Eti Romano Reflects on Traumatic Past, Musical Journey Ahead

Singer-songwriter Eti Romano is set to perform at the Indieg Negev festival on October 15th, marking her first major performance featuring original songs. Romano, 34, discussed her long road to this point, including her early aspirations to be a singer like Rita and Miri Mesika, and the significant challenges she has overcome.

Romano revealed that she experienced significant hair loss following a sexual assault a decade ago, an event that deeply impacted her. She has recently begun to stop wearing a wig, a change facilitated by PRP treatments that are helping her hair regrow. "I had crazy hair as a teenager. People would stop me on the street, and when I went on stage, that was my presence. When it fell out, I told myself, 'They gave me the evil eye,'" she stated.

Her upcoming album, influenced by a Torah lesson on the evil eye, will explore introspection and self-examination, a shift from her earlier work which often focused on external blame. "I knew I wanted my next album to be about turning inward. My songs always look inward... But the criticism was always directed outward. 'You guys were wrong to me.' So I felt that in the new album I wanted to go inside and say, 'Wait, let's examine what's wrong with you?' Because surely you are also not right," Romano explained.

Romano also spoke about her musical career, including her early attempts to collaborate with established artists like Dudu Tassa and the eventual release of her first song in 2020. She currently works as a social integration coordinator for a child with special needs while pursuing her music, expressing a desire to eventually earn a living solely from her art. She also touched on past relationships, including a difficult breakup from a toxic relationship and a decade-long estrangement from her father, with whom she has since reconciled.

Romano's music has evolved from a powerful, clear vocal style to a more raw, 'dirty,' and sharp sound, which she attributes to life's hardships. She noted that both Miri Mesika and Rita have acknowledged her work, with Mesika sending a message after hearing her song "Bat Yam" and Rita sharing her single "Asu Li Ein" on social media. Romano embraces the diverse genres her music touches, from "Indie" to "Mizrahi" and "Mediterranean," preferring not to be categorized.