Singer Yishai Levi, staple of Mizrahi music genre, dies at 63

Yishai Levi, celebrated as one of the most significant voices in Israeli Mizrahi music, passed away overnight Saturday at 63. He had been hospitalized in serious condition on Saturday. The cause of death was not immediately released.

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a special voice in Israeli music, a voice with soul, happiness, pain, and love of people.

Fellow artists and Israeli leaders mourned Levi's passing, highlighting his profound impact on Mizrahi music, a genre deeply connected to Israelis of North African and Middle Eastern heritage. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Levi as "a special voice in Israeli music, a voice with soul, happiness, pain, and love of people," whose songs "touched the hearts of millions of Israelis."

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His songs, Netanyahu wrote, “touched the hearts of millions of Israelis.”

President Isaac Herzog eulogized Levi as "among the most loved and significant voices of Israeli music." He noted that Levi's "unique voice and beloved songs accompanied Israeli society for decades and became an inseparable part of the soundtrack of our lives." Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar recognized Levi as "among the pioneers of Mizrachi music in the country, and one of the biggest and most moving voices in Israeli music."

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among the most loved and significant voices of Israeli music.

Levi gained prominence in the 1980s, releasing over 20 albums. His career, however, was also marked by public struggles with drugs and legal issues, including jail time for theft and arson. Despite these challenges, he achieved a notable comeback with his 2008 album "Romantic Dance." His contributions were remembered by artists like Kobi Oz, who called him "the last great singer" with a "golden voice," and Aviv Gefen, who named him among "the greatest soul singers in Israel."

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His unique voice and beloved songs accompanied Israeli society for decades and became an inseparable part of the soundtrack of our lives.