Born and raised in Detroit, Michael HarPaz, son of immigrant parents, emigrated to Israel in 1995 with only a few bucks in his pocket, his guitar on his back and high ambitions.
Within a year, he became a founding member of HiFive, the biggest band in Israeli history. As the lead singer in HiFive, Michael spent the next four years performing to sold out arena shows in front of hundreds of thousands of adoring fans. As a cultural icon, Michael was the pulse of everything pop in the country. Setting trends both musically and socially, Michael managed to change Israeli entertainment history forever.
He and his group set the bar against which all other success was measured. With four gold albums to his name and countless other awards and honors, Michaels fame rose to new heights. He could not walk the streets of Tel-Aviv without a steady entourage or bodyguards and security.
Michael’s music took him to New York and word traveled fast. He performed for Mayor Bloomberg at Gracie Mansion and singing on the stage of Town Hall. Michael became part of the songwriting team for producer John Eaton writing for such artists as P. Diddy, Usher, and The Roots. During this time, Michael also flew to LA to write and perform on the best selling CD, MAXAZRIA BCBG Live.
Soon Michael was in the studio with 7 Aurelius (Jennifer Lopez, Ashanti, Ja Rule) and renowned music mogul, Damon Dash, to work on some collaborative projects. While working on a song for Paris Hilton, Michael was asked to come to Israel to help write some songs for Israeli singer Maya Buskila.
In Israel, Michael’s music was overheard by Oscar nominated film maker Menahem Golan and asked if he would stay in Israel to write and produce an original score for his new motion picture, “A Dangerous Dance”. Humbled by this offer, Michael began writing the rough demos for the movie. The producers and director fell in love with the voice on the rough tracks and soon enough was singing more tracks on the album than not. Michaels knack for vocal impersonations and wide range allowed him to write, produce and sing every track for the film. Currently, Michael is in Tel Aviv finishing the score for Golan’s film, with the first single, “My Champion” about to hit the airwaves.
Michael participated in the “Voices for Israel” project, and though not a ‘religious’ performer, wrote a new Havdallah suite for the Conservative movement. He has participated in many concerts to support Israel Defense Forces and benefits for victims of terror, including those in Sderot and in the bomb shelters during the Second Lebanon War.
Havdallah
Kshe HaLev
So Clearly I Remember
Westport Boy
Ahavat Haaretz is the creation of Roi and Osnat Levy. A founding member of the Israeli supergroup Shotei HaNevuah (The Fools of Prophecy), Roi’s songwriting skills are most evident in this ensemble. Mostly accoustic arrangements set lyrics describing Israeli society from many angles and viewpoints provide the listener with a uniquely current perspective of being Israeli.
Beth Schafer is an award-winning songwriter whose shows blend first-class musicianship with a little teaching and a little theatre into a high-impact transformative experience. Blazing a trail in American Jewish music for 10 years, she has been a guitarist since the age of 6 and attended the University of Miami School of Music on a jazz scholarship. Her specialty is an attention to the universal themes that not only define Judaism, but many other faiths as well. Beth’s infectious energy, well-crafted songs and intelligent lyrics coupled with a great band has made her a leading act in the Jewish music world. Her audiences are no longer just Jewish, she fans of all faiths who have found that her messages and music touch them. That universality that placed her center-court at an Orlando Magic game half-time show and won her the faith-based competition on American Idol Underground. Comfortable on both acoustic guitars and electric, she has been the “guitarist-in-residence” for the URJ’s national conferences for the past 6 years and is frequently featured at folk festivals. Beth likes making music, loves bringing people together through the power of music, and feels God’s presence when it all works right. She has no intention of forcing any beliefs on anyone, but to those who are searching for something greater than themselves, Beth seems to make a magical connection. She is creating modern-day musical midrash, the contemporary interpretations of ancient texts that help us make sense of humanity.
Avraham Rosenblum moved to Jerusalem in the early ‘70’s, found his Jewish roots and started a band that changed the course of modern Jewish music. The Diaspora Yeshiva Band performed for crowds from all over the world at their Saturday night “Melave Malka” concerts at King David’s Tomb on Mt. Zion. Their blend of folk rock and ancient Hebrew lyrics made them a premier act on the international circuit for decades. Today, Avraham Rosenblum continues the tradition with music that speaks to Jews of all stripes.
Elie Massias Project Singer/Songwriter, Guitarist, Elie Massias, a native of Gibraltar, has performed extensively in Europe, North America, and Israel. A classically trained guitarist, Massias’ spare, beautiful arrangements of Israeli and melodies from his Sephardic heritage are performed with a jazz flair that is a cross between David Broza and Dave Matthews unplugged, with a strong flamenco flourish and flashes of hasidic soulfulness.