{"id":11691,"date":"2026-03-03T13:26:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/?page_id=11691"},"modified":"2026-03-03T23:04:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T23:04:18","slug":"uri-kariv","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/uri-kariv\/","title":{"rendered":"Uri Kariv"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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uRI kARIV<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t
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Uri Kariv \u2014 an arranger, composer, and musical director who worked with Ofra Haza over many years, from her early appearances on leading Israeli TV show Sharti Lach Artzi to studio albums, recordings, and behind-the-scenes stories. In our conversation, he described Ofra as a quiet, focused, deeply professional artist \u2014 marked by rare humility and complete trust in his musical work.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Sharti Lach Artzi: \u201cI insisted they bring her in.\u201d\n<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Kariv served as the musical director of Sharti Lach Artzi,<\/strong> in the late 1970’s – one of Israeli television\u2019s flagship programs, and recalled insisting that Ofra be brought onto the show even then:<\/p>

\u201cI insisted they bring her in\u2026 There was humility in her. Nothing over the top.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

He remembered that she never carried herself like a star, but as part of the ensemble:<\/p>

\u201cShe sang one solo song and another together with the rest of the singers. She didn\u2019t demand to do more solos.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

And he also recalled how seriously she approached the work:<\/p>

\u201cShe sat down and learned the song. I felt there was a talent here that could grow into something very big.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Pituyim: Album songs and complete freedom in the arrangements<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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On the album Pituyim (1982), Uri Kariv composed and arranged both the title track and \u201cLavo El Tokh Ha-Perakh\u201d. He recalled giving the melody to Bezalel Aloni and being genuinely surprised they chose to go with it:<\/p>

\u201cI gave Bezalel the melody and didn\u2019t believe they\u2019d go for it. It was completely different from anything Ofra had done\u2026 The musical style was totally unexpected – she didn\u2019t do a song like that with anyone else\u2026 It was a huge opening on her part, and I was very surprised.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

Speaking more broadly about their studio work, he emphasized that the trust was absolute – and that he was given full creative freedom in his arrangements:<\/p>

\u201cThey gave me complete freedom in the arrangements. They trusted me with their eyes closed.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Moments from the studio and the arrangements<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Kariv recalled a humorous behind-the-scenes detail from one of Ofra\u2019s biggest hits – one he arranged:<\/p>

\u201cWhen we recorded \u2018Yad BeYad,\u2019 there wasn\u2019t a ready-made clapping sound effect back then. So Ofra, Bezalel, and I did the claps you hear in the background\u2026 You can hear in the recording that we weren\u2019t completely in sync.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

Looking back, he also remembered bold arrangement choices – like the striking guitar-driven opening of \u201c<\/strong>Kayitz\u201d<\/strong>:<\/p>

\u201cIn \u2018Kayitz,\u2019 I decided to create a wild guitar intro. They didn\u2019t interfere.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Moments from the studio and the arrangements<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Kariv described Ofra as quiet and inward – without \u201cstar behavior\u201d and without drama:<\/p>

\u201cShe was very self-contained\u2026 I never heard her break into a big rolling laugh\u2026 She was so quiet – she didn\u2019t shout, she didn\u2019t get angry\u2026 And even after she became very successful, she didn\u2019t change.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

On trips abroad, he said, it was even more noticeable:<\/p>

\u201cShe would go into her room\u2026 she didn\u2019t go to restaurants, she didn\u2019t go to pubs, she didn\u2019t go to clubs\u2026 She\u2019d arrive, close herself off in the room, we\u2019d go to the show, and after the show she\u2019d go straight back to the room.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

Within that same framework, he spoke with pride about their performance in Milan (1985), for the Jewish community, with musicians from abroad:<\/p>

\u201cIn 1985, we went together to perform in Milan\u2026 and she was very, very excited.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Stories that reveal her character<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Regarding HaShana Inshallah, a song Ofra and Bezalel wrote especially for Yardena Arazi, Kariv recalled how Ofra immediately agreed to record it with a youth ensemble – something not every star would do:<\/p>

