The children of Israeli poet and songwriter Naomi Shemer publicly objected on Tuesday to singer Nunu and rapper Jimbo J, saying the duo used Shemer’s song “Shir HaMaccabiah” in their new track “Sport” without the family’s knowledge or permission. The family said that using the song without authorization is “not respectful” and that permission is required by law.
In a statement, the family called it a violation of the moral right attached to the work and said it was inappropriate for “two respected and successful artists” to use Shemer’s song without approval.
Nunu addressed the song in an interview with Kan News on Reshet Bet’s “Kubnovik,” saying the original plan was simply to perform Shemer’s song, but the project evolved into something broader. “We understood that we could give it a twist and expand it,” she said, adding that the team took lines from the original and inserted them into their own song with their own humorous spin. “It came out really fun, in my opinion. I enjoyed doing it.”
She also said the Maccabiah was familiar and emotionally meaningful to her, calling the project a “full-circle” moment. Nunu added that there is “reverence” for Shemer’s work, noting they moved the song a bit faster than the original and that she grew up singing her songs from a large music binder at school, which made the whole experience nostalgic.
