Gad Elbaz (in Hebrew גד אלבז) (born August 20, 1980) is an Israeli singer of Sephardi origin. He is best known by his #1 hit; Halayla Zeh Hazman (Tonight Is The Time), and for being the son of Mizrahi singer Benny Elbaz.
Early life:
Elbaz was born in Israel to a family of Moroccan-Jewish descent. He started his singing career at the age of 13. His first duet was with his Grandfather, Yecheskel; who himself was a renowned Mizrahi singer, when they sang Aba, Otcha Ani Ohev (Father, I Love You). At the age of 7, Gad's family became religiously observant. The first and most famous song written by his father, and sung by the two of them after they became observant, was Lo Kashe Lachzor B'Tshuva (It Isn't Hard To Become Observant). The song was an instant hit, and touched the lives of thousands of non-observant Israeli families.
Professional career:
As a child, he recorded four records with his father, and later, five more on his own. He was 16 when he put out his first solo effort called Light at the End of the Tunnel. In 2005, he released Meanings, which sold close to 100,000 copies in Israel alone. His songs feature catchy tunes, appealing to both the observant crowd as well as the non-observant. In 2006, he released another album named Kimat Shaket כמעת שקט, (Almost Quiet). A new disc called Bein HaTipot, (Between The Drops), was released in 2008 and co-produced by Rudy Perez, who has written several songs for Christina Aguilera. One song already playing on Israeli radio; Olam Shel Yeladim (World For The Children), has become a huge hit.
On August 26, 2008, Elbaz performed at a large concert in Caesarea, Israel at an amphitheatre venue. This concert was recorded and broadcasted by the Israeli music channel Music 24. Elbaz was also the first haredi singer to perform at Caesarea. He sang songs with Harel Moyal (Sa'eni), Shlomi Shabat, and Benny Elbaz for classic hits such as Kol Ha'chayalim Chozirim La'bayta (All O of the Soldiers Are Coming Home). The concert was a major success; and a DVD along with a double CD of the show is now available, which were released in 2009.
His 2009/2010 World Tour included concerts in the United States, France, Australia, Switzerland, Belgium, and Canada.
Legacy:
In an interview with the Jewish Music Insider, Elbaz mentions his intention to keep people's faith alive through his music. His objective is to bring people together and create unity through music. He sings alongside non-observant Israeli musicians such as mizrahi music singers Lidor Yosefi, Shlomi Shabat and rapper Alon De Loco. His music appeals to non-observant and non-Jewish people as well.
Community work:
Elbaz has performed at the Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School; an Orthodox Jewish school in Miami, Florida and at a public high school in Queens, New York. He performed at the Universal Chanukah Concert at Universal CityWalk in Orlando, FL. He also performed at Oorah's Girl Zone sleep away camp.
