Gil Ofarim
Encyclopedia
Gil Doron Reichstadt Ofarim (born 13 August 1982 in Munich
, Bavaria
) is a German
singer, songwriter
and occasional actor
, currently also known as the lead singer of the bands Zoo Army & Acht
.
. His first single "Round 'N' Round (It Goes)" was released in November 1997 and became a Top 40 smash in Germany. His album Here I Am was released to international success in May 1998.
After several other successful singles, Gil became disenchanted with being a teen idol. His 2003 release On My Own showcased his move in a different musical direction.
Starting in 2005, Gil was the lead singer of Zoo Army. Zoo Army consisted of Gil, Tal (his brother), Roland Söns and Dominik Scholz. They released their first single "I'm Alive" and album 507 in the first half of 2006.
In 2010, Gil formed another band,"Acht" which focuses on a driving hard rock sound. Acht's debut album, "Stell dir vor," is entirely in German, reflecting a new domestic-marketing approach.
on January 3, 2007.
i father, Abi Ofarim
, was a star in his own right, a folk artist, who had a group with his first wife Esther Ofarim. Gil's mother, Sandy, is Abi's third wife. Gil speaks German
, Hebrew
, and English
. He sings in English and German.
Although Gil is virtually unknown in mainstream United States, he has an impressive underground fan following.
1. Intro-Welcom
2. See It In Your Eyes
3. If You Only Knew (feat. the Moffats)
4. Bang, Bang, Bang
5. I Am So In Love
6. Am I Crazy
7. Come on, Come on
8. For Heaven's Sake
9. Charline
11. I Need You
12. Bandstarter
13. Never Giving Up Now
14. Goodbye
1. Say What You Want
2. Stop
3. U & I
4. Never on My Mind
5. It's Your Love
6. Right Now
7. Emotions
8. Everytime
9. Only One
10. Truth in Your Eyes
11. On & On
12. Sometimes I . . .
13. Close 2 Perfect
14. Walking Down the Line
15. If You Only New
16. Round N Round
17. Never Giving Up Now
18. Talk to You
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
) is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
singer, 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 occasional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, currently also known as the lead singer of the bands Zoo Army & Acht
Acht
Acht is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.-References:...
.
Music career
Gil's showbiz career took-off in May 1997 when he was spotted in a Munich underground station by a talent scout for Bravo magazine and was asked to do a pictorial story spread. The article generated thousands of letters from fans and he landed a recording contract with BMGBMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
. His first single "Round 'N' Round (It Goes)" was released in November 1997 and became a Top 40 smash in Germany. His album Here I Am was released to international success in May 1998.
After several other successful singles, Gil became disenchanted with being a teen idol. His 2003 release On My Own showcased his move in a different musical direction.
Starting in 2005, Gil was the lead singer of Zoo Army. Zoo Army consisted of Gil, Tal (his brother), Roland Söns and Dominik Scholz. They released their first single "I'm Alive" and album 507 in the first half of 2006.
In 2010, Gil formed another band,"Acht" which focuses on a driving hard rock sound. Acht's debut album, "Stell dir vor," is entirely in German, reflecting a new domestic-marketing approach.
Acting career
He is also active as an actor and played the part of Christoph in the Pro7-Production Endlich Sex! (Finally Sex!) in 2004 and Stefan Döbbelin in the TV two-part Sturmflut, Die (The Storm Tide) in 2006. His latest role is Max in the psycho-thriller Strip Mind which opened in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on January 3, 2007.
Personal life
His IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i father, Abi Ofarim
Abi Ofarim
Abi Ofarim is an Israeli musician and dancer.At the age of 12, he attended ballet school, and made his debut on stage in Haifa at 15...
, was a star in his own right, a folk artist, who had a group with his first wife Esther Ofarim. Gil's mother, Sandy, is Abi's third wife. Gil speaks German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. He sings in English and German.
Although Gil is virtually unknown in mainstream United States, he has an impressive underground fan following.
Albums
- Here I Am (1998)
1. Intro-Welcom
2. See It In Your Eyes
3. If You Only Knew (feat. the Moffats)
4. Bang, Bang, Bang
5. I Am So In Love
6. Am I Crazy
7. Come on, Come on
8. For Heaven's Sake
9. Charline
11. I Need You
12. Bandstarter
13. Never Giving Up Now
14. Goodbye
- Children Of The World (1998)
- The Album (2000)
1. Say What You Want
2. Stop
3. U & I
4. Never on My Mind
5. It's Your Love
6. Right Now
7. Emotions
8. Everytime
9. Only One
10. Truth in Your Eyes
11. On & On
12. Sometimes I . . .
13. Close 2 Perfect
14. Walking Down the Line
15. If You Only New
16. Round N Round
17. Never Giving Up Now
18. Talk to You
- The Best Of Gil ... So Far (2001)
- On My Own (2003)
- 507 (Zoo Army) (2006)
- 507 Limited Edition (Zoo Army) (2006)
- Stell dir vor (Acht) (2010)
Singles
- "Round'n'Round (It Goes)" (1997)
- "Never Giving Up Now" (1998)
- "If You Only Knew" (featuring The Moffats) (1998)
- "Here I Am" (1998)
- "Let The Music Heal Your Soul" (featuring Various Artists) (1998)
- "Talk To You" (1998)
- "Walking Down The Line" (1999)
- "Out Of My Bed (Still in My Head)" (1999)
- "The Reason" (2003)
- "She" (2003 - not released)
- "In Your Eyes" (2004)
- "I'm Alive" (Zoo Army) (2006)
- "Still" (Acht) (2010)