\u201cShe was already a famous singer\u2026 I suggested we do one song with a youth group. She agreed right away\u2014I was very surprised\u2026 She only asked that we record them separately and her separately, because she wanted quiet and didn\u2019t want everyone in the session asking her for photos and autographs. Not every star agrees to sing with teenagers.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

He also described his own small attempt to cool things down between Yardena and Ofra:<\/p>

\u201cI asked Ofra, what\u2019s the story with Yardena Arazi?\u2026 She said: I don\u2019t know what people made of it. I have nothing against her. I asked her to write a short note to Yardena. Two weeks later I was on a plane with Yardena to Canada\u2026 and Yardena was totally shocked by the note Ofra wrote her.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The creative process<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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Kariv described seeing, up close, how Ofra composed – less in an \u201cacademic\u201d way and more through intuition:<\/p>

\u201cI saw with my own eyes how she would write melodies. She bought herself a drum machine\u2026 you\u2019d press \u2018play\u2019 and it would loop different rhythms. She would listen and sing, record it, and Bezalel would lay words over it. She didn\u2019t know how to write notation or play an instrument, so this was her way of composing.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>

And he ended with a line that summed up how he felt:<\/p>

\u201cOfra touched the top of the sky. There\u2019s no other Israeli artist who reached where she reached.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The musical partnership: from an early discovery to \u201cHaShana Inshallah\u201d<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u2731 1978 | Shir Mishmar HaGvul<\/b> \u2013 Arrangement for the song on Sharti Lach Artzi.<\/p>

\u2731 1978 | Zecharia Ben Ezra<\/a><\/b> \u2013 Arrangement for Ofra\u2019s solo performance on Sharti Lach Artzi.<\/p>

\u2731 1982 | Pituyim<\/a><\/b> \u2013 Composed and arranged the song that became the album\u2019s title track.<\/p>

\u2731 1982 | Kayitz<\/a><\/b> \u2013 A\u00a0distinctive arrangement featuring an electric-guitar-driven intro.<\/p>

\u2731 1982 | Lavo El Tokh Ha-Perakh<\/a><\/b> \u2013 A unique composition and arrangement within Ofra\u2019s career.<\/p>

\u2731 1984 | Yad Be-Yad<\/a><\/b> \u2013 Arrangement for one of the biggest hits of Ofra\u2019s Israeli career.<\/p>

\u2731 1984 | Manginat Ha-Lev<\/a><\/b> \u2013 Arrangement for the song that later gave its name to a memorial compilation dedicated to Ofra.<\/p>

\u2731 1985 | Etz Ha-Rimon<\/b> \u2013Arrangement for the song on the TV program Chaim She\u2019Ka\u2019Eleh (Israel\u2019s version of “This Is Your Life”), in honor of Ya’akov Orland.<\/p>

\u2731 1985 | Le\u2019atzmi Bilvad<\/b> \u2013Another arrangement fo Chaim She\u2019Ka\u2019Eleh.<\/p>

\u2731 1985 | <\/b>Arrangements for a performance for the Jewish community in Milan.<\/p>

\u2731 1986 | Nous N’irons Plus<\/a><\/b> \u2013 Arrangement for the French version of Manginat Ha-Lev.<\/p>

\u2731 1987 | Yerushalayim Shel Zahav<\/b> \u2013 Arrangement for the famous Sultan\u2019s Pool concert, alongside several of Israel\u2019s leading artists.<\/p>

\u2731 1987 | Amen la-Milim<\/b> \u2013 Arrangement for the Sultan\u2019s Pool concert, alongside several of Israel\u2019s leading artists.<\/p>

\u2731 1988 | HaShana Inshallah<\/b> \u2013 Arrangement for a song written by Ofra and Bezalel, following Kariv\u2019s suggestion that she record it with the Tel Aviv Scouts youth ensemble.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

uRI kARIV Uri Kariv \u2014 an arranger, composer, and musical director who worked with Ofra Haza over many years, from her early appearances on leading Israeli TV show Sharti Lach Artzi to studio albums, recordings, and behind-the-scenes stories. In our conversation, he described Ofra as a quiet, focused, deeply professional artist \u2014 marked by rare […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11691","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11691"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11712,"href":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11691\/revisions\/11712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ofrahazaofficial.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}