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Kobi Farhi

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Kobi Farhi
Kobi Farhi upclose, standing onstage, singing into a microphone
Farhi performing with Orphaned Land in 2014
Background information
Born (1975-09-08) 8 September 1975 (age 49)
Jaffa, Israel
Genres
OccupationMusician
InstrumentVocals
Years active1991–present
LabelsCentury Media
WebsiteOrphaned Land official website

Kobi Farhi (Hebrew: קובי פרחי) (Born 8 September 1975) is an Israeli musician, lead singer and founder of Oriental metal band Orphaned Land.

Life and career

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Farhi was born in Jaffa, the oldest neighborhood in Tel Aviv, Israel. At a young age, Farhi, who already loved heavy metal music, discovered oriental and world music through his family.

He formed the band Orphaned Land[1] in 1991 with his high school friends. The musician has stated that his main mission is "to bring people and hearts together,[2] from all countries and sectors of the bleeding Middle East".[3]

Apart from Orphaned Land, Farhi founded the record label MDMA, with a focus on heavy metal and electronic music. In 2001, he left the label, as Orphaned Land was gaining in popularity and playing their first show overseas, in Turkey.[4][5][6]

Farhi has received three honorary awards for peace: From Istanbul Commerce University, from the Mayor of Çankaya in Ankara, and from the Turkish government's official advisor, after a show Orphaned Land played in the country, donating all earnings to the people affected by the 2011 Van earthquake.[7] In 2014, Farhi won the Global Metal Award for Orphaned Land, granted by Metal Hammer Magazine at the Golden Gods awards.[8] In September 2018, Orphaned Land won the Video of the Year award at the Progressive Music Awards in London, for their video to the song "Like Orpheus".[9]

Kobi Farhi and Steven Wilson
Kobi Farhi and Steven Wilson in 2011

Besides his involvement with Orphaned Land, Farhi has worked as a musical editor at Century Media Records, the label to which the band is signed, editing a compilation titled Oriental Metal.[citation needed] He has also contributed guest vocals to a number of albums by other artists, such as North of South (Spain),[10] Arkan (France), Amaseffer (Israel), Magor (Israel), Subterranean Masquerade (Israel), Melted Space (France), Enzo Donnarumma (Italy), and Moran Magal (Israel).[citation needed] He has also collaborated with Steven Wilson, Erkin Koray, and Yehuda Poliker.[citation needed] Farhi participated in the 2013 Rise Up (Colors of Peace) musical project.[citation needed] He also recorded a cover of "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam with fellow musicians, as part of a campaign to get the band to perform in Israel.[11]

In 2017, former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett contacted Farhi about a peace-themed collaboration. Together with Israeli Arab singer Mira Awad, Farhi sang on "West to East", a track from Hackett's 2017 album The Night Siren. Hackett then recorded a guitar solo on the track "Chains Fall to Gravity" from Orphaned Land's 2018 album, Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs.[12]

References

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  1. ^ A heavy metal, Middle Eastern band of brothers, by Debra Kamin (The Times Of Israel, July 2013)
  2. ^ Orphaned Land: Bitter but hopeful in Gaza warzone by Martin Kielty (Team Rock, Aug 2014)
  3. ^ Israeli Rock Music’s Spiritual New Sound, By Yossi Klein Halevi (The Wall Street Journal, June 2015)
  4. ^ Israeli And Palestinian Metal Bands Join Forces For European Tour (Blabbermouth, July 2013)
  5. ^ LEBANON, ISRAEL: Belly dancer and metal band rock the boat, By Alexandra Sandels (LA Times, July 2011)
  6. ^ In-depth Interview With Orphaned Land Vocalist Kobi Farhi, By Andrew Bansal (Metal Assault, June 2013)
  7. ^ The Stories of Orphaned Land Archived 23 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine (Radio Metal, September 2013)
  8. ^ Orphaned Land Win Metal Hammer Golden Gods Global Metal Award (Team Rock, June 2011)
  9. ^ "ORPHANED LAND: Win 'Video Of The Year' At Progressive Music Awards 2018". Metal Shock Finland. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  10. ^ "North of South: New Single "Ember Remains" Released, Feat. Orphaned Land's Kobi Farhi". Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ). 15 September 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  11. ^ Orphaned Land interview with Kobi Farhi by Alkis Korovesis (ROCKING.gr, June 2013)
  12. ^ Orphaned Land Collaborates With Genesis' Guitar Legend, Steve Hackett (Playbuzz, April 2017)
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