Biography

I was born in Be’er Sheva, Israel. My parents made aliyah from France and settled in the southern Israeli town about an hour and a half outside of Tel Aviv.

My mother always tells me that before I was born, there was a huge drought throughout the country, but then on my birthday “the gates of the heavens opened up and a torrential downpour ensued”. I’m sure most mothers have similar stories filled with symbolic meaning for the day their children were born.As a father myself, I can certainly relate.

When I was one, my family moved to the North, to a little moshav called Neve Ativ. With Mount Hermon as my playground, I grew up in a not-so-typical atmosphere, which is quite understandable when there are only one hundred souls (including the cats and dogs) in your entire community. In essence, and out of necessity, I became my own best friend.

When I was nine, a friend of mine was playing with a plastic spoon which broke and I caught some “shrapnel” in my eye. This injury turned out to be a turning point in my life because it was the impetus that led me to music.   I was in the hospital and in the bed next to mine was a boy who had a small electric keyboard. To pass the time we used to pass it back and forth and play (or try to play) what resembled music. My mother and grandfather bought me my own little Yamaha keyboard (which I have to this day) and me and my friend would spend hours jamming away. I guess it’s true when they say that “every cloud has a silver lining”. My silver lining was music. If I hadn’t hurt my eye, you might be reading the biography of an accountant right now.

Back in the moshav, I had a paper route and made around 300 shekels a month – a lot of money for a little boy. I would save up my money and every few months I would buy myself another instrument; drums, guitar, bass. After making the rounds with my instruments, I finally realized that the one I loved most was voice – I loved to sing.

After finishing high school and my army service some friends and I founded a group called Shotei HaNevuah or Fool’s Prophecy. For ten years we grew together as musicians, as artists, as people and as friends. It was there where I discovered musical freedom and expression – an experience so poignant that I will never forget it.

When the group broke up I set out to record my first solo album in 2008.There I sang about personal experiences that I went through; the breakup of the band, about being a husband and a father to two wonderful sons and about life itself.

 
The song Adam Tzover Zichronot (Man Collects Memories) was the turning point for me from band member to soloist. It all happened by chance. I was at the train station and bumped into famed producer who produced the Avoda Ivrit series of records where Israeli artists covered famous Israeli songs of yore.Our little meeting quickly turned into hours of pouring over songs and finally picking Adam Tzover Zichronot for me to sing on the project. This too became a lesson for me as I struggled with my lack of confidence and being a soloist. I worked on this project with Yonatan Dagan who I met for the first time via this endeavor and remember him helping through the “tough times”. He helped me find the freedom and relaxation in the fact that I could sing how I wanted and spread my wings. I never dreamed that this song, one of sixty on the project would receive such attention and accolades. The song ended up being released as one of the singles and to my amazement, was received with open arms by the radio and the country as a whole. The day it reached #1 on the singles playlist was one of the sweetest days I can remember. I will never forget it...

I began to tour around Israel and perform at different venues across the country with great friends/band mates who are as talented as they are loving and caring individuals.

I  recently finished my second album, Orot (Lights) and started a new tour . The title song is about the power of life, love, lyric and song. It is, in essence, what I believe we are all about or better yet, what we strive to be. 

I am so thankful for the light in my life: my wife, my children, my family and friends and of course all of my fans both here in Israel and abroad. I wish all of you to be surrounded by Orot so that you too can feel its power and its warmth always.

Shalom,

Avraham Tal

Israel, 2011