Biography
David "Dudu" Tassa (born February 10, 1977) is an Israeli rock musician, singer, songwriter and record producer of Mizrahi Jewish descent. Besides having had a successful solo career in Israel, Tassa has been the leader of Dudu Tassa & the Kuwaitis (born 2011) which plays new renditions of old Iraqi and Kuwaiti songs written and composed by Tassa's late grandfather and great-uncle, Daoud and Salih Al-Kuwaity (صالح و داوود الكويتي).
Tassa was born and raised in Hatikva Quarter in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a Mizrahi Jewish family from Iraq and Kuwait. He was active in the local community center during his childhood. He studied in the theater program at Ironi Alef High School, and at the age of 15 he released his debut album, "Ohev et Ha'Shirim" (Hebrew: אוהב את השירים, "Loving the Songs"), produced by Yishai Ben Tzur. In 2000, after finishing his military service, Tassa released the album Yoter Barur (יותר ברור, "Clearer"), which was critically acclaimed despite slim sales. in 2002 he joined the band of Israeli satirist Eli Yatzpan’s late-night show as lead guitarist.
In 2003 he released his third album, Mitokh Behira (מתוך בחירה, "Out of Choice"), gaining larger exposure than its antecedents. The album also included Tassa's version of "Fog el Nakhal", a famous Iraqi folk song that was also performed by his grandfather Daoud El Kuwaiti. Tassa recorded the song for the film Turn Left at the End of the World, released a year following the album's release. In 2004 Tassa's released his fourth album, Bediyuk Bazman (בדיוק בזמן, "Just in Time"), was released, and in 2006 his fifth album, Lola (לולה).
In 2009 Tassa's sixth album, Basof Mitraglim Le’Hakol (בסוף מתרגלים להכל, "At the End You Get Used to Everything") was released. The album featured Radiohead’s lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood. In the same year Tassa participated in Samuel Maoz’s film Lebanon, playing the role of a Syrian prisoner of war. He later participated in other Israeli films. In 2010 Tassa released a live album named Akharei Layla Shel Ra’ash (אחרי לילה של רעש, "After a Noisy Night"), recorded in his 2009 live concert at Zappa Club, in Tel Aviv.
In 2012 Tassa released the album Skharkhoret (סחרחורת, "dizziness"), and participated in Benny Torati's film "Balada La’Aviv Haboche" (בלדה לאביב הבוכה , Ballad Of The Weeping Spring). Two years later, in 2014, he released the album Ir u’Vehalot (עיר ובהלות, "Terrors upon the City.") for which Tassa was awarded the ACUM (Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers in Israel) prize as composer of the year.
In 2016, Tassa released the album Hagoleh (הגולֶה, "The Exile") most of the lyrics in which he wrote with he wrote in collaboration with Gilad Kahana. In 2017 a second live album was released under the name Dudu Tassa Be'Hofaa (דודו טסה בהופעה, "Dudu Tassa Live"), a double album recorded a year earlier in Hangar 11, a famous concert venue in Tel Aviv. In 2018 Tassa collaborated with Israeli poet Eli Eliahu in the production of the album Igeret el Ha'Yeladim (איגרת אל הילדים, "Letter for the Children") which included eight compositions by Tassa to Eliahu's original poems. Tassa worked with Jonny Greenwood on the collaborative album "Jarak Qaribak" which is due for release on June 9, 2023.
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