Shlomit Levi
Birth nameShlomit Levi
BornKiryat Ekron, Israel
OriginTenafly, New Jersey
GenresWorld music, Middle Eastern music, Mizrahi, folk rock, folk metal
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2004–present
Websitewww.shlomit-rebbesoul.com

Shlomit Levi (Hebrew: שלומית לוי) is an Israeli singer. She is a member of the folk metal group Orphaned Land, performing on their albums Mabool (2004), The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR (2010) and Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs (2018). She currently performs with American guitarist Bruce Burger as the world music duo Shlomit & RebbeSoul.

Early life

Levi was born in Kiryat Ekron to a Yemenite Jewish family before moving to Rehovot when she was 10. Her parents came to Israel from Yemen as teenagers during Operation Magic Carpet.[1][2] She began singing at the age of three and was exposed to traditional Yemenite music by her mother and grandmother, although she preferred listening to Western and Israeli music to fit in with her friends.[2][3] She stopped singing Yemenite music as a teenager but was later drawn back to it after hearing Ofra Haza's Yemenite Songs album.[2][4]

Levi attended Orthodox schools for first through fourth grades.[5] After serving in the Israel Defense Forces, Levi studied cognitive psychology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, receiving a master's degree focused on user interface design and a BA in social sciences.[1][2] During her time in college, she connected with student musicians and studied with a Black Hebrew voice teacher from Dimona.[3] After graduation, she briefly worked at a tech company in Airport City before deciding to pursue a music career.[1]

Career

Orphaned Land

Levi was put in touch by a mutual friend with the group Orphaned Land, who were auditioning female singers. At her audition, she impressed the band with her ability to sing mawwal. While not an official member, she toured with the band from 2004 to 2012 and appeared on two of their albums, Mabool (2004) and The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR (2010).[3]

Shlomit and RebbeSoul

In 2011, Levi was introduced by Yedidia Snir to American musician Bruce Burger ("RebbeSoul"), who had recently moved to Israel.[1][2] They began collaborating as Shlomit & RebbeSoul and released an album, The Seal of Solomon, in 2015. She also collaborated with Burger and oudist George Simaan on a version of "Erev Shel Shoshanim".[2]

Personal life

Levi lived in Kibbutz Givat Haim Ihud[3] before moving to Tenafly, New Jersey in 2013[2] and later to Cresskill.[5] She is married to Boaz Arzi, a software engineer, and has a daughter, Agam.[1][2]

Discography

Solo

With Orphaned Land

Shlomit & RebbeSoul

  • The Seal of Solomon (2015)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Maurice Picow (May 3, 2012). "A 'rebbe' with soul". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 5 February 2016. Archived at rebbesoul.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Larry Yudelson (April 24, 2015). "Connecting through music". The Jewish Standard. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Tomer Haruv (Nov 11, 2012). "Rock and Soul". Yedioth Ahronoth. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  4. ↑ Ben Bresky (Oct 25, 2012). "Jewish Yemenite Music Sees Revival with Singer Shlomit Levi". Arutz Sheva.
  5. 1 2 Yudelson, Larry (April 21, 2021). "Creating a regendered Torah". The Jewish Standard. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
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