Hagit Yaso
Encyclopedia
Hagit Yaso is an Israeli singer. She won the ninth season
of Kokhav Nolad
, an Israeli television show, similar to Pop Idol
.
, and has four brothers. Yaso's parents immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia
in the 1980s through Sudan
. From an early age she loved to sing, and later on became a member of the band "Sderot Youth" (צעירי שדרות), in which she participated along with her sisters. During her military service, Yaso served in a military band. She was featured in the documentary film Sderot: Rock in the Red Zone
.
In 2011, she participated in the Kokhav Nolad 9
. In her audition, Yaso sang Amir Benayoun
's song "Omed BaSha'ar" (עומד בשער). During the show, Yaso sang in several languages, including Hebrew
, Moroccan, English
and Amharic
. From the beginning of the show, Yaso stood out, and for her outstanding performances, she often was rated by the judges panel for having the "outstanding performance". Yaso reached the finals, which were held in Haifa
, together with David Lavi and Liron Ramati. The first song Yaso sang in the finals was Ofra Haza
's "Mishehu Tamid Holech Iti" (מישהו תמיד הולך איתי) and Idan Raichel
's song "Medabrim Besheket" (מדברים בשקט). Yaso ended up wining the first place with 60% of the votes. She won a scholarship of 240,000 shekel
s, and a production contract from the well known music producer Ivri Lider
.
After winning, Yaso and her parents were invited to the president's residence, where President Shimon Peres
discussed with her parents about their immigration to Israel from Ethiopia
, and about her involvement in Kokhav Nolad.
Eliad Nachom (played in Shemesh), whom previously performed with her in a military band during their military service.
Kokhav Nolad 9
Kokhav Nolad 9 is the 9th season of the popular reality TV show Kokhav Nolad, which focused on finding the next Israeli pop star. It is hosted by Tzvika Hadar with judges Margalit Tzan'ani, Tsedi Tzarfati and the Newest Miri Messika and Yair Nitzani...
of Kokhav Nolad
Kokhav Nolad
Kokhav Nolad is an Israeli reality television show searching for talented new vocalists based on the British Pop Idol and American Idol model. Since its debut on Israeli Channel 2 in 2003, Kokhav Nolad has achieved great popularity and turned out many new musical stars...
, an Israeli television show, similar to Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
.
Early life
Yaso is of Ethiopian Jewish descent. She was born in SderotSderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
, and has four brothers. Yaso's parents immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
in the 1980s through Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. From an early age she loved to sing, and later on became a member of the band "Sderot Youth" (צעירי שדרות), in which she participated along with her sisters. During her military service, Yaso served in a military band. She was featured in the documentary film Sderot: Rock in the Red Zone
Sderot: Rock in the Red Zone
Sderot: Rock in the Red Zone is the title of a documentary film scheduled for release in 2009 about the many rock and roll bands that have come out of Sderot, a town in southern Israel that has been under almost daily attack for many years by Qassam rockets fired from Gaza by Hamas and Islamic Jihad...
.
In 2011, she participated in the Kokhav Nolad 9
Kokhav Nolad 9
Kokhav Nolad 9 is the 9th season of the popular reality TV show Kokhav Nolad, which focused on finding the next Israeli pop star. It is hosted by Tzvika Hadar with judges Margalit Tzan'ani, Tsedi Tzarfati and the Newest Miri Messika and Yair Nitzani...
. In her audition, Yaso sang Amir Benayoun
Amir Benayoun
Amir Benayoun is an Israeli singer-songwriter.-Biography:Benayoun was born in 1975 in Beersheba. His first album, "Rak Ath", was sold in 40,000 copies. after it, he created 11 other albums....
's song "Omed BaSha'ar" (עומד בשער). During the show, Yaso sang in several languages, including 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...
, Moroccan, 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...
and Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
. From the beginning of the show, Yaso stood out, and for her outstanding performances, she often was rated by the judges panel for having the "outstanding performance". Yaso reached the finals, which were held in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, together with David Lavi and Liron Ramati. The first song Yaso sang in the finals was Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....
's "Mishehu Tamid Holech Iti" (מישהו תמיד הולך איתי) and Idan Raichel
Idan Raichel
Idan Raichel is an Israeli singer-songwriter and a musician, known for his Idan Raichel Project , distinctive for its fusion of electronics, traditional Hebrew texts, Middle Eastern and Ethiopian music. Prior to the Project, Raichel was a keyboardist, collaborating with artists such as Ivri Lider...
's song "Medabrim Besheket" (מדברים בשקט). Yaso ended up wining the first place with 60% of the votes. She won a scholarship of 240,000 shekel
Shekel
Shekel , is any of several ancient units of weight or of currency. The first usage is from Mesopotamia around 3000 BC. Initially, it may have referred to a weight of barley...
s, and a production contract from the well known music producer Ivri Lider
Ivri Lider
Ivri Lider is an Israeli pop rock singer-songwriter. He is one of the biggest-selling contemporary artists in Israeli music, and has won the Male Singer of the Year honor from major Israeli national and local radio stations since entering the Israeli music scene in the late 1990s...
.
After winning, Yaso and her parents were invited to the president's residence, where President Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
discussed with her parents about their immigration to Israel from Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, and about her involvement in Kokhav Nolad.
Personal life
In 2011, Yaso began dating the Israeli former child actorChild actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
Eliad Nachom (played in Shemesh), whom previously performed with her in a military band during their military service.