Singer,
composer and songwriter Elisete Retter’s first days in Israel may have been
somewhat inauspicious. She spent most of her time in the
sealed rooms of Israel’s first Gulf War.
But that was actually one of the ways in which she learned
Hebrew, by listening to news announcers and musicians like
Gidi Gov and Arik Einstein, during the war and after. Though
she only came here as an adult, she learned Hebrew well enough
to release her first album "Luar e Cafe" (Moonlight &
Coffee) in April 2004. Her next CD is due out soon, and her
latest single - “Shalom Dikaon” ("Goodbye Depression") is
already filling the airwaves.
Elisete, who goes by her first name only, counts
her newest single among several that she has released since
her last album. The video clip of her song “Gaagua”
("Longing"), which she says will likely be the name of her
next album, was on the Israeli music channel "24's" playlist.
'Hola,
Hola!'
You can’t miss Elisete. It’s not just the different look,
colorful and bubbly, but she’s got that huge smile on every
time she walks out her front door.
Video of Elisete performing
“Hola, hola,” she singsongs out, “I’ve come from Brazil and
I’ve brought happiness with me.”
Elisete believes that that’s actually the goal of her
music.
“I feel as if I am here on a mission - to bring happiness
to the people of Israel,” she says. Although she says she was
naive when she first started out, she is happy for the
experiences she’s had.
“I believe in the power of a smile. I’ve succeeded in
making my way with a lot of humor and positive thinking,” she
says.
Her music is becoming increasingly popular in
Israel. Although many people attribute any popularity of
Brazilian music to Mati Caspi’s original mixes, (“a genius,”
says Elisete) Her first album was sung mostly in Hebrew, and
the Bossa Nova, Samba and Baiao beats worked well with her
delightful accent.
She first worked with Uruguayan artist Martin
Mantzur, until he had to leave Israel when his visa could not
be renewed. She finally set up a band with Rostik Lehrman,
keyboardist, Ron Laor, guitarist and Roni Ben Ezra, drums.
On “Luar e Café,” Elisete wrote the lyrics and
the music entirely on her own (The album was put out by the
local music label “Puch.”). This time she is now more involved
in the arrangements and the various production stages.
“I’m in the process of finishing my second
album,” says the Brazilian artist. “I want it to be dedicated
to the late Ehud Manor, a wonderful human being that supported
my work and liked it!”
She seems to be able to perform comfortably in either
language, which may be the reason for her rising international
stardom.
“It is really awesome to know my music is getting to people
all around the world and that they are liking it even though
the majority of my songs are in Hebrew!” she says.
Started in
shower
Elisete, was born in Salvador, Bahia, 33 years
ago, but grew up in Rio de Janeiro, “two of the most beautiful
places in the world,” she says. She came to Israel during the
Gulf War because of an Israeli boyfriend. The relationship
didn’t last, but her love for Israel did.
Her musical career began, like many other artists, in the
shower. She started working as a Brazilian dancer, and then
eventually worked for the Tel Aviv municipality teaching
Brazilian dance to young girls in schools and community
centers. Elisete speaks fondly of that period in her life.
“I received a lot of warmth and love from those girls, and
they gave me the push to move on to the next stage of my
life,” she says.
She finally got up the courage to start writing
her own songs and perform in a small café in Tel Aviv. She
also began working with local artists like Idan Raichel (on
his latest project), Si Hayman, Bezalel Aloni and others.
She’s currently working with Alon Ohana on an electronic music
project named "Alef 3," and she performs regularly with Uri
Bracha in a Brazilian jazz show.
Her Portuguese, Hebrew and English songs are a
surprising and almost impossible mix between Brazilian and
Israeli culture and life.
“There’s something very similar between Brazilian
music and Mizrahi (Middle Eastern) music,” she says. “They
both emphasize happiness and lightness, and don’t take
themselves too seriously. They both accentuate the beat and
people like to dance to it.”
Elisete says she has encountered some racism due to her
skin color in Israel, “but I don’t let it bother me. I’m
Brazilian and I was born with the greatest gift of all - joy
for life. I get up in the morning with a smile and take
everything that comes my way with a dose of humor.”
Israelis are well known for taking the opposite attitude,
but Elisete is hoping her music will spread a little of that
joy around.
Elisete recently participated as a dual
ambassador in the Maccabiah Games, (“a wonderful experience”)
and on October 20 will participate in the Adama Festival in
Tiberias. On November 9, she will perform alongside pianist
Milca Flaks of the Tel Aviv Philharmonic in the "Kesher
Brazilai” program at Betzavta in Tel Aviv.
