Berry Sakharof
Encyclopedia
Berry Sakharof (born July 7, 1957) is an Israel
i rock
guitar
ist, songwriter
and singer.
, Turkey
in 1957. His family immigrated to Israel when he was 3 years old.
. Together they performed in rock clubs in Israel.
Right after his military service Sakharof flew to Belgium
where he became a founding member of Minimal Compact
, the first Israeli rock band to achieve significant success outside Israel. The band recorded six albums.
In 1988, Minimal Compact broke up after the members did not get work visas for the United States
, where they planned a concert tour. Sakharof and fellow former Minimal Compact guitarist Rami Fortis
began an extended period of collaboration, eventually returning to Israel and producing many songs.
.
By the mid-1990s, Sakharof's was one of the highest-grossing live acts in Israel, and he was commonly referred to in the media as the "prince of Israeli rock" http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-1866168,00.html.
Sakharof's biggest commercial success came in 1998 with the release of Touches , the sales of which reached platinum within several days.
and a cover of Ehud Banai
's song "City of Refuge". The album's name was taken from the perception of "The Other" of the French philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas
, who is also quoted in the album's booklet. "Monsoon" was the only song from the album broadcast on the radio as a single. In the same year Sakharof wrote soundtracks for two Israeli movies.
In 2002, Sakharof collaborated with Erez Aizen and Amit Duvedevani of Infected Mushroom
to create the Birthday EP.
During 2005 his album 11 Alef was released. The album is the result of about two years of mutual work with Rea Mochiach (who moved to the United States after the release of the album 'Signs of Weakness') during Mochiach's occasional visits to Israel. The album was sold in the first week only on the Internet in the MP3
format and later released to the music stores; due to the release of the album Mochiach arrived in Israel and participated in a short concert tour with Sakharof.
In 2006 Sakharof reunited with Fortis for a new album and a tour.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and singer.
Biography
Sakharof was born in IzmirIzmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in 1957. His family immigrated to Israel when he was 3 years old.
Start of career
Sakharof started his musical career at the age of 16 as a member of Cosmic Dream. Another member was his friend, Rami FortisRami Fortis
Rami Fortis , often Fortis, is an Israeli rock singer.-Biography:Rami Fortis is of Iraqi and Italian origin. He served in the 1973 Yom Kippur war and was influenced by his experiences at the front. He began his musical career in 1975 as a lighting-man in the shows of Tamuz - one of Israel's...
. Together they performed in rock clubs in Israel.
The Eighties
Sakharof first came to public attention in the 1980s.Right after his military service Sakharof flew to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
where he became a founding member of Minimal Compact
Minimal Compact
Minimal Compact were an Israeli rock band associated with the post punk and indie rock movement of the 1980s.-Biography:Between its foundation in 1981 and its dissolution seven years later, Minimal Compact played a small role in the European rock scene...
, the first Israeli rock band to achieve significant success outside Israel. The band recorded six albums.
In 1988, Minimal Compact broke up after the members did not get work visas for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where they planned a concert tour. Sakharof and fellow former Minimal Compact guitarist Rami Fortis
Rami Fortis
Rami Fortis , often Fortis, is an Israeli rock singer.-Biography:Rami Fortis is of Iraqi and Italian origin. He served in the 1973 Yom Kippur war and was influenced by his experiences at the front. He began his musical career in 1975 as a lighting-man in the shows of Tamuz - one of Israel's...
began an extended period of collaboration, eventually returning to Israel and producing many songs.
The Nineties
After leaving Fortis, Sakharof continued producing albums. The album Signs of Weakness , a collaboration with multi-instrumentalist and producer Rea Mochiach, was chosen as the 11th best album ever (and the highest ranking for an Israeli album) by a readers' poll on the popular news site ynetYnet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
.
By the mid-1990s, Sakharof's was one of the highest-grossing live acts in Israel, and he was commonly referred to in the media as the "prince of Israeli rock" http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-1866168,00.html.
Sakharof's biggest commercial success came in 1998 with the release of Touches , the sales of which reached platinum within several days.
The 2000s
In 2001 his album "The Other" was released. The album included the song "Lord of World" which was written by Barry Hazak, a soldier who died in the Yom Kippur WarYom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
and a cover of Ehud Banai
Ehud Banai
-Early life:Banai, of Persian Jewish and Afghan Jewish descent, was born in Jerusalem to the actor Yaakov Banai, the eldest of the Banai siblings, and moved to Givataim at the age of four.-Music career:...
's song "City of Refuge". The album's name was taken from the perception of "The Other" of the French philosopher Emmanuel Lévinas
Emmanuel Lévinas
Emmanuel Levinas was a Lithuanian-born French Jewish philosopher and Talmudic commentator.-Life:Emanuelis Levinas received a traditional Jewish education in Lithuania...
, who is also quoted in the album's booklet. "Monsoon" was the only song from the album broadcast on the radio as a single. In the same year Sakharof wrote soundtracks for two Israeli movies.
In 2002, Sakharof collaborated with Erez Aizen and Amit Duvedevani of Infected Mushroom
Infected Mushroom
Infected Mushroom is an Israeli psychedelic trance DJ act and electronic group originally formed in late 1997 as a duo by producers Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani in Haifa...
to create the Birthday EP.
During 2005 his album 11 Alef was released. The album is the result of about two years of mutual work with Rea Mochiach (who moved to the United States after the release of the album 'Signs of Weakness') during Mochiach's occasional visits to Israel. The album was sold in the first week only on the Internet in the MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format and later released to the music stores; due to the release of the album Mochiach arrived in Israel and participated in a short concert tour with Sakharof.
In 2006 Sakharof reunited with Fortis for a new album and a tour.
Solo Albums
- 1991 - All or Nothing
- 1993 - Signs of Weakness
- 1995 - Calor en la luna
- 1998 - Touchings
- 2001 - The Other
- 2003 - Live 93-02
- 2005 - 11a
- 2009 - Ibn Gabirol, Red Labiums
- 2011 - You Are Here
With Minimal Compact
- 1981 - Minimal Compact (EP)
- 1982 - One by One
- 1984 - Deadly Weapons
- 1984 - Next One Is Real (EP)
- 1985 - Raging Souls
- 1986 - Immigrants Songs
- 1987 - The Figure One Cuts
- 1988 - Live
- 1988 - Lowlands Flight
- 2004 - Music From Upstairs: Archives & Experiments
- 2004 - Returning Wheel
With Fortisakharof
- 1990 - 1900?
- 1992 - When the Guitar Is Sawing the Night
- 2006 - On the Watch