Biography

asaf avidan 1Asaf Avidan (born 1980) is an Israeli singer-songwriter and musician. He is also the creative force and front-man of folk/rock band Asaf Avidan & the Mojos. Avidan’s voice is perhaps his most known attribute. It has drawn comparisons worldwide to Janis Joplin, Robert Plant and Jeff Buckley and has garnered quotes such as “a new Messiah” by Rolling Stone Mexico, as well as “a hoarse angel”, a “force of nature” and “the lovechild of Dylan & Joplin”.

Avidan was born in Jerusalem, Israel in 1980. His parents were diplomats for the Israeli Foreign Office, and he spent four years of his childhood in Jamaica. After the mandatory army service in Israel, Avidan studied animation at Jerusalem’s Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design. His final project short film,“Find Love Now”, won its category at the Haifa Film Festival that year. After his studies, Avidan moved to Tel Aviv and worked as an animator, until a breakup with his long-time girlfriend shook his world and made him move back to Jerusalem, quit his job and turn full time to his up-till-then hobby – music.

Six songs about that breakup and subsequent heartache would constitute his debut EP, “Now That You’re Leaving”, which was released independently in 2006 to critical acclaim.

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New Asaf Avidan Video

Asaf Avidan is a unique voice in today’s music scene. Jon Pareles of the New York Times described him as a special hybrid, “An artist that writes like Leonard Cohen, sings like Robert Plant, and has the charisma of a cabaret performer.”, while Bob Boilen of NPR (said to have stopped his car when he first heard Avidan on the radio) writes, “Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin and Bob Dylan are all in there, but they add up to a wholly original sound, with songs that are beautifully written and fervently performed.” Be sure to check out this latest Avidan video for, “Is This It”