Irmy Kaplan
An appreciation
By Yoni Haimovich

Irmy Kaplan is one of the best singers I ever heard.

His first album was released in 1994. One of its great hits is "Modedet" (measuring). It has a few more good songs, but generally, the first album isn't really something.

So why do I love Irmy Kaplan's music? Because of his second album - Boker Tov (good morning), which was released in September 1995. This album is really great.

It includes the hit "Hadafuk hazeh" (which can be politely translated as "This screwed-up one".) It's one of the best songs I ever heard. The song has got good rhythm and good music. I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it. All the other songs are really good too.

Now the second album also contains an addition - the song "Kvur Achshuv" (right now) - Irmi Kaplan's theme song for the Israeli TV show "Hafuch". That's another amazing song by Irmy Kaplan that I keep listen to, over and over again.

I also like Irmi's drummer - Zoher Fresco. If you listen to the drums in "Hadafuk Haze" or in "Hazona Vehakelev", you'd see what I mean.

Irmy Kaplan also has a cover - Gali. It's an old kids song, and thanks to Irmy, it's not old any more. I think that this song comes as an addition to the first album. The lyrics may sound dumb (at least for those who's over 10 years old) since it's a song for kids, but he's done an amazing job on the music. In conclusion, Irmy Kaplan is worth listening. What have you got to lose?

Players: Irmy Kaplan - Guitars and Vocals
Amir (Jungo) Rossiano - Bass and Vocals
Zohar Fresco - Drums
Oren Kaplan - Guitars

Irmy Kaplan's Song "Medua lo Bata" on the disc "Songs to Warm Your Heart" is the highlight of the disc. What a fresh exciting voice he has.
sherman@stat.tamu.edu sherman@stat.tamu.edu (March 15)

I remember a show of Taarovet Askot in the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv. It was one of their last shows. Asaf was abroad. Yirmi played guitar and sang back then. I attended this show (which was good but not as good as the "BIG" Askot with Asaf and Liblich) and after it I came on stage seeing Yirmi packing his stuff and talked to him.

I must say that unlike people like Hemi Rodner, that the fame went up to their head, Yirmi was and stayed a very nice and simple man, which makes him a great artist as well.

As a musician I must say that he is a great creator , one of the best in the Israeli rock scene of Tel Aviv.
slogendi@null.net (Feb. 16)

I think that Irmy's best songs are not the famous ones. Irmy has a song called "madua lo bata"(why didn't you come) from the first (and the better) album. You should buy it.
popa@isracom.co.il (Feb. 7)

Irmy helped me with women ("hazona vehakeleb") giving me hope with "madua lo bata" -- the best rock music in Israel. ani gamur,ani machur.
--yossi@mixam.co.il, (Jan. 29, '97)

I think that you got it all wrong. Irmy is one of the best artists in Israel (after Aviv Gefen and Monika Sex), but his first album - Irmy and the Flowers - is MUCH better then the second one. All of you out there - buy the first - not the second.
--phad@hotmail.com (Jan. 18, '97)

I love Irmy Kaplan too but mostly for his first album, altough "kevar ahashav" is one of the best Israeli song I heard.I saw a concert by him and that convinced me to buy the disk and I am not least disapointed!
--kombisr@inter.net.il

Irmy is a great person. He once stayed one hour after a performance, so that everyone could get his signature. He let one of our friends get on the stage and play with him the guitar.
--Corwin of Amber

Mr. Kaplan is definitely one of the best musicians Israel has. Besides his two GREAT albums (each with its own bonus track - "Gali" and "Kvur Achshuv"), and his great work (with Jango and Amdorsky) in "Taarovet Eskot", we must not forget the album that is a masterpiece, probably Kaplan's greatest - I refer, of course, to the album "Wounds and Kisses" from "Monica Sex", which is a divine album produced by Kaplan, who implicitly combined his own musical style into the album.
--mickr@usa.net

Love Irmy? him? Hate him? RadioHazak is waiting to hear from you!