Biography
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Born
20 January 1963 (age 61)
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Born In
Rosh HaAyin, HaMerkaz, Israel
ישי לוי {Ishay Levi, or Yishai Levi} (b. 1963) is an Israeli performer of Mizrahi music.
Levi was born on the 20th January 1963 in Rosh HaAyin, Israel, into a family of Yemenite Jews. He began singing in clubs in Israel in 1983, when singers like Zohar Argov and Haim Moshe were at the peak of their careers. Here he was discovered by the guitarist Moses Ben-Mosh. Levi produced his first album, Hafla, with Ben Mohes in 1986. After the success of this album, he wrote his first song for the album Ine Ba Ha-yom (Here Comes the Day); then the song "Raiya" brought him fame. The album was published in 1987.
Levi's career began to fade in the years from1988 to 1991, largely as a result of his drug habit. In 1992, he released the album Lehatchil M'bereshit (To Start from the Beginning) with the hits "Rikud" (one of the biggest hits in Mizrahi music) and "Mona". Later, Levi released the albums Ha-elam hamodot (Lovely Lad) in 1993, and Mabit m'atzed (Watch from the Side) in 1994, which were less successful, although the first album produced two hits, "Ha-elam hamodot" and "Mi Li Tomar".
In 1995 he released the album Bat almavat (immortal). The entire album was a collection of Boaz Sharabi covers, except for the title song. This album was not a success, and Levi's popularity started to fade again. Then in 1997, he released the album Ha-emuna (The Belief), which again saved his career as a singer, with the hit "Taltalim shorim".
In 1997, he released the album Zirat hayi (Live at the Arena), but this was not a commercial success. In 2000, he released the album Panim l'atid (Face to the Future).
At the end of 2000, Levi was sent to jail because he entered his neighbour's flat to steal electrical appliances so he could sell them to buy drugs. He was released from jail in 2003.
In 2004, Levi released the album Nativ yisorii (Route of My Suffering). After this album, Levi did a show dedicated to his wife called Ani shar lach Iris (I Sing for You, Iris). Levi returned to jail after setting his wife's house on fire, apparently because she was not giving him money for drugs. He was released from this jail sentence in 2006.
In 2008, Levi released the album Rikud romanti (Romantic Dance), which included the hits "Rikud romanti", "Roze Otach balayla" (I Want You at Night), "Isha namena" (Loyal Wife), and the Arabic hit "Ah ya albi" (Oh My Heart).
Levi is the brother of the Mizrahi musician and singer Nati Levi.
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