Singer and songwriter Esther Shamir dies at 71

Esther Shamir | Photo: Melanie Fenton The singer and creator Esther Shamir has died at 71 Ziv Shazo 20 minutes ago 6 25 0 The singer, songwriter and creator Esther Shamir has died at the age of 71 • This comes after years of groundbreaking work that left a deep mark on Israeli culture and after a battle with cancer • Shamir was among the first to bring female rock to the forefront, a unique, courageous and uncompromising voice that opened the door for generations The creator, singer and songwriter Esther Shamir died today, Thursday, at the age of 71, at her home, surrounded by her family. This came after years of groundbreaking work that left a deep mark on Israeli music and culture and after a battle with cancer that she recently spoke about in interviews. Shamir was among the first women to bring female rock to the forefront, a unique, courageous and uncompromising voice that opened the door for generations of female creators who followed her.

Her musical path began in the Nahal Band, where she was part of the generation that produced many leading figures in Israeli music. After her discharge from military service, she continued working in music and began building an independent career as a singer-songwriter. Throughout her career she wrote, composed and performed songs that became classics of Hebrew song, including "I Passed Only to See," "In the Lowest Place in Tel Aviv," "One Step Before the River," and many more. For more than five decades she worked as a multidisciplinary creator, successfully combining literary depth, human sensitivity and musical innovation. Her work was marked by rare honesty, constant searching and an ability to touch on both personal and social themes.

Even in her later years she continued to create, perform and collaborate with artists from different generations. Just recently she collaborated with musician Yahel Doron on the song "On the Other Side of Fear", an emotional meeting between two generations of creators that reflected her curiosity, vitality and great love of music until her final days. Esther Shamir is survived by a loving family, many friends and a huge audience of listeners who accompanied her songs לאורך the years. Her passing is a great loss to Israeli culture, but her songs, words and unique voice will continue to accompany us for many years to come.