![]() ![]() Israeli singer Netta Barzilai initially praised the song on Instagram as “catchy” and “addictive,” but removed her post and apologized after receiving comments that it was offensive. He added that Michaeli should “take a moment to breathe” and focus on improving transportation in Israel. ![]() “I want to believe that if Omer Adam saw the girls who…believed what implies, he would make this song disappear from the world,” Michaeli wrote in a Facebook post.Īdam responded to Michaeli on Facebook, underscoring that his own family comes from the Caucasus (a region of former Soviet republics) and that the song was performed in jest and wasn’t meant to insult anyone. Was Adam’s song written in good faith and simply meant to be humorous, or was it offensive and inappropriate? Transportation Minister and Labor party leader Merav Michaeli expressed her strong criticism of the song, calling it “racist, disparaging and humiliating.” What does the debate over “Kakdila” reveal about Russian Israelis and Israel? Diversity of perspectives With the song causing such an uproar in Israeli society recently, we wanted to better understand this controversy and why this caused such strong reactions. Meanwhile, others came to Adam’s defense, arguing that he did not mean to insult anyone and is “allowed” to poke fun at the Russian Israeli community because his father is of Russian descent. All day long just Nyet and Da!” (“Nyet” and “Da” mean “no” and “yes” in Russian.) The woman portrayed in the song drinks a lot, does not speak Hebrew well and is sexually promiscuous.įor example, the chorus includes the lyrics, “Where did she come from? She says that Hebrew is language difficult. “Kakdila” quickly trended on YouTube following its release about a month ago, and currently has more than 4 million views and nearly 12,000 comments about whether it is racist or not.Ĭritics argue that the song, which is about a Russian Israeli woman, contains derogatory stereotypes about the Russian-speaking Israeli community. The song - which was released in time for “ Novy God,” the Russian celebration of New Year’s - was criticized as racist and sexist by several prominent Russian Israelis, as well as Labor party leader and Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli who called it “the most vulgar three minutes heard during the last year.” Mizrahi pop is the music of Israel's immigrants from Arab countries, an amalgam of European, North African and Arab musical influences.Israeli pop singer Omer Adam is used to creating songs that top the Israeli charts, but his latest single, “Kakdila” (which means “How are you” in Russian), caused a slightly different kind of reaction. He released his first album, Melting Because of You, in late 2010, and singles like "Lost Spirit" and "Jose Soul" showed off his exquisite blend of contemporary Western pop, EDM and Middle Eastern modes. ![]() He was disqualified and had to leave the competition, but a nascent fan base was already in place and he immediately went on tour. ![]() He impressed the judges week after week - even making the finals - until it came out that the singer was still shy of his 16th birthday (the rules stated entrants must be 16 or older). In 2009, he auditioned for Season 7 of the idol show Kokhav Nolad and made the cut. He was born in North Carolina in 1993, his family soon after moving back to Israel and living on army bases due to his father's job with the Israeli Special Forces. Omer Adam forged his career at the age of just 16. The song, "Tel Aviv," went on to become a major hit - and the official anthem of Tel Aviv's Gay Pride Parade in 2013. Adam has also proved himself a friend of LGBTQ issues, as when he composed a song with the influential producers of the club night Arisa, a series of parties that connected Mizrahi pop and Tel Aviv's gay scene. With a bevy of albums to his credit, including 2020's OMER, Adam has crafted hit after hit, which means his live shows frequently evolve into giant sing-alongs, as fans belt out favorites like "Magic," "Million Kisses" and "Two Crazy People." And while he mainly keeps the pyrotechnics in his voice, he does put on a compelling stage show with a live band, gorgeous projections and playful nods to hit songs (including EDM). He's one of the biggest pop stars in Israel, a performer whose powerful pipes and laid-back persona have seduced an entire country and helped make Mizrahi pop the most crowd-pleasing genre in the land. If you want to see Omer Adam in concert, be prepared to sing. ![]()
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