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Israeli singer a (secret) hit in Iran
June 15, 2012 | Jewish Tribune
Rita Jahanforuz: an Israeli musical star in Iran
JERUSALEM – Despite the political tension between Israel and Iran, an Iranian-Israeli singer has gained significant popularity among music lovers in the Islamic Republic.
Rita Jahanforuz was born in Iran but immigrated to Israel as a child. As one of Israel’s most famous singers, she is known simply as Rita in the Jewish state. Rita’s latest album, All My Joys, reinvents Persian songs in the kind of Mediterranean style popular among Israelis.
The album went gold in Israel in three weeks, but has also become popular among Iranians. The Wall Street Journal reported that Rita fans in Iran use software to secretly download her songs to avoid the government’s filtration of the Internet. Street merchants even sell her albums in unmarked packages.
“She is singing from her heart. So what if she is from Israel?” said Manijeh, a 43-year-old who asked that her surname not be published. “We love her.”
– JointMedia News Service
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