Miri Mesika מירי מסיקה | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | (1978-05-03)May 3, 1978 (age 47) |
| Origin | Herzliya, Israel |
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| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Anana label ofHed Arzi |
Miri Mesika (Hebrew:מירי מסיקה; born May 3, 1978) is anIsraeli singer and actress. She is most known for winning several Israeli "Female Singer of the Year" awards, selling more than 200,000 copies of her albums in Israel, and for her portrayal of thetitle role of Dina in theWest End production ofThe Band's Visit, for which she was nominated for the 2023Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Miri Mesika was born and grew up inHerzliya, Israel. Her father is ofTunisian-Jewish descent and her mother is ofIraqi-Jewish descent. As a child she studied music, and played the guitar and therecorder at the city music school. In 1994, she was accepted to HaYovel High School, where she studied theatre and music. She by way ofIsraeli mandatory conscription, served as anoperationsNCO in theIDF'sInfantry Corps.
In 1999, Mesika started her studies at theRimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music inRamat HaSharon, the leading music school in Israel that exported many Israeli singers such asNoa andAviv Geffen. She was part of the "magic class", studying together withKeren Peles andAya Korem, that went on to be popular singers.[1]
During her studies at Rimon, she participated in severalensembles. In one of them she met the musicianOri Zakh, who went on to become her husband and record producer. Miri and Ori married on June 2, 2005.[2]
At Rimon School Mesika met the songwriterKeren Peles, with whom she started working on songs for Mesika's debut album. After graduating, Mesika created a live show based on songs by Keren Peles. The show, produced and engineered by Ori Zakh, included the songsNovember andLeSham. The show was warmly received by the audience, and immediately afterwards Mesika was offered a recording contract withHed Arzi Music under theAnana label.[citation needed]
After finishing music studies in Rimon, Mesika began studying Acting at the Sofi Moskovich School of Performing Arts. During her studies she acted and sang in various plays, including themain character inThe Night of the Iguana andBlood Wedding.[citation needed]
Meanwhile, she participated as thesoloist in tribute evenings to different poets, such asHayyim Nahman Bialik,Natan Yonatan,Nurit Zarchi andItzik Manger. Mesika and Zach also created a show composed of songs by the songwriterTzruya (Suki) Lahav as part of the Piano Festival inTel Aviv.[citation needed]
Mesika became known in public in 2004 with her first album,Miri Mesika, produced and mixed by Ori Zakh and Shmulik Neufeld. Miri Mesika's first single,Tipa Tipa (טיפה טיפה, "Little by Little"), dealing with the recovery from a lost love, was released in November 2004 and achieved moderate success. However, the next two singles written byKeren Peles,November (נובמבר, January 2005) andLeSham (לשם, "To There", March 2005) were huge radio hits.LeSham won the Galgalatz award as Song of the Year.
The album saw light of day in March 2005 under theAnana label. More singles from the album were released afterwards. The songBa'a Eleikhem (באה אליכם, "Coming to You") was released in July, and also gained much popularity. The lyrics describe a trusting relationship between a daughter and her parents, and the song has an up-tempo ethnic rhythm. Another single released in July 2005 isAf Akhat (אף אחת, "No one"), a song of a lover who would not give up her loved one, written by Tzruya (Suki) Lahav. The next single (November 23, 2005) wasShir LeShira (שיר לשירה, "A Song to Shira"), acover version ofCorinne Allal's song. It is an emotional song of a mother promising to give a "new and good world" to her baby daughter, with lyrics written byYehonatan Geffen. The last single from the album was the romantic songTen Li Siman (תן לי סימן, "Give Me a Sign"), released in February 2006.
In 2006 Miri Mesika recorded the songKluv shel Zahav (כלוב של זהב, "A Golden Cage") withTeapacks, which appeared on their albumRadio/Musika/Ivrit.
