David Broza

David Broza (born September 4, 1955) is an Israeli singer/songwriter. He has written several Israeli pop standards, including Yihiyeh Tov (It will be all right) and Mitachat La'Shamayim (Under the Skies). David Broza is a modern troubadour of urban folk-rock. With 17 albums to his name, many of which went gold, platinum, and multi-platinum in his native country, Israel. His grandfather was a founder of an Arab-Israeli settlement Neve Shalom and of the Habonim youth movement. The son of an Israeli/British businessman and a folk singer, David Broza was born in Haifa, Israel. He was raised and educated in England and Spain. Broza originally planned to become a graphic artist, and by age 17, was selling his paintings in the Rastro, Madrid’s famous Sunday flea market. However, after high school graduation, he was drafted into a three-year term in the Israeli military. Stationed away from family and friends, he began playing guitar in cafes to earn extra money, and was eventually offered a record deal. Since he still hoped to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, he declined. He later recorded a tape to promote his live shows. "Somehow, one of the songs became a #1 hit in Israel", he explains. At age 21, he was a star, and by age 27 he was being mobbed by fans in the street as his recordings went triple platinum. Critics have labelled him as “a post-modern Leonard Cohen,”[citation needed] the “Stevie Ray Vaughn” of folk rock[citation needed], and even “the Mel Gibson of Rock n’ roll.”[citation needed] His American debut album, “Away From Home” was praised by the New York Times as one of the best pop albums of the year.[citation needed] “Time of Trains”, his second American release, gained him recognition as one of the most important artists on the music scene all over the world. Broza has made a mission of studying the work of American writers for the past several years, haunting libraries and bookstores, “always reading with a melody in my head.” Broza has started forming yet another base for himself in the United States, building a strong legion of fans, and maintaining a hectic touring schedule. Now an artist-in-residence at Bennington College in Vermont, he has also gained a wealth of respect in American literary circles[citation needed] and often guest lectures in college writing classes. An activist who is committed to several humanitarian causes, Broza was appointed a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. His song “Together” (co-written with Ramsey McLean) was the theme song for the UNICEF 50th anniversary celebration in more than 148 countries. The singer/songwriter continues to record albums in Hebrew for his Israeli fans, and travels frequently all over the world. His popularity achieved new heights with the enormous success of his 4x-platinum album “The Woman By My Side”. Albums recorded at live concerts at the top of Masada in 1994 and 1999 went platinum. His Spanish language release, “Isla Mujeres” was released in Spain. His concert tours included Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil and the United States. His Hebrew recording, “All or Nothing” was released in 2002 and went gold within one week, as well as its Spanish version, "Todo o Nada". David's sixteen-year-old son with ex-wife Ruti, Adam, currently attends the American International School in Israel.