David Broza, dubbed the “U2 of Israel,” brought his Israeli rock stardom to the Morse College Dining Hall Nov. 7.
In front of a packed audience, Broza gave a free two-hour concert in which he sang approximately 10 songs. Broza is an Israeli folk pop singer who sings in English, Hebrew and Spanish and also composes his own songs, which are a mixture of salsa and folk.
With audience members swaying back and forth with their arms around one another, Broza sang most of his songs in Hebrew, but also included some Spanish and English pieces in his set list. When Broza finished one of his guitar solos, the audience clapped fervently, drowning out the rest of the song.
Prior to singing a Hebrew song titled “Longing,” Broza described the influence poetry has had on his songwriting.
“This is a song based upon a beautiful poem on longing and a return to home,” Broza said.
In between other songs, Broza explained the process behind his songwriting.
“I depend a lot on my friends as inspiration and as muses,” Broza said. “Over the years, I have learned to collect poems in case I come up with a melody.”
During the show, Broza stopped in between his songs and jokingly asked if there were any questions.
“This is Yale,” Broza said to an attentive audience. “Do you have any questions?”
At the early age of 21, Broza became an instant star. His debut album, “The Woman by My Side,” went quadruple platinum in 1978. To date, he has made 23 albums, many of which have gone multiple platinum. This September, Radio Darom in Israel named Broza “Singer of the Year.” His most recent album, “All or Nothing,” was released in June in Hebrew. Broza’s first English album came out in 1989, which The New York Times hailed as the best pop album of the year.
Born in Haifa, Israel, Broza is the son of an Israeli folk singer and a businessman. Broza’s linguistic abilities are a product of the childhood he spent in both England and Spain.
Audience members said they loved Broza’s performance. Zvika Krieger ’06, who spent the last year in Israel, said he enjoyed Broza’s concert because it was a change from the high-energy concerts Broza gives in Israel.
“Broza has a mix of higher and lower energy songs,” Krieger said. “His songs today were lower in energy, and I enjoyed hearing them because they were very passionate and appropriate for this intimate setting. He is humongous in Israel and packs arenas. It was to great to see him in such an intimate setting.”
Gary Green ’06, who heard Broza for the first time, said he was impressed by Broza’s talents.
“I am blown away by his musicianship,” Green said. “With his intricate, continuous and powerful songs, he is the best solo player today in terms of musicianship.”