Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Arisa feat.Omer Adam-Tel Aviv



The Tel Aviv Pride Week (which along the way became Tel Aviv Pride Month) is marking this year 20 years of pride! There have been events all week and this Friday is the highly anticipated Parade and Beach Party. I've written a bit about the parades in Tel Aviv and outside of it last year. I'm not sure what's the theme this year but this awesome video touches on the delicate subject of Mizrahim (Northern Africa/Middle East descent) and Gay culture. Talking about ethnicity in 2013 is a bit of a faux pas because a lot of people (especially the younger generation) would like to believe that we've come a long way concerning the sometimes tense relations between Ashkenaz and Sephardic jews and there's really no need to be talking about it today. We have come a long way but you can't deny that there's still friction and like in Feminism once you open your eyes you see certain things that were so easy and convenient to overlook. This video is very fitting for the 20th anniversary of pride in Tel Aviv because its concept would never have been imagined 20 years ago and maybe even 10 years ago as well. The credit for the video goes to Arisa, which prides itself in being "The first Mizrahi Gay party line" formed just two years ago, in 2011. Over the last two years Arisa has hosted some great parties, and made some really excellent (and controversial) clips to promote them featuring "old-school" Mizrahi artists like Zahava Ben, Liat Banay and Rinat Bar as opposed to mainstream Mizrahi pop a.k.a Moshe Peretz/Lior Narkis and of course Eyal Golan. [I just now noticed the gender difference. Very interesting...] On one hand the music is much better-its more authentic and a much needed reminder that not all Mizrahi music is conceived with the thought of commercial success. On the other hand, its a bit of a shame that the bigger names aren't joining in on the party thus possibly making a positive difference on how their fans (who are generally more conservative) view Gay culture and Gay rights. I read in an interview that Lior Narkis was supposed to perform in one of the parties but right before the PR he got cold feet. There's also been talk (forever, it seems) of a high profile Mizrahi artist who refused to leave the closet and when confronted strongly denied the rumours. I don't really care if he is/isn't but when you look around and see that not only are there no big Mizrahi artists outside of the closet but also that none of them want to associate themselves with the gay culture it doesn't paint a pretty picture. Omer Adam took a huge risk with this song (he's also set to perform at the parade) and to say that it paid off is an understatement. The negative comments are barely visible as opposed to the extremely positive feedback from his fans, the general public and new fans around the world. It's also just a really great song! You can hear the full version here.

She feels that luck has opened up for her
She found a guy, a man's man, and a straight one
And she'll whisper to him, what will she whisper to him
"Take me on a camel"

I'm your beauty
You're my beast
Welcome to the Middle East

Tel Aviv Ya Habibi Tel Aviv
Look how many hunks are around
Waving hi-hi
At night wai-wai
And well done Tel Aviv

The sun shines in the White City
Staring at him from every corner
And she knows, what does she know
He'll run from her in a second

I'm your beauty
You're my beast
Welcome to the Middle East

Tel Aviv Ya Habibi Tel Aviv
Look how many hunks are around
Waving hi-hi
At night wai-wai
And well done Tel Aviv

I'm rising, I'm rising, I'm rising and rising

15 comments:

  1. Would you post the lyrics, please? I am guessing it is great contemporary Hebrew for learners... Thanks.

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  2. I mean the translation. Please.

    היא מרגישה שנפתח לה המזל
    פגשה אחד, גבר-גבר ורג'אל
    והיא תלחש לו, מה היא תלחש לו-
    "קח אותי על הגמל"

    I'm your beauty
    You're my beast
    Welcome to the Middle East

    תל אביב יא חביבי תל אביב
    תסתכל כמה לירדים מסביב
    עושים לי היי-היי
    בלילה וואי-וואי
    וסחטן על תל אביב

    זורחת שמש בעיר הלבנה
    ונועצים בו מבט מכל פינה
    והיא יודעת, מה היא יודעת
    הוא יברח לה עוד שנייה

    I'm your beauty
    You're my beast
    Welcome to the Middle East

    תל אביב יא חביבי תל אביב
    תסתכל כמה לירדים מסביב
    עושים לי היי-היי
    בלילה וואי-וואי
    וסחטן על תל אביב

    עולה לי, עולה לי, עולה ולא יורד לי...

