Avi Toledano

Avi Toledano was born in 1948 in Meknes

Avraham Toledano was born in Meknes, Morocco, to a Jewish family. The family moved to Casablanca, where he studied at an Alliance school. As a teenager he joined Hashomer Hatzair, which was illegal in Morocco then.

In 1965 he immigrated to Israel with members of the movement and settled at Kibbutz Ruhama. He became known on the radio show "First Returns", and composer Moshe Wilensky invited him to sing "Zohi Yafo".

He served in the Armored Corps Troupe and released his first solo album in 1968. In 1969 he placed third at the Israel Song Festival and was named Singer of the Year. In 1970 he won the first Israeli Children's Song Festival with Irit Anavi.

In the late 1970s he toured Europe and in 1978 staged a show of Charles Aznavour songs. He represented Israel at Eurovision 1982 with "Hora" and finished second. He then composed "Chai" for Ofra Haza, which also took second place at Eurovision 1983.

He has three children with his first wife, Liora, and three with Hagit Levi, whom he married in 1998 and divorced in 2014. He lives in Gan Yavne.