Israeli music is heavily influenced by Jewish immigrants from over 120 countries, who brought to Israel their musical tradition when they immigrated here. The large diversity in their origins reflects in the large diversity in Israeli musical styles. Within Israeli music you can find almost all genres of music from Pop to Jewish music, from Folk to Middle-Eastern music. Israel in music is a little like Israel in food - it has it all.
The history of Jewish Israeli music began when the first Zionists settled in the land of Israel back in the 1920s. They used to write Hebrew folk songs based on borrowed melodies from the country they came from - Russian melodies (like the song "livlevu Agas vegam Tapuh") - German melodies and even old Jewish folk melodies. However, these settlers wanted to create a new musical style that would be different from the borrowed music they used and to be in Hebrew and more distinctive. The new style of music they developed was borrowed from other origins as well, such as of Arab origin and Yemenite music. Examples to this new musical style can be found in songs like "Shadmati" by Yedidia Admon and "Shibolet Basateh" by Matityahu Shelem.
However, in spite of the new settlers attempt to develop an original style of Israeli music, many of the composers of that era still wrote melodies and songs based on their origin like Russia and Slavic countries. Some composers managed to write different songs using both trends, like the famous Mordechai Zeira with "Hayu Leilot", Moshe Vilenski and David Zehavi with "Hechalil".
After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the Israeli leadership and the Labor organization in Israel wanted to develop an Israeli style of music that would contribute more to the national identity and would also help in teaching Hebrew to the new immigrants that were arriving in Israel. In order to develop and encourage the new Israeli style of music, the labor organization organized public sing-along evenings with special song books they had printed. One more important aspect that grew after Israel's creation is now almost totally disappearing like Ladino and Yiddish songs.
Over the years we can see some writers and singers who wrote and sang in different styles of music. We can find the Yemenite style of music in songs of Shoshana Damari back in the 1960s and still see until now the Yemenite influence on songs of Ofra Chaza, Noa and Gali Atari. We can find singers and writers with Sephardic influence like Yehoram Gaon, Jo Amar and Ruth Yaacov. We can also see that Israel has developed a unique Israeli style of music with the more recent musicians like Chava Alberstein and Shlomo Artsi. These days in Israel you can find music in many different styles with the younger generation bringing in styles like Hiphop and Rap.
Here are some of the major music styles amongst the main performers in Israel today:
Israeli Folk Music (also called the Land of Israel songs): the military bands of "Nachal", "Pikud Tsafonh", Yehoram Gaon, Shoshana Damari, Ha'Gevatron, Ester Ofarim.
Classical Music: Daniel Birenboim, Itshak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, David D'or.
Rock Music: Mashina, Aviv Geffen, Shlomo Artzi, Aric Einstein, Kaveret.
Pop Music: Rita, Tsvika Pik, Shiri Maimon, Ninet Taieb, Ivri Lider, Hachaverim Shel Natasha.
Ethnic Music: Ahinoam Nini (Noa), Idan Raichel Project, Yehuda Poliker.
Mizrachi Music: (Arab motive music): Amir Benayoun, Eyal Golan, Zohar Argov.
Hiphop and Rap: Subliminal, Hadag Nachash, Shabak Samech.
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