David D'Or (; born David Nehaisi on October 2, 1965) is an Israeli singer, composer, and songwriter. A countertenor with a vocal range of more than four octaves, he is a three-time winner of the Israeli "Singer of the Year" and "Best Vocal Performer" awards. He was also chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, at which he placed 11th in the semi-final. By February 2008, nine of his albums had gone platinum.
D'Or performs a wide variety of music, including pop, rock, dance, folk, klezmer, Yemenite prayers, holy music, ancient chants, classical, opera, and baroque arias (in the original Italian).
Biography
D'Or was born in Holon, Israel, to a family of Libyan Jews. His great-grandfather was a rabbi in the Libyan Jewish community, and his father brought the family from Libya to Israel during the period of Jewish settlement in. His brother, Yaniv d'Or, is also a professional singer.
From an early age, D'Or displayed an interest in singing, though his parents initially encouraged him toward more conventional professional paths such as law or medicine. When his voice changed in adolescence, he made a conscious effort to preserve his capacity for high-register singing. At that time, countertenor-like vocal techniques were not common in Israel, and he described the cultural climate as being machoistic. Though initially hesitant to perform with this voice, he later embraced it, describing the combination of high and low registers as an integral part of his identity: "[I]t was like using [only] part of me", he said. "I could sing low and I could sing high; [I]t's like using only one hand...you have two hands, and you're using only your right hand."
During his three years of military service, D'Or served as a singer in the Israeli Military Band, and in 1985–86 he was in Lehakat Pikud Merkaz, and took part in the recording of Be'sha'araikh Yerikho. Though thankful for the opportunity, and remaining in support of Israel's military, D'Or felt that music and the army didn't mesh well together, and viewed his years in the army as a difficult period in terms of his musical development.
D'Or is married to Pazit, formerly a jewelry designer and now his manager. They met as high school students in Bat Yam. They have two children and reside in the Israeli town of Savyon near Tel Aviv.
Music career After his army service, D'Or and two army colleagues (Benny Nadler and Rivi Ben-Basht) formed a trio named HaShlishiya (the "Threesome"), but it disbanded after just one single. A few months later he formed another group, named Kav 4 ("Fourth Chord"), but it disbanded before completing its inaugural album.David D'Or Biography, Mooma(Hebrew), accessed 7/11/09 At the same time he was invited by the Israeli National Theater ("Habima Theater") to be in various performances, among them "Blood Marriage", "Cabaret", "Cry the Beloved Country (music by Kurt Weill)", and "Tartuffe (music by Giya Kancheli)." D’Or performed at the Habima Theater for four years, during which time he received outstanding reviews, such as Maariv'''s review of Cry the Beloved Country: "D'or's outstanding voice is meant for great parts. His voice and presence embraces the audience, who showed their appreciation by a lengthy standing ovation". He was at the same time professionally trained, and tutored by Soprano Miriam Melzer, from 1987 to 1990 at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, from which he graduated.
D’Or has said that at the beginning of his career he told each production office that he would not work on Shabbat, even when told that much performance work took place then.
In 1991, D'Or was accepted into and enrolled in the classical music department of the Jerusalem Conservatory. That year D'Or also began his musical career as a classical tenor. Zubin Mehta, music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, heard D'Or sing and invited him to perform as soloist in "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff, performing in a series of concerts all over the country. Yediot Achronot reviewed his performance, writing: "David D’Or is a contra tenor with tone, colour and exceptional style well beyond other soloists".
1992–99: Early years In 1992, D’Or released his first album entitled David D'Or. It included hit song "Yad Anuga", also known as "Yad Agunah" ("Gentle Hand", or "Tender Hand"), which was remixed by Nelson "Paradise" Roman and Bump, produced by Ofer Meiri and Yehudit Ravitz, released as a vinyl 12-inch single by Big Beat Records and Magnet Records, and reached # 3 in the most frequently played charts in Great Britain.
His second album, Be'govah Mishtane ("Changing Altitudes", or "Changing Heights"), released January 1, 1993, included the song "Ani Af" ("I Fly", or "I am Flying"), and what was to become an iconic Israeli song, "Tishmor al HaOlam Yeled" ("Watch Over the World, Child", or "Protect Our World, Child"). The latter song was subsequently covered by Liel Kolet and Scorpions' singer Klaus Meine, as well as by Shuly Nathan. The CD consisting mostly of songs composed by D'Or was even more successful than its predecessor and went platinum. Globus reviewed the album and wrote the following: "In an age in which it seems that a good voice is not particularly necessary to be a singer, David D'Or comes along and reminds anyone who had forgotten that not only can things be different, they need to be different. Simply put, D'Or sings beautifully and knows how to choose songs that fit his unique voice...One has to credit him for fulfilling his mission with bravura; his voice on stage sounds as good and convincing as it does in the recording studio. The wide variety of styles that he incorporates in his music, along with his superb vocal ability, allows him to appeal to adults and youths alike." Later in 1993, D'Or participated in the televised competition to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 1993 (Kdam Erovizion), with his song "Parpar," and came in fourth place.
