“I have a dream to perform in Caesarea. I have performed in much bigger places, but Caesarea has its section and it is in the forefront,” says this week Shaked Kommi (31) from Rosh Ha’Ain, an Israeli singer and composer in the Mediterranean pop style, known for his hits “Bli Shekel in the pockets”, “feeling in Mexico” and more.
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Commemorative almond
(Photo: Idan Menachem)
He already has tens of millions of views on the network, several tours, including one in the United States, participation in the “VIP Survival” season and more. These days a new song of his called “DNA” is coming out, and for him it is an excellent time to tell about his career, how he combines it with keeping Shabbat, the insights he gained during the Corona period, especially in everything related to people, and the dream of starting a family.
“I’ve been singing since elementary school,” he says. “When I was in the 5th grade, there was a competition between the schools in Rosh Ha’Ein, in which we had to write and compose a song, and send it to some committee. To my delight, I won first place with the song ‘My Rosh Ha’Ein’.”
What was the song about?
“Of course about the city. This is the first song I wrote and composed in my life.”
During his time in the army, he did not abandon singing and would upload videos of himself in uniform to the network. “To this day, people stop me and ask questions about my videos in uniform,” he says. “After I was released, all kinds of investors approached me to start a musical career. I started releasing my first songs and I also took from other people, but not everyone accepted me. At this point I decided to write and compose myself with the understanding that if it went well with my head, it will go this time as well “.
2 Viewing the gallery
Commemorative almond
(Photography: Erez Chen)
It turned out that Kommi was wise, and the first song he wrote, composed and released in 2014 called “I hope you are well” was his breakthrough into consciousness. From here he continued to create, with most of his hits being songs he wrote and composed himself.
What is your best song?
“It depends on how you measure success – in the number of views, in the field, on the radio. I have empathy for ‘I hope it’s good for you’ because it’s the first one I wrote, composed and released. But it’s not by a large margin over the other songs. I like most of them the same.”
In 2019, he participated in the VIP survival season with a battery of celebrities such as Lehia Griner, Naama Kasari, Assaf Ashtar, Dror Raphael and Giovanni Russo, who also won. Comey managed to get relatively far and was the 15th eliminated.
Why go to such a program in the first place?
“I was approached at the time with lots of offers from reality shows like ‘Big Brother’, ‘Golstar’ and such. Survival is a show I watch and I always wondered if it was real or not? Do you really not eat? There are no toilets? I am a person who works a lot with my head and therefore It’s a format that suited me.”
How was the experience?
“This is the craziest experience I’ve had in my life. I can’t remember another experience that is similar or even close.”
“I was sure that I was coming and there were toilets. What toilets? You dig a hole for yourself or make a hole in the sea and use leaves. You have to get used to sleeping on the sand. Where else will I encounter something like this?”
Did it have consequences for the career?
“It opened me up to slightly older audiences. I don’t think it boosted my career too much for the simple reason that they only showed my values in the show, the morals and the strategy, but didn’t address my music. On the other hand, look at the editing of the last season – Fucking Jubilee The confused, a child star, sang to you for two minutes in prime time with his voice tonight, and everything is good.”
Regarding editing, what you see on TV really happens in reality?
“It’s real in terms of physical survival: sand, no food or conditions, rain. But it’s not the most real in the matter of eliminations. They can’t tell you what to do, but they can recommend you and sway decisions. My conclusion from survival was that as much as you think it’s real – The production intervenes. There are content and production people who arrange everything.”
would you go again
“If so, I will have to see who the editor is so that everything is fixed. There is no point in going if the production’s intervention is known in advance. I can’t say it’s an addiction because in the end only the jurors choose who will win, but along the way there is an intervention by the production that can decide who will arrive Further, to make certain connections and bring a hint to a certain person to a statue of immunity”.
Survival production refused to address the claims.
He comes from a religious family, and kept Shabbat most of his life. “There are many times when you have to give up things because of this profession,” he clarifies. “I don’t perform on Shabbat, but if there are flights or other things for the performances it sometimes conflicts. There is nothing to do, I chose a path. I am a person of faith and think that everything boils down to faith. Life is much more beautiful with Shabbat. It contributes and helps in life, like a time to cut yourself off , for peace, for the family, a little respite.”
In 2018, he released the humorous song “Am Yisrael Chai”, which includes a lot of criticism of the state (“The Knesset is suffocating again, in the south of Tel Aviv they established a state”).
What do you think about the situation in the country today?
“First of all, it’s a cynical song, which I co-wrote. There’s a bit of truth in every laugh. I have a criticism of the cost of living and that people don’t make it through the month. Sometimes you also have to laugh at what’s sad because that’s the situation, there’s nothing to be done.”
You collaborated with Amir Abu, a Muslim Arab from Be’er Sheva. How was?
“I heard him and the idea came to me to do some Hebrew-Arabic collaboration with an oriental flavor. I liked his style and we recorded in the studio. It really caught on in the field and people responded well to it. I have a lot of Arab friends. If you are a good person, then everything is good.” .
In tense times did it have effects?
“Obviously. But even in a time of terrorist attacks and full of antagonism, I’m not a person who generalizes everyone. I don’t look at people’s background but at the human being in them.”
In the age of the networks, celebrities are exposed to harsh criticism. Did it happen to you too?
“I don’t remember and it’s not interesting either. I do what I think needs to be done. I used to release songs that they told me to release, but today if I don’t connect – I don’t. I have to have an affinity for the song. As soon as I release a song I’m connected To him 100 percent, I don’t care what they say, I’m at peace with it. As with food, it’s a matter of taste and smell. Everything is good.”
“I remember that after Survival was a great success, I appeared three times in prime time, suddenly there is money, girls and a lot of people who stick to you. Then the corona came and everything went down. Suddenly you find out who is your friend, who is less and who disappeared. The corona passed, life went on, returned The performances and everything is good. But today I’m smarter to distinguish who is with me both in good and bad. There were people I was hurt by, but I didn’t let it affect me too much. Even though I’m not seen, I’m a very sensitive person.”
Finally, what else do you have left to accomplish?
“In Caesarea music. I’m waiting for the right moment to go for it, not just open a show and hand out tickets. In my personal life I want a family and children because what do we live for if not to continue our legacy?”.