Hide the following

After a globe-spanning journey, Ishtar was offered the lead in the group Alabina.
Because of her background and her world travel, Ishtar is fluent in 5 languages and sings in all of them.

"In my music, I bring the sensuality of the ancient Egyptian woman to life. As the world gets smaller, it's easy to imagine the kind of international artist, whose music has no borders, is unchallenged by exotic idioms and unfazed by foreign dances. My music is the music of the past, updated for the present and future."

Ishtar has performed for hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the world. Since her debut at Summer stage 4 years ago, she has headlined at Hammerstein (2x), Beacon (2x), Greek Theater (5x), Universal Theater (3x), Wolf Trap (2x), Aladdin and the Desert Inn, Caesar's AC (2x), Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, Hard Rock Chicago and The Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami (2x).

She has also performed in Spain, Russia, Italy, Israel, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Sweden, Africa, Greece, France, India, Mexico, Panama, Romania, Poland, UK and Brazil.

"There is a mixture of cultures, generations and religions at my concerts. Like my music, they blend together without limits."

Ishtar and Alabina have sold over 1 1⁄2 million cd's and now, Ishtar is recording demos in her first language; English.

In the last month of 2003, Ishtar has performed in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Toronto and Las Vegas to sell out audiences.

Ishtar, an Israeli singer, actress and jet fighter plane mechanic, never thought that she’d find herself fronting a Gypsy World Beat Band in Paris.

As Alabina-the group named after their successful single-Ishtar and Los Ninos de Sara draw upon the pergrinations of a centuries old culture and the adventures of a platinum tressed post nationalist, to create an unprecedented pop hit. “Alabina” has sold over 800,000 copies in Europe, 300,000 in the U.S. and was on the World Music Charts for months.

Born in Israel, Ishtar embarked on a globe spanning journey following her stint in the Israeli army as the first woman jet fighter plane mechanic. Eventually, she wound up in Paris, where she pursued her lifelong interest in singing, first with the French vocalist Julian Clerc and the with Lambada arrivistes Kaoma.

“This is the first time that I’m singing in Arabic”, she says, “I can speak it and write it, but I sang mostly in English.” When producer Charles Ibgui approached her with the “Alabina” song, Ishtar was hooked. “I loved it, my grandmother used to sing it to me.”

As the world grows smaller, it’s easy to imagine the kind of internationalist band-musicians unafraid of high tech studios, unchallenged by exotic idioms, unfazed by foreign tongues and dances-that will take the soul of nomadic people into the next millennium.

Ishtar started putting together her cross-cultural blend of music, fittingly enough, in Paris, the musical melting pot of Europe, where African, Middle Eastern, European and American sounds clash all day and into the night. “I like Paris”, says Ishtar, “world music was born there, I’ve met so many different people from so many different cultures”.

Ishtar’s music is the new face of world music-an image enhanced by her first American performance at Summerstage in NYC three years ago on Bastille Day. Since that show, she has headlined and sold out at Hammerstein(NYC), Beacon (NYC), Greek Theater (LA-4 times), Universal Theater (LA-3 times), Wolf Trap (DC-3 times), Desert Inn (Vegas-2 times), Ravinia Amphitheater (Chicago), Caesar’s (AC-3times), Foxwood’s (Conn-3 times). She has also performed all over the world in Spain, Russia, France, Italy, England, Armenia, Sweden, Africa, Greece etc. Her biggest audience was in Barcelona for 450,000 fans.

Ishtar feels at home all over the world “ I have a lot of faces within me, a lot of cultures. My parents come from Arabic countries and they have brought their traditions; European, Spanish and African.”

Ishtar is hopeful that her multi-generational, muti-ethnic audiences points to a more tolerant future. “There are Jews, Arabs, Americans singing the same songs, the same lyrics, having fun and dancing. Like my music, they mix together without limits.”

In May, Sony Music released Ishtar’s first solo cd entitled “Ishtar, the voice of Alabina.” The cd has 10 songs in French as well as one in English “Last Kiss.” The cd is in stores in the U.S. and is doing very well.

In October 2001, Ishtar’s new solo single “C’est La Vie” is number 21 on the French charts.