Side by side with his classical education, D'Or was drawn to ethnic music. This interest led him in 1995 to record with Moroccan Israeli Shlomo Bar and the band "Habrera Hativit" ("The Natural Gathering", "Natural Choice", or "Natural Selection"; composed of ethnic musicians) and release a popular new album, David & Shlomo (also known as David and Salomon). Maariv reviewed the album, writing: "The Duet of David and Shlomo is wonderful and stunning." He also joined Dudu Fisher, Meir Banai, and Eran Zur in the song "Lisa" on the 1994 album "Radio Blah-Blah" by the Israeli band "The Friends of Natasha".
In 1995, as Israel and the Holy See had just established political relations, D'Or also received an invitation from the Vatican to perform for Pope John Paul II. His repertoire at this concert, which was broadcast worldwide and received enthusiastic reviews, united original ethnic music with European classics, and included a song D'Or composed specifically for the Pope in both Hebrew and Italian. He was the first Israeli singer to sing in Hebrew for the Pope. After he performed for the Pope ("He held my hand and gave me his blessing", D'Or said. "I just kept thinking: 'Here I am, little David from Israel, singing in Hebrew...It was a very powerful thing.'"), D'Or was invited to perform in Italy, where he appeared on TV shows such as Maurizio Costanzo on Channel 1, and Paulo Limiti on Channel 2. The Italian press, such as Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica, gave D'Or positive reviews.
In 1997, D'Or released his fourth album, David D’Or & Etti Ankri, with Etti Ankri, which included them singing a duet of Ankri's hit "Lolita". That year as well the Ra'anana Symphony Orchestra commissioned an original work, a small cantata, specially written for D'Or, entitled "The Children of God" ("Yeldai Ha Elohim"). The lyrics consist of sentences that appear in the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religions, emphasizing the message of "love your neighbor." The work was composed by Georgian-born Israeli composer Josef Bardanashvilli, subsequently opened in a series of concerts of the orchestra in Israel and throughout the US, and was a great success.
2000s: Singer of the Year and Eurovision His fifth album entitled Baneshama ("In the Soul") was released on March 31, 2001, with 11 of the 12 tracks written by D'Or.
In 2001, D'Or was named Israel's Singer of the Year and Best Vocal Performer.
In 2002, he was again named Israel's Singer of the Year (receiving the Tamuz Prize) and Best Vocal Performer, and also received the award for Best Song for "Kol HaCochavim" at the Israel Music Awards. After 9/11 D'Or and Etti Ankri, Zehava Ben, Arkady Duchin, and other Israeli singers recorded the title song "Yesh Od Tikvah" ("Our Hope Endures"), for which D'Or wrote the music and lyrics, on the CD Yesh Od Tikvah/You've Got a Friend. The CD released by Hed Arzi in 2002 benefited Israeli terror victims, with all proceeds going to "NATAL": the "Israel Trauma center for Victims of Terror and War".
D’Or then released David D’Or & the Philharmonic; Live Concert on April 1, 2003, which successfully broke traditional barriers as it combined a medley of pop, classical, and opera which he sang, backed by the 120-member Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. The album, which included among other pieces "Agnus Dei", "Orfeo", "Let Me Cry", and "The Phantom of the Opera" reached gold status in just two weeks. The newspaper Yediot Achronot reviewed the CD in its opera section and wrote the following: "D’Or excelled...with his fantastic counter tenor voice...in a most exciting performance. All in all, this is a very moving CD." That year D'Or also released the CD "Shma Israel", and "The Hidden Gate: Jewish Music from Around the World" was released by Rounder Records on July 1, featuring what The Independent described as "haunting stuff" from David D'Or.
In November 2003, the Israel Broadcasting Authority (the "IBA") chose D'Or to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. D'Or represented Israel in the contest in Istanbul, with the song "Leha'amin" (To Believe), which he co-wrote with Ehud Manor. The song was chosen on February 5, 2004, in voting during the program "Israel Selects a Song", held during a break in a televised Maccabi Tel Aviv Euroleague basketball game in Tel Aviv at which videos of four songs sung by D'Or were shown. The vote was by both a special IBA Eurovision Committee (including prior Israeli entrants Lior Narkis and Gali Atari), which accounted for 40% of the vote, and a televote by viewers, who accounted for the remaining 60% of the vote. The basketball game attracted 13.7% of Israeli TV viewers. The song won 60% of the jury's vote, and 66% of the viewers' televotes.
During Eurovision rehearsal week, D'Or left Istanbul to be with his father who was suffering from diabetes and had been rushed to a hospital where one of his legs had to be amputated. D'Or then returned to Istanbul to perform on May 12, 2004, and placed 11th in the semi-final failing to qualify to the final, while 19% of Israeli viewers watched on television. His father has since died.
On June 1, 2004, he released the CD entitled Le Haamin ("To Believe"). His performance of the song was also on the official Eurovision compilation CD, Eurovision Song Contest: Istanbul 2004, released that year by CMC Entertainment. In 2004, he also collaborated with Sarit Hadad to record the DVD "Pets in Tunes. His year was capped by his being awarded the titles of Israeli 2004 "Singer of the Year" and "Best Vocal Performer".
In January 2005, he released a clubby, English electronic house vinyl 12" single of George Michael's "Careless Whisper" on the 3 Lanka and Hed Arzi labels, produced and mixed by DJ Amiad, with remixes by Future Funk and Michi Lange. The track attracted international interest.