Lior Narkis

Born

1976-11-08

Birthplace

Holon, Israel

Biography

Lior Narkis (Hebrew: ליאור נרקיס; born November 8, 1976, in Holon, Israel) is a prominent Israeli singer specializing in Mizrahi, Mediterranean, and pop music. Born to a father of Babylonian/Iraqi Jewish origin and a mother of Serbian-Jewish descent with Greek-Tunisian roots, Narkis dreamed of singing from childhood and released his debut album, Tfilat Chayay (The Prayer of My Life), at the age of 16. During his younger years he co-formed an early Mediterranean-style musical group, and after a series of albums he broke through with his sixth release, Rak Itakh (Only with You), whose massive hit “Lekol Echad Yesh” (“Everyone Has,” a duet with Shlomi Shabat) was named Song of the Year in Israel and became especially popular among football fans. In 2003 he represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in Riga with the bilingual entry “Milim La’Ahava” (“Words for Love”), finishing 19th. He has continued to release successful albums and singles over more than three decades, blending ethnic Middle Eastern sounds with contemporary pop, while maintaining a strong presence in Israeli music through live performances and collaborations.