Ester Rada

Israeli actress and singer with Ethiopian roots, Ester Rada, grew up listening to the likes of Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin as well to the founder of Ethio-jazz Mulatu Astatke.

17. March 2016

It’s these Israeli and Ethiopian influences and her distinctive voice that have made her a new noticeable soul, jazz, funk and R&B artist. Ester Rada recorded her first self-written and composed song at the end of 2012 (“Life Happens”). The release of EP of the same name followed and was a huge success also outside of Israel. The song has been broadcast on MTV France or VH1. Ester opened for Alicia Keys’ concert, played Glastonbury and was nominated for MTV EMA Awards for Best Israeli Act. Since the first half of last decade, her face has been known across Israel; in the middle of this decade, with her voice she’s become, as SXSW put it, “the new soul of the Middle East.”