- Matti Caspi
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Matti Caspi 
Background information Birth name Matti Caspi Born November 30, 1949
Kibbutz Hanita
Upper Galilee, IsraelGenres Pop, rock, Brazilian-Latin, Middle eastern, gypsy Occupations Singer-songwriter
composerInstruments Voice
Piano
GuitarYears active 1971–present Labels NMC Music Limited Associated acts Ehud Manor
Yehudit RavitzWebsite http://www.matticaspi.co.il/ Matti Caspi (Hebrew: מתי כספי) is an Israeli composer, musician, singer, and lyricist. Born in 1949, he is regarded as one of Israel’s top musicians.
His music style is difficult to classify. He is influenced by classical music, Brazilian and Latin music, Jazz, Rock and other genres. It is possible to hear all these influences in his music. Sasha Argov was one of the musicians who had a large influence on him; Caspi even recorded 2 albums of his songs with Argov’s co-operation.
Contents
Early life
Caspi was born in 1949 in Kibbutz Hanita in the Upper Galilee, and is of Romanian ancestry on his grandfather's side.[1] He studied piano at the conservatory in Nahariya.
After his military service he married Galia Superstein, and in less than a year they divorced. In 1972 he met actress (Patty) Doreen Lubetzky, and 3 years later they got married. They have two children, Brit (born 1981) and Bar (born 1985).
Musical career
For his service in the army, he served as a performer in the Southern Command Group. He formed a trio with two of his friends, Gadi Oron and Ya’akov Noy, called The Three Fat Men. With this trio Caspi came out with his first big hit, Ani Met (I am dying).
After his service this trio became the They Don’t Care trio. In the Yom Kippur War he toured army bases along with Leonard Cohen, who arranged his song Lover, Lover, Lover with Caspi. During the 70s he worked closely with Ehud Manor, another Israeli songwriter, and released some of his most popular songs: Lo Yadati SheTelchi Mimeni (I Didn’t Know You Would Leave Me), Brit Olam (Covenant of Love), and Shir HaYonah (The Song of the Dove).
Over the next few decades, Caspi had a prolific musical career, released dozens of records and collaborated with some of the biggest and most well known Israeli artists of the time: Shlomo Gronich, Ehud Manor, Yehudit Ravitz, and Shalom Hanoch.
In 1989, Caspi met Rachel Wagner. Soon after he left his wife. The new couple emigrated to the US, and married in 1994 in California. In 1997 Caspi returned to Israel and appeared in several concerts, including the Arad festival.
He has released several more albums, of which the latest is Nefesh Te´oma (Soul Mate) released in 2010.
Caspi has released close to 1,000 songs, both remakes of older songs and his original creations. His musical style is well known, especially for his harmony and popular writing style. Musicologist Tzipi Fleischer said:
- "He is the genius among his fellow artists, he set an important milestone in the history of the music of the world. Caspi has invented his own new musical language. As I sit and analyze his harmonies I find myself amazed all over again each time. The fact that he functions as the performer, arranger and conductor has formed a certain reservedness and introversion, but the truth is that he is a musical wild man. He is the one who promoted sophistication and western standards to the region."
With some Israeli artists (chiefly Riki Gal), he not only took on the role of composer, but also of the producer. For Riki's 1996 album Ohevet otcha yoter (I Love You More), he took responsibility for complete production and also songwriting.
In 2005, he was voted the 91st-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.[2]
Discography
Caspi has released dozens of albums in the decades he has been working in the Israeli music industry. A list of some of his albums follows.
- They Don’t Care (1972)
- Behind the Sounds (1973)
- Matti Caspi – the First Solo Album (1974)
- Matti Caspi – the Second Solo Album (1976)
- Side A Side B (1978)
- Another Side (1980)
- Twilight (1981)
- Behind the Sounds 1984 (1984)
- My Second Childhood (1984)
- Side C Side D (1987)
- Crazy Paiz Tropical (1987)
- One to One (1988)
- Matti Caspi sings Sasha Argov / Mattityahu and Alexander (1990)
- Songs in Tomato Sauce (1990)
- The First Time A Caspi / They Don't Care Collection (1992)
- Buba Matti (1992)
- Matti (1993)
- Matti Caspi and Ehud Manor: the Great Songs (1994)
- Cherished Dreams (1995)
- Live in Arad (1997)
- Another World (1998)
- Media Direct Collection (1999)
- Duets (2000)
- Behind the Sounds 2002 (2002)
- Songs of Matti Caspi (2003)
- Ballads (2003)
- The Best (2004)
- You are my Woman (2005)
- Soul Mate (2010)
References
- ^ Matti Caspi biography
- ^ גיא בניוביץ' (June 20, 1995). "הישראלי מספר 1: יצחק רבין – תרבות ובידור". Ynet. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3083171,00.html. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
External links
Categories:- 1949 births
- Living people
- Israeli Jews
- Israeli people of Romanian origin
- Israeli songwriters
- Israeli male singers
- Israeli musicians
- Israeli composers
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