Israeli superstar to lift up the Jersey shore
An Israeli superstar who has a history of lifting spirits with his music will bring his fluency in a host of cultures and languages to the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park on Wednesday evening, May 22.
His performance is part of Monmouth Celebrates Israel@65, a month-long county-wide celebration of Israel’s 65th birthday cosponsored by the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County. The concert is also sponsored by the city of Asbury Park and the Asbury Park Music Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Axelrod Performing Arts Center.
Broza’s compositions are a folk-rock blend, tinged with salsa and flamenco, sung in Hebrew, English, and Spanish. He is a musical citizen of the world, as comfortable with flamenco rhythms as a rock ’n’ roll riff and even country music. Broza received his early classical guitar training in Madrid and has headlined with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Sting, and Jose Feliciano.
Born in Haifa, Broza spent time in Madrid as a youth before coming to New York, settling in the New Jersey town of Cresskill for 17 years before returning to Israel, where he now lives in Tel Aviv.
Broza is well known for his commitment to a host of humanitarian causes, including peace between Israelis and Palestinians and sports competitions for people with physical disabilities. He has performed for Israeli soldiers on the front lines of battle, wounded soldiers recuperating in hospitals, and civilians in shelters who were evacuated from their homes during bomb raids.
Known for his urban folk-rock sound and the poetry of his lyrics, the singer/songwriter shot to stardom in 1977 on the eve of the peace talks with “Yihyeh Tov,” “It Will Be Good,” the anthem of the Israeli peace movement he helped found.
He was appointed a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, and his song “Together” was the theme song for the organization’s 50th anniversary. Broza won an award from Search for Common Ground for his work in collaboration with Arab instrumentalist Said Murad.
Almost all of his 23 albums have gone gold, platinum, or multi-platinum.
Broza performs regularly in the region, including at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark and the 92nd St. Y in New York, but this is his first time on the Jersey shore.
“The Axelrod Performing Arts Center is pleased to bring an artist of David Broza’s caliber to a historic venue like the Stone Pony. It’s a special place to see a concert. Having one of Israel’s top stars there will be a special treat for our community,” said Jess Levy, CEO of the Axelrod Performing Arts Center.
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