Moni Ovadia
Encyclopedia
Moni Ovadia (born 1946) is an Italian actor, musician, singer and theatrical author. "Moni" is short for "Salomone" (Solomon
).
, Bulgaria
, in 1946 to a Jewish family who moved to Milan in Ovadia's early childhood. Here he graduated in political science
and made his debut in the theatre world under Roberto Leydi
, as singer and musician in the band Almanacco Popolare. In 1972, he founded a company, the Gruppo Folk Internazionale, playing mainly songs and music from the Balkans.
Ovadia's debut as a theatrical actor was in 1984. In 1990, he created the Theatre Orchestra and produced Oylem Goylem, which he successfully toured in Italy, France, Germany and USA. Oylem Goylem (Yiddish for "The world is dumb") skillfully melded satire and klezmer
music sung by Ovadia himself. In 2005, the spectacle was broadcast by RAI
, Italy state TV.
In 1995, Ovadia wrote Dybbuk
, about the Shoah
, considered one of the most important Italian theatrical shows of the period. In the same year, he produced Taibele e il suo demone and Diario ironico dall'esilio, written with Roberto Andò. His following spectacles include Ballata di fine millennio (1996), Pallida madre, tenera sorella (1996), Il caso Kafka ("The Kafka File", 1997, with Andò), Trieste, ebrei e dintorni (1998), Mame, mamele, mamma, mamà... (1998), Joss Rakover si rivolge a Dio (1999), il banchiere errante (2001), L'armata a cavallo (2003).
In 2005, he collaborated with the band Modena City Ramblers
for their album Appunti partigiani.
He has been an outspoken opponent of what he regards as growing racism in Italian society. He received an award from the University of Pavia
in October 2007; in his acceptance speech he denounced the treatment of immigrants, especially Roma.
In 2009, he appeared in the movie Memories of Anne Frank
.
In Sept./Oct. 2003, Ovadia gave an extensive interview to Vered Zaykovsky of the Israeli cultural magazine Eretz acheret
. It can be found at www.jewish-theatre.com.
Solomon (name)
Solomon is a Hebrew-derived surname and given name; Sol as a given name is usually a form of "Solomon". Its Hebrew form, Shlomo שלמה is related to the word shalom ;, and is often chosen in part as a reference to the well-known King Solomon mentioned in the Hebrew Bible...
).
Career
Ovadia was born in PlovdivPlovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, in 1946 to a Jewish family who moved to Milan in Ovadia's early childhood. Here he graduated in political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and made his debut in the theatre world under Roberto Leydi
Roberto Leydi
Roberto Leydi is an Italian ethnomusicologist-Biography:He started his career in the field of contemporary music and jazz, and in the 1950s started his research into the social significance of folk and popular music...
, as singer and musician in the band Almanacco Popolare. In 1972, he founded a company, the Gruppo Folk Internazionale, playing mainly songs and music from the Balkans.
Ovadia's debut as a theatrical actor was in 1984. In 1990, he created the Theatre Orchestra and produced Oylem Goylem, which he successfully toured in Italy, France, Germany and USA. Oylem Goylem (Yiddish for "The world is dumb") skillfully melded satire and klezmer
Klezmer
Klezmer is a musical tradition of the Ashkenazic Jews of Eastern Europe. Played by professional musicians called klezmorim, the genre originally consisted largely of dance tunes and instrumental display pieces for weddings and other celebrations...
music sung by Ovadia himself. In 2005, the spectacle was broadcast by RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
, Italy state TV.
In 1995, Ovadia wrote Dybbuk
Dybbuk
In Jewish folklore, a dybbuk is a malicious or malevolent possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person.Dybbuks are said to have escaped from Sheol or to have been turned away for serious transgressions, such as suicide, for which the soul is denied entry...
, about the Shoah
Shoah
Shoah may refer to:*The Holocaust*Shoah , documentary directed by Claude Lanzmann * A Shoah Foundation...
, considered one of the most important Italian theatrical shows of the period. In the same year, he produced Taibele e il suo demone and Diario ironico dall'esilio, written with Roberto Andò. His following spectacles include Ballata di fine millennio (1996), Pallida madre, tenera sorella (1996), Il caso Kafka ("The Kafka File", 1997, with Andò), Trieste, ebrei e dintorni (1998), Mame, mamele, mamma, mamà... (1998), Joss Rakover si rivolge a Dio (1999), il banchiere errante (2001), L'armata a cavallo (2003).
In 2005, he collaborated with the band Modena City Ramblers
Modena City Ramblers
Modena City Ramblers is an Italian folk band founded in 1991. Their music is heavily influenced by Celtic themes, and can be compared to folk rock music. The band has sold over 500,000 albums...
for their album Appunti partigiani.
University of Pavia
The University of Pavia is a university located in Pavia, Lombardy, Italy. It was founded in 1361 and is organized in 9 Faculties.-History:...
in October 2007; in his acceptance speech he denounced the treatment of immigrants, especially Roma.
In 2009, he appeared in the movie Memories of Anne Frank
Mi Ricordo Anna Frank
Mi Ricordo Anna Frank is a 2010 Italian television film directed by Alberto Negrin. The movie was based on the book Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend written by Alison Leslie Gold...
.
In Sept./Oct. 2003, Ovadia gave an extensive interview to Vered Zaykovsky of the Israeli cultural magazine Eretz acheret
Eretz acheret
Eretz Acheret is an independent, not-for-profit organization in Israel that produces a bi-monthly Hebrew magazine, periodic English magazines, a bilingual website, and conferences. Each magazine is dedicated to a select topic, and the conferences around publication of each issue supplement the...
. It can be found at www.jewish-theatre.com.
Books
- 1996 - Perché no?
- 1998 - Oylem Goylem
- 1998 - L'ebreo che ride (book and VHS)
- 1999 - La Porta di Sion. Trieste, Ebrei e dintorni
- 2000 - Ballata di fine millennio (book and CD)
- 2001 - Speriamo che tenga - Viaggio di un saltimbanco sospeso tra cielo e terra (a hilarious autobiography)
- 2002 - Vai a te stesso
- 2005 - Contro l'idolatria
- 2007 - Lavoratori di tutto il mondo, ridete - La rivoluzione umoristica del comunismo
- 2010 - Il conto dell'Ultima cena - in collaboration with Gianni Di Santo,
- 2010 - Introduction to the Italian edition of Yehudi MenuhinYehudi MenuhinYehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin, OM, KBE was a Russian Jewish American violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in the United Kingdom. He was born to Russian Jewish parents in the United States, but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1970, and of the United Kingdom in 1985...
's book, Musica e Vita Interiore