Ehud Banai

Ehud Banai was born in 1953 in Jerusalem

Ehud Banai was born in Jerusalem in 1953 to the Banai family, of Iranian Jewish origin. His father was the actor Yaakov Banai. The family moved near Givatayim, and as a boy he learned to play the cello.

He served in the Nahal, spending time at Kibbutz Nir Eliyahu, and began playing guitar during his service. In 1974 he traveled in Europe and played music in the London Underground. Back in Israel he worked in construction and odd jobs.

For years producers turned him down, and in 1979 the band Habreira Hativ'it rejected him. In 1985 he wrote the song Night Train for Mashina. In 1986 his songs City of Refuge and The Golden Calf brought him wide attention, and he took part in the rock opera Mami.

His 1987 debut with The Refugees mixed rock with oriental sounds and included protest songs. He went on to release albums such as Karov, Tip Tipa and Ane' Li, and in 2008 an album of traditional Jewish songs. In the early 2000s he returned to Orthodox religious observance.