Happy Birthday to Ofer Levi: 10 Things You May Not Know

Ofer Levi, one of the most recognizable voices in Israeli Mizrahi music, turned 62, and the article highlights 10 lesser-known facts about his life and career, which has lasted nearly four decades. He was born in Kiryat Ata to a large Kurdish family, the seventh of nine siblings, in a home where music was always present.

Levi first performed in public at age five and a half, and by age six he was already singing an Arabic song at a family event. At 12, he left home for Kibbutz Eilon, later returning to help his family during a difficult financial period. At 17, he was involved in a severe car accident in which his brother Yitzhak was killed, an event that marked him deeply.

Before becoming a star, Levi tried unsuccessfully to join a military band. He instead enlisted in Golani Brigade and served as a fighter during the First Lebanon War. Early in his career, he performed in clubs under the name “Freddy,” as a tribute to his favorite Turkish singer, Ferdi Tayfur, and later returned to his real name. According to Levi, Zehava Argov was one of the first to recognize his talent and helped him get club bookings.

One of his biggest career turning points came with the duet “HaKol Patuach” with Lea Loftin, which became one of his signature hits. In the late 1990s, Levi became religious and changed major parts of his personal and professional life, including stopping performances at mixed-gender events. The article also notes that singer and actress Lihi Toledano is his niece, through his sister Hagit.