Singer-songwriter Esther Shamir dies at 71

Singer, songwriter, poet and musician Esther Shamir died this morning, Thursday, at the age of 71, after a battle with cancer. Shamir was born in 1955 in Jerusalem בשם Esther Hirshberg, and began her career in the Nahal Entertainment Troupe alongside Yehuda Eder, Miki Kם and Arik Rudich. During joint performances by the troupe with the band Kaveret in the Yom Kippur War, she met her first husband, Ephraim Shamir, who became her artistic partner. In October 1975, she released her first song on the radio, "I Only Passed By to See," with lyrics she wrote and music composed by Ephraim Shamir. At the end of 1976, after Kaveret disbanded, Ephraim and Esther Shamir participated as accompanists in Arik Einstein's show "People Love to Sing," and in 1977 the couple released their joint album, "Ephraim and Esther Shamir." In 1979, Shamir appeared with Yehonatan Geffen in a joint program called "They Call It Happiness," and in 1982 she released her first solo album, "In the Lowest Place in Tel Aviv," which was considered a groundbreaking album in the creation of female rock in Israel. In 1984, her second album, "Strong Card," was released, and a year later she published a book of poetry titled "One Step Before the River." In 1987, her third album, "Until the End," was released, and in 1988 her fourth album, "Coexistence in Love," came out. Shamir also wrote songs for other artists, including the notable "Stronger Than the Wind" for Gali Atari, "Time" for Rita, "Barefoot Girl" for Yordana Arzi, "Guardian of the Fire" for Yehudit Tamir, and "Today You Are Laughing" for Yehuda Poliker.