.

Musical influences

In an interview with Haaretz newspaper, Tzan'ani cited Ella Fitzgerald, Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin as major influences.[2]

Television career

In 1993, Tzan'ani hosted her own talk-Show, "Margol, on Channel 2.

In 2001, she hosted the cooking show BaMitbakh im Margol (In The Kitchen With Margol) on the Briza Channel and took part in the panel of a talk show on the same channel. Tsan'ani also hosted radio shows. Tzan'ani took part in the comic drama series "Pick Up" on Channel Ten as the mother of Gili. She has been parodied on the comedy show Eretz Nehederet.

In 2006, she was chosen to be a judge in Kokhav Nolad, the Israeli version of American Idol. She has continued in this capacity for four seasons.[2]

Other works

In 2007, Tzan'ani Voiced Darlin' in the Hebrew dub of the Animated Film Everyone's Hero.

Allegations of extortion

On August 16, 2011 Israeli Police arrested Tzan'ani during a raid on her home. She was charged with extortion and blackmail against her manager, Assaf Atedgi. Tzan'ani denied the charges against her.[3]

Discography

References

External links