The magical rendez-vous... Hanging with Ofra

Chosen with Ofra...
During an interview at her home in the neighborhood of Yehoud in Tel Aviv, in 1988 to "Ok Mag!" (French mag)

Golden discs can be seen hanging on the wall of the living-room and soft toys can be seen by dozens.

"These are gifts from my fans" she says .
Who could have guessed such an international star, so popular, lives in this little warm home in Tel Aviv, with its great garden?


Little walk to the kitchen, it's tea time, such an international well known moment of cooling down, feeling relaxed. Ofra apologizes for not being such a great cook.:
"I'm a vegetarian. I never eat meat, always fish. What I like best are soup and pasta, by the way, it's what I do best.

Ofra also loves pita bread. She takes us to the baker close to her place, a friend of her, who does pita bread. Ofra gets into the job and start working: .
"I love it so much, but it's also so fatty! Anyway, one has to please himself sometimes, doesn't he?!


We carry on the visit and are now in her working zone, arranged according to her needs, by Ofra herself.
"I compose most time with the guitar. And I work very, very often with my producer, Bezalel Aloni".


On the right, Ofra and her manager who happens also to be her very best friend, by the propeller...
"Last year, I boarded this plane. After an engine failure, we crashed. No need to tell you that we were all terribly scared but no one was badly injured. I had a few broken ribs, but that's it. Looking back to it, we were chilled to learn that our accident had happened the same day, at several years of interval, that the one that took the life of Richie Valens away, the leader of the song "La Bamba". Being of a supertitious kind, but in a positive way, when the pilote of the plane suggested I could keep the propeller, I have accepted it telling myself if I had an accident, I wouldn't have any more, I would have had my share!" "


On a shelf in the living-room, a picture of Ofra and her parents.

Quite a rare moment, we can sense and feel the kindness the gentleness of their face. And for once, we can put a face on the name, we now see Ofra's mum for the first time (for the European population). And we will know and hear her voice a little the year after, in the end of the song "Fatamorgana". A warm and tender feeling.

Moment even more special since for us, it was very unusual if not impossible, to discover their parents. Our moment is heavy on emotion, we feel special, our heart is warmed as we can sense so much kindness all around wether it's Ofra talking to us or the photos standing in their frame.

In my own opinion, these photos touch my heart, my emotion stays so vibrant even when I look back to these photos, time over time. When we like Ofra the way many of us did, we understand. How? Because one can love an artist, being a "fan", but it comes to enter the world of Ofra, it's all so different. Beyond the cult of a fan, we're talking about passion, unconditional respect, as if our soul had found place to rest, protected. That's the difference. And don't forget, don't shut your heart, let your emotions, they are the reflection of your soul...

What one would notice too, it's that the Haza family is very strong, attached to each other, and the kids have grown with love and chants. Ofra's mum, as her and her husband just arrived from Yemen, used to sing by her house on Saturdays evening, and kids from the neighborhood used to come and listen to her. Surely there is no need to wonder where Ofra's passion for music came from, that same passion that Ofra has given to us all, blessed us all with.