First time in Israeli history that an Arabic-language song has managed to top the Israeli charts.
The surprise hit Habib Galbi music video performed three Israeli sisters of Yemeni background named A-WA – managed to rise to the top of this country’s music charts, smashing records and all expectations.
The music video flew from the Israeli desert has amassed 1.2 million hits on Facebook and YouTube and has attracted thousands of fans across the Middle East, according to report publiahed in The Wire.
Its three stars, sisters Tair, Liron and Tagel became immediate celebrities.
In spite of the fact that Arabic language and culture has been far and wide disparaged in Israeli society since its founding in 1948, Liron noted that at home, “the music we grew up with was in both Hebrew and Arabic. Arabic wasn’t something foreign to our ears”.
“People who see us online and like us often don’t even know where we come from. Some people from Baluchistan have even contacted us, asking if we’re Baluchi because we wear Baluchi scarves in the video,” Tair told MEE.
“People ask us: Are we from Yemen? From Israel? We love the mystery around it, because the music becomes the focus, and we think that’s better.”
“We’re all people and we all eventually want the same things. Music is clean from politics. It’s a common ground, and that’s the beauty of it.”