Alabina - Album

Ishtar was born and raised in Israel. Her parents are Moroccan and Egyptian. She speaks and sings in Arabic, Hebrew, French, Spanish and English. Though she was born Eti Zach, she chose the name 'Ishtar,' a Mesopotamian goddess, because her grandmother called her Ester, which 'with her Egyptian accent, it sounded like Ishtar.' As the lead singer, Ishtar frequently sings in Arabic-style, with a wavering voice and trilling. She also performs in Spanish, complementing the Spanish of her group, 'Los Niños de Sara'. This CD,'Alabina', was an international hit when first released in 1996, and is still one of the most popular dance records in clubs today. Two of the songs on this CD, 'Rona' and 'Linda' were originally major hits in Hebrew in Israel. 'Rona' was originally sung by Samir Shukri, and Israeli Arab singer who had hit records with the song in both Hebrew and Arabic. 'Linda' was one of Chaim Moshe's biggest hits.