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  3. No problem. The gay culture in Israel is so developed that it has its own language (e.g verjal, lirdim (לירדים) so I tried to translate as best as possible!

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    Replies
    1. I'll try to translate a few things:
      verjal - it's actually ve rajal - ve means 'and' in hebrew, and its no part of the slang. rajal is straight in the gay slang. that line translates into something like "she found a guy, a mans man, and a straight one"
      lirdim - sexy manly men in gay slang - the plural of lird (one sexy manly man), hunks is actually a good translation.
      Ya habibi - that's just in arabic, it literally means "you loved person" - but used as some people would use something like 'bro' - "tel aviv, bro! tel aviv!"

      the last line is really hard to translate as it's intentionally obscure in hebrew, it means 'it rises for me, it rises for me, it rises for me and doesn't come down' - i think it has something to do with erections :P

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    2. thanks for your insights MrMil! I updated the translation a bit

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  4. Thanks daydreamer! You have a new fan!

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  5. Thanks so much for posting this! I've been singing along to this song all week, but had actually no idea what I was saying. Toda raba!

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  6. Could anyone give a Latin transliteration for those of us who just want to sing along?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sure:

    Hee margisha sheniftach la mazal
    Pagsha echad, gever gever verajal
    Vehee teelchash lo, ma hee teelchash lo
    Kach oti al hagamal

    I'm you're beauty you're my beast
    Welcome to the Middle East
    Tel Aviv ya chabibi Tel Aviv
    Teestakel cama lirdim meesaviv
    Osim li hi, hi belayla wai wai
    Vesachtain al Tel Aviv

    Tel Aviv ya chabibi Tel Aviv
    Teestakel cama lirdim misaviv
    Osim li hi, hi, belayla wai wai
    Vesachtain al Tel Aviv

    Ole lee Oleh lee, Oleh ve lo yored lee
    Oleh lee Oleh lee Oleh ve lo yored lee
    Oleh lee Oleh lee Oleh ve lo yored lee
    Oleh lee Oleh lee Oleh ve lo yored lee
    Ve lo yored li, ve lo yored li

    Tel Aviv ya chabibi Tel Aviv
    Teestakel cama lirdim meesaviv
    Osim li hi, hi, belayla wai wai
    Vesachtain al Tel Aviv

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  8. do you have the transliteration of the full version??? i only can find it in hebreum

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hey, here's the full version :)

    Hee margisha sheniftach la mazal
    Pagsha echad, gever gever verajal
    Vehee teelchash lo, ma hee teelchash lo
    Kach oti al hagamal

    I'm you're beauty you're my beast
    Welcome to the Middle East

    Tel Aviv ya chabibi Tel Aviv
    Teestakel cama lirdim meesaviv
    Osim li hi, hi belayla wai wai
    Vesachtain al Tel Aviv

    Zorachat shemesh be-ir halevana
    Venoatzim la mabat micol pina
    Ve he yodaat, ma he yodaat
    Hoo Yivrach la od shniya

    I'm your beauty
    You're my beast
    Welcome to the Middle East

    Tel Aviv ya chabibi Tel Aviv
    Teestakel cama lirdim misaviv
    Osim li hi, hi, belayla wai wai
    Vesachtain al Tel Aviv

    Ole lee Oleh lee, Oleh ve lo yored lee
    Oleh lee Oleh lee Oleh ve lo yored lee
    Oleh lee Oleh lee Oleh ve lo yored lee
    Oleh lee Oleh lee Oleh ve lo yored lee
    Ve lo yored li, ve lo yored li

    Tel Aviv ya chabibi Tel Aviv
    Teestakel cama lirdim meesaviv
    Osim li hi, hi, belayla wai wai
    Vesachtain al Tel Aviv

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  10. anybody knows name of curly boy in this video?

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    Replies
    1. Hi there, his name is Netanel Atias https://www.facebook.com/NETATIAS

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