Oshik Levi

Oshik Levi (Hebrew: אושיק לוי, born April 7, 1944) is an Israeli singer, actor, and entertainer.[1] He started his career in the late 1960s, as a rock singer, first in the group Shlishiyat Ha-Teomim (Hebrew: שלישיית התאומים, lit. "The Twins Trio") and then as a solo artist, gaining fame for such songs as Ha-Ballada la-shoter Azulay ("The Ballad of Officer Azoulay" - the theme song for Ephraim Kishon's film Ha-Shoter Azoulay,(released as "The Policeman" in English language markets), Hoze Lech Brach ("Seer, go and flee" - based on a verse in the biblical book of Amos), and Yonatan Sa Ha-Baita ("Yonatan, Go Home" by Yonatan Geffen).

In the 1980s, Levi starred in the very popular Israeli children's show Bli Sodot ("No Secrets"), alongside Hanny Nahmias, Natan Natazon and Hanan Goldblat. This was a first-of-a-kind educational show intended to teach children how to read, and featured some memorable characters such as Gashash Balash ("Probing Detective") and Itonish ("Newspaperman"), and songs such as Mimi. The lyrics of the latter were supposed to help children practice the i vowel, and made this wordplay in the following repetitive chorus:

Mi tamid imi?
Mi? Mi? Mimi.
Ba-halomi ube-kumi,
Mi? Mi? Mimi
("Who is always with me?
Who? Who? Mimi.
In my dream and in my wake
Who? Who? Mimi.")

In 2005, a song on the debut album by the British Band Mattafix, 11:30, featured a sampling of the opening chords of Hoze Lech Brach. Mattafix members claim they have listened to Israeli rock of the 60s and 70s, and that it influenced their music. In June 2006, Mattafix performed in Tel Aviv as part of their European tour, and performed with Levi, singing a combined version of 11:30 and Hoze Lech Brach.

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