Biography
Yishai Levi (also known as Ishay Levi; Hebrew: ישי לוי; January 20, 1963 – June 7, 2026) was a pioneering and highly influential Israeli singer of Mizrahi (Mediterranean) music.
Born in Rosh HaAyin to a religious Yemenite-Jewish family (his father was a Torah scribe), he began performing in clubs and at haflas as a teenager. He rose to prominence in the 1980s alongside artists like Zohar Argov. His early albums, including Hafla with Ben-Mosh (1984) and Hine Ba HaYom (“Here Comes the Day,” 1986), produced enduring classics such as “רעיה” (“Raiya”). His 1989/1992 album Lehat’chil MiBereshit (“To Start from the Beginning”) featured the massive hit “רקדי” (“Rikdi”), one of the biggest songs in Mizrahi music history.
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Other major hits include “ריקוד רומנטי” (“Rikud Romanti”), “אישה נאמנה,” “האחת שלי,” and “את.” Over a career spanning more than four decades, he released around 17 studio albums and collaborated with many artists. He remained a beloved and defining voice of Israeli Mizrahi music until his death at age 63 from complications related to chronic lung disease (COPD). Rest in peace.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.