Born: 19 November 1957, Israel
Died: 23 February 2000
Country most active: International
Also known as: Bat Sheva Ofra Haza, בת-שבע עפרה חזה
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Bat Sheva Ofra Haza (בת-שבע עפרה חזה) was an Israeli singer, songwriter, and actress.
Haza, of Mizrahi Jewish (Taymani/Yemenite-Jewish) descent, created music that blended traditional Middle Eastern and commercial styles, incorporating Eastern and Western instruments, orchestration, and dance beats. Her lyrics drew from Mizrahi and Jewish folklore and poetry.
By the late 1980s, Haza had achieved international success, particularly in Europe and the Americas. She appeared regularly on MTV, earned platinum and gold records, and was prominent in the club scene. In the 1990s, she contributed to movie soundtracks, including Dick Tracy (1990) and The Prince of Egypt (1998), and her vocals were popularly sampled in hip-hop music.
Her untimely death in 2000 due to an AIDS-related illness shocked Israel and sparked controversy.