Chava Alberstein
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Chava Alberstein
Background information
Born	Szczecin, Poland December 8, 1947 (1947-12-08) (age 60)
Origin	Kiryat Haim, Israel
Genre(s)	Folk Folk rock Rock Yiddish
Years active	1964-Present
Label(s)	CBS NMC Rounder Records Auvidis EMI Shanachie Media Directs
Website	http://aviv2.com/chava/

Chava Alberstein (Hebrew: חוה אלברשטיין‎, born December 8, 1947 in Szczecin, Poland) is an Israeli singer, lyricist, composer and musical arranger. Alberstein is one of Israel's most beloved musical artists, with a career spanning over 40 years.

Biography

Born in Stettin, a German city annexed by Poland in 1945 (now north-eastern Poland), Chava Alberstein came to Israel at age four and grew up in Kiryat Haim. In 1964, when she was 17, a nightclub appearance in Jaffa led to a CBS recording contract. Early in her career, she appeared at the Amami Cinema in Haifa's Neve Sha'anan neighborhood. Haaretz columnist Neri Livneh describes her as "a little slip of a thing in a blue youth movement shirt, her face covered by huge glasses." ^[1]

She was drafted into the Israel Defense Force in 1965 and became one of many Israeli artists to rise to stardom by entertaining the troops. She has released more than 50 albums. She has recorded in Yiddish as well as Hebrew and Arabic. Alberstein's husband is the filmmaker Nadav Levitan, who wrote the lyrics for her "End of the Holiday" album. She has written music for some of Levitan's films.

Critical acclaim

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's largest daily newspaper, Albertstein is the most important female singer in Israeli history. "If [Israel has] a true folk singer, it is Chava Alberstein," wrote the paper's music critic.^[2]

Awards

Alberstein is one of the recipients of the Kinor David (David's Harp) Prize.

Discography

1. Hine Lanu Nigun ('Here We Have a Tune'-1967)
2. Perach haLilach ('Lilac Flower - 1967)
3. Tza'atzueiah shel Osnat (Osnat's Toys - 1967)
4. Mirdaf ('The Chase' - 1968) gold
5. Mot haParpar (Death of the Butterfly - 1968)
6. Chava Alberstein beShirei Rachel ('Songs of Rachel' - 1968)
7. Margaritkalach ('Daisies' - 1969)
8. Mishirei eretz ahavati (songs of my beloved country)
9. Chava beTochnit Yachid 1 ('One Woman Show 1' - 1971)
10. Chava beTochnit Yachid 2 ('One Woman Show 2' - 1971)
11. Isha ba'Avatiach ('A Woman in a Watermelon' - 1971)
12. Chava vehaPlatina ('Chava and the Platina Jazz band' - 1972)
13. Chava veOded be'Eretz haKsamim ('Magic Land' - 1972)
14. Lu Yehi ('Let it be' - 1973)
15. K'mo Tzemach bar ('Like a wild flower' - 1975)
16. Lehitei haZahav ('Golden hits' - 1975) gold
17. Tzolelet Tzabarit ('Sabra Submarine' - 197)
18. Elik Belik Bom - (1976)
19. Halaila hu shirim ('The Night Is Songs' - 1977)
20. Karusella 1 (Carousel 1 - 1977)
21. Kkarusella 2 (Carousel 2 - 1977)
22. Karusella 3 (Carousel 3 - 1977)
23. Shirei Am beYiddish (Yiddish folk songs - 1977)
24. Hitbaharut ('Clearing' - 1978)
25. Chava vehaGitara ('Chava and the guitar' - 1978)
26. Ma Kara ba'Eretz Mi ('What Happened in the Land of Who' - 1979)
27. Ani Holechet Elai ('I Go to Me' - 1980)
28. Shir beMatana ('A Gift of Songs' - 1980)
29. Kolot ('Voices' - 1982)
30. Shiru Shir im Chava ('Sing a song with chava' 1982)
31. Nemal Bayit ('At Home'-1983) gold
32. Avak shel kochavim ('Stardust' - 1984)
33. Mehagrim ('Immigrants' 1986)
34. Od Shirim beYiddish ('More Songs in Yiddish' -1987)
35. HaTzorech baMilah, haTzorech baShtika ('Word And Silence' - 1988)
36. Chava Zingt Yiddish ('Chava Sings Yiddish' - 1989)
37. London (1989)
38. MiShirei Eretz Ahavati ('Songs of my Beloved Country' - 1990)
39. Ahava Mealteret ('Improvised Love' - 1991) gold
40. HaChita Zomachat Shuv ('The Wheat Grows Again' - 1992)
41. The Man I Love - 1992
42. Margaritkalach (Daisies' - 1994)
43. Derech Achat ('One Way' - 1995)
44. London beHofaah ('London - Live' - 1995)
45. Yonat ha'Ahava ('The Dove of Love' - 1996)
46. Adaber Itcha ('I Will Talk to You' - 1997)
47. The Collection (box set) (1998) gold
48. Crazy Flower (1998)
49. The Well - With The Klezmatics (1998)
50. Chava Alberstein - Yiddish Songs (1999)
51. Tekhef Ashuv ('Be Right Back' - 1999)
52. 'Children's songs' -The Collection (2000)
53. Foreign Letters (December 2001)
54. The Early Years - The Box Set (2003)
55. End of the Holiday (2004)
56. Coconut (2005)
57. Like a Wild Flower (New Version)
58. Lemele (2006)
59. The Milky Way - Songs for Children (2007)
60. Human Nature (2008)

She has also appeared in a number of multi-artist collections, such as the Yiddish "Songs of The Vilna Ghetto" and "The Hidden Gate - Jewish Music Around the World."

References

External links

• Chava Alberstein at the Internet Movie Database
• Chava at Aviv Productions
• Chava Albertstein, Israeli Singer and Peace Activist (NPR Interview)
• Chava Alberstein at MOOMA (Hebrew)