Ishtar (sangster)

**Ishtar** (born **Esther (Eti) Zach**, on 10 November 1968) is an Israeli pop sangster who performs in Arabic, Ebreu, Bulgarie, French, Spainyie, an Inglis. She is best kent for her wirk as the lead sangster o the French-based baund Alabina, an her solo pop hits sic as *C'est La Vie*, *Last Kiss*, an *Habibi (Sawah)*.

## Biografie
### Early life
Eti Zach wis born on 10 November 1968 in Kiryat Ata, Haifa an wis raised in Israel. She wis born tae an Egyptian-Jewish mither an a Moroccan-Jewish faither, baith o Sephardic heritage, who haed immigratit tae Israel earlier.

She speaks an sings in Arabic, Ebreu, French, Spainyie, Roushie, an Inglis; in addeetion, she says she "hauf-speaks Moroccan".

Ishtar began performin in clubs at age 14 an continued even while enrolled in the IDF. Tho she wis born Eti Zach, she chose the name 'Ishtar', a Mesopotamie Goddess, acause her grandmither cried her Ester, which "wi her Egyptian accent it soondit like Ishtar", she said.

It wis aroond this time a friend asked her tae join her in Fraunce. She suin fell in luve wi the kintra an decidit tae mak it her hame.

## Career
### Alabina years

Ance she muivit tae Fraunce, Ishtar began wirkin as a backup vocalist for several flamenco teep acts. It wis here she wis discovered bi Charles Ibgui who, enamored wi her vyce, introducit her tae Los Niños de Sara. She joined the group as a lead vocalist an thegether thay performit unner the name Alabina.

Alabina suin became a warldwide success chairtin in the tap 10 an tap 40 several times in the US alane.

Alabina haed foond success mixin flamenco, Arabic, pop, an dance soonds. Los Niños de Sara uisually sang in Spainyie while Ishtar wad sing in Spainyie, Arabic, French, Ebreu, or a mix o the leids – several sangs wur sung in Spainyie an Arabic.

### Solo career
Despite Alabina's success, efter twa albums Ishtar decidit tae dae a solo project o her awn (tho still a member o the group); Los Niños de Sara began tae release CDs o thair awn an aw.

In November 2000 *La Voix d'Alabina (The Voice of Alabina)* wis released. It steppit up the Oriental pop soond while mixin in some tradeetional Arabic soonds an dance beats. Nine oot o the twal sangs wur mainly in French tho Arabic, Spainyie, Inglis, an Ebreu wur mixed in on various sangs (for example *Last Kiss* wis in Inglis). Several o the tracks foond dance floor success, includin *Last Kiss*.

Ishtar paid a veesit tae her fans in Israel an aw, whaur she hostit a few televeesion shows, singin duos wi local starns sic as Pavlo Rosenberg, Avihu Medina, an David D'Or.

Ishtar continued tae tour the warld wi Alabina for the next few years as she wirkit on her seicont album, *Truly Emet*, which wis released in August 2003 this time wi maist o the sangs bein in Ebreu. Housomeivver, she decidit tae sing mair sangs in mixes o Arabic an Ebreu tae shaw that thare coud be harmony atween the twa culturs. *Truly Emet* wis again a dance floor success especially the sangs *C'est La Vie*, an again *Last Kiss*.

A few mair performances wur done wi Alabina, tho as o 2005, the group haed seemit tae disbaund bi nae langer actively performin or releasin new muisic.

Ishtar's third album, *Je Sais D'où Je Viens (I know where I come from)* wis released in November 2005. This time the muisic wis still Oriental pop, housomeivver hintle less dance. Mair hip hop-teep beats wur stirred in wi the Arabic muisic. Maist o the sangs wur sung in Arabic, fower wur sung in French, an a few in Inglis, while Spainy;ie an Ebreu be foond throuoot the album. Again she foond dance success wi sic singles as *Habibi (Sawah)*, which for the first time in her career featurt a rapper JMI Sissoko.

Shortly efter a greatest hits CD, *The Alabina Years*, wis released, featurin a mix o Ishtar's solo hits, her Alabina hits, an some new Inglis tracks as well.

In 2005, Ishtar released her fift album, which wis recordit in Paris, New York an Turkey, In this album, Ishtar adaptit Arabic muisic frae her bairnheid wi various strains o Spainyie an Wastren pop muisic an featurin the airtist Jimmy Sissoko.

Efter this album, she decidit tae tak a break tae gie birth tae her twins in 2007.

In 2009 she recordit the sang ‘Yahad’ in duet wi Kobi Peretz, which wis awairdit as ‘Song Of The Year’ at the Apple Music Awairds in New York.

In 2012 she released a new album cried "7". The album contains 12 sangs includin the first single "Mi Amor".

## Discografie
### Albums
(Anerlie solo CDs are leetit)
* *The Voice of Alabina*
* *Truly Emet*
* *Je Sais d'où Je Viens*
* *The Alabina Years*
* *Best Of Ishtar Alabina*
* *7*

### Singles
* *Last Kiss*
* *C'est La Vie*
* *[[Sawah|Habibi (Sawah)]]*
* *Yahad*

### DVDs
* *Alabina On Tour 1997–2000* (released 2002)

## See an aw
*Alabina
*Los Niños de Sara

## References

## Freemit airtins
* Offeecial wab steid 
* Ishtar biography , frae RFI Musique (in French)
* English translation of RFI Musique biography 
* Think Flamenco-Arabian music. Think ALABINA! , frae eStart News