Kobi Farhi

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

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
Jaffa, Israel
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1991–present
LabelsCentury Media Records
WebsiteOrphaned Land official website

Life and career

Farhi was born in Jaffa, the oldest part of 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. 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). He has also collaborated with Steven Wilson, Erkin Koray, and Yehuda Poliker. Farhi participated in the 2013 Rise Up (Colors of Peace) musical project. 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
  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 2013-10-23 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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