Miri Mesika's second album,Shalom LaEmunot (Good-bye Beliefs), appeared in February 2007. The release included a limited edition bonus CD of the songs from the movieShalosh Imahot. Mesika went on a performance tour following the release of the album, and in May 2008 the album wentplatinum. This album, as the first one, was produced and mixed by Mesika's husband, Ori Zakh.
Mesika and Berman released[when?] the song "Erev Hag" ("Holiday Eve"), written by Berman and dedicated toGilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier was held hostage by theHamas for over two years. In the same month Mesika's duet with Ofer Bashan, "HaOr Yizrah Gam Benifrad" ("The Light Will Keep Shining Separated"), appeared on Bashan's second album. In 2008, Mesika played the narrator inJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat staged by Habima Theatre. In November 2008 she went on a tour ofunplugged performances around Israel.
In 2005 Miri Mesika took part in theHabima Theatre production of the musicalKing Solomon and Shalmai the Shoemaker. The musical was widely praised and won the Musical of the Year award at the 2005 Israeli Theatre Awards.
In November 2006 she played in the drama filmShalosh Imahot ("Three Mothers"). In the film she performed two new songs—Eikh Hayinu (איך היינו) andBirkat HaMelekh (ברכת המלך)—and cover versions of Ilana Rovina'sBikashti Esh (ביקשתי אש) and Geula Gil'sDaber Elay BiFrahim (דבר אליי בפרחים). In the same year she recorded the songHaAviv Sheli Yagi'a (האביב שלי יגיע, "My Spring Will Come") for the drama filmAviva Ahuvati ("Aviva My Love").
In 2007, Mesika took part inAmos Gitai's film,The Dybbuk in Haifa, and in theFestigal festival of children's songs. In March 2008 she released a cover forBerry Sakharof's song, "Kakha ze" ("This Is How It Is") for the second edition of the projectHebrew Labor, dedicated to Israel's 60-year anniversary.
In 2016, Mesika played the role ofFantine in the Habima production ofLes Miserables, directed by Moshe Kepten.
In 2022, Mesika was cast in the leading role of Dina for the European premiere ofThe Band's Visit in London'sWest End.[3] The production earned mainly positive reviews, withThe Guardian praising Mesika for her "stunning performance."[4] The production earned six 2023Laurence Olivier Award nominations, including a nomination for Mesika inBest Actress in a Musical. During the televised awards ceremony, Mesika performed the show's title song "Omar Sharif" to great praise.[5]
In 2012, Mesika was a judge onKokhav Nolad, the Israeli version ofAmerican Idol,[citation needed] and in 2016, she is a coach on the fourth season of "The Voice Israel". In 2019 she starred in the lead role in Israel's channel 12 TV network's "it's got nothing to do with age".
She took part in the Shirimon song contest, a song contest of the Rimon School, and won the first place withDavid De'or's songMishehu Kayam produced by Zakh.[citation needed]Shalom LaEmunot gave Mesika another win as Female Singer of the Year, this time both on Galgalatz and on Reshet Gimel. The song "Akhshav Ata Hozer BeHazara" ("Now you're coming back"), written by Eric Berman, won the Reshet Gimel Song of the Year award. Miri Mesika won the Female Singer of the Year award onGalgalatz, and the Discovery of the Year award both on Galgalatz and onReshet Gimel. The album wentdouble platinum with over 80,000 copies. In 2006, Mesika won another Female Singer of the Year award, this time at theAmi Awards ofMusic Channel 24.
At the 2008 Ami Awards of Music Channel 24, she received another Female Singer of the Year award.
| Year | Album | Israel Certificate | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Miri Mesika | Doubleplatinum | +80,000 |
| 2007 | Shalom LaEmunot | Platinum | +40,000 |
| 2010 | Hadashot Tovot | Gold | +15,000 |
| 2012 | Melekh | Gold | +15,000 |
| 2014 | Simanim al hachol | ||
| 2017 | The God of Small Things |
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