The Franco-Israeli singer Rika Zarai, known in particular for her hit "Without shirt, without pants" in the 70s, has died at the age of 82, announced in a tweet, Wednesday December 23, the Israeli embassy in France.
"She sang Israel and Jerusalem with passion and dedication. It is one of the most beautiful voices of Israel in French which has died out," the tweet read.
"Sad news. Rika Zaraï has been a real ambassador of Israeli song in Europe for many years," responded the Israeli ambassador to Belgium, Emmanuel Nahshon.
Born in Jerusalem in February 1938, into a family of Jewish pioneers, she had great success in France in the 1960s and 1970s, with titles like "Casatchock" or interpretations of "Hava Nagila" and "Tournez manège".
In the 1980s, she converted to writing books on the benefits of natural medicine.
If his books have sold several million copies, his positions on the benefits of natural products against cancer or AIDS will earn him enmity in the medical community.
After a stroke in 2008 and a long absence on stage, she sang at the Folies-Bergères in Paris last February.
In a wheelchair, she performed one of her hits, "Prague", on the occasion of "Night of the Depression", and received a standing ovation from the public.
With AFP
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