An Ofra Haza fan from Kosovo, Lores Vroniku, sent me an amazing discovery this week from the autobiography of Vincent Paterson—the legendary choreographer and director who worked with Michael Jackson and Madonna, and who directed the mythical “Blond Ambition” tour in 1990.

In his book, he shares how the Middle Eastern, exotic, and daring arrangement for the song “Like a Virgin” was born:

“I’d recently befriended a Yemeni singer named Ofra Haza who had mingled the sonority of her origins with club music. Ofra had given me her album, Im Nin’alu, which was a hit all over Europe. It was a warm and avant-garde Middle Eastern sound in world music. I brought it to Madonna. ‘She’s a friend of mine. I want you to listen to it because it’s fantastic and I want to use this style of arrangement for Like a Prayer.’ She took it home with her that night. She loved the idea of doing Like a Virgin in this sensual and exotic style…”

The result? One of the most famous and influential performances in music history, inspired by our Ofra’s unique sound and her international album.

An immense cultural impact that keeps revealing itself, even years later. 👑✨