Eviatar Banai

Eviatar Banai was born in 1973 in Beersheba

Banai was born in 1973 in Beersheba and grew up in Omer. His father, Yitzhak Banai, was a judge, and his mother, Simcha, was a school principal. His siblings include actress Orna Banai and singer Meir Banai.

He studied cinema at Eshel HaNasi high school from 1987 to 1991 and studied piano for 8 years. In the army he served as a video editor in Southern Command and made a comedy film called Six.

After the army he lived on Kibbutz Kfar Haruv and wrote a play, then moved to Tel Aviv in 1995. The play was never staged, and he began writing songs and performing in small venues. His debut album came out in 1997 and sold about 50,000 copies.

His second album, Shir Tiyul, came out in 1999 and was based on electronic music. In 2004 he became religious, and in 2005 he released Omed Al Neyar. Further albums followed in 2009, 2013 and 2024.

He won an ACUM Award in 2009 and the Education Minister's Lifetime Achievement Award. He is married to Ruth and lives in the Ramot neighborhood of Jerusalem.