Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations introduced Israeli pop star Rita at her unprecedented concert at the United Nations General Assembly hall on Tuesday. The concert was the third-ever full concert in the U.N. General Assembly Hall. "I always hoped that I would one day be the opening act for Rita at a major venue in New York City," Prosor quipped. "Although, I'll admit, I never expected that it would be in the form of the Three Tenors: 'Ban, Prosor, and Jeremic.'"
Though the United Nations is often accused of being biased against the Jewish state, Rita managed to triumph in the hall as she sang a ten-song set that was split almost evenly between Persian and Hebrew, to the delight of diplomats and concert-goers from around the globe.
Prosor organized the event after a slightly uphill battle of lobbying, rallying the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation. Among the distinguished attendees were U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President of the General Assembly Vuk Jeremic.
"I hope we'll have a magical night," Rita gushed on stage, introducing herself as an Israeli of Iranian origin and relating a personal anecdote about her mother's musical influence on her own career.
"One my earliest memories is of my mother sitting on the carpet stretching her legs forward placing a pillow on her legs and me on a pillow in front of her. She would rock me and sing lullabies that she learned from her grandmother. Two years ago I felt this huge urge to record the Persian songs that were the soundtrack of my life ... the colorfulness of my roots ... the warmth, the pain, the love, the hardship, the flavors, the aromas, the stories," Rita said.
"But I am actually celebrating being both Israeli and Iranian, a unique mixture that found expression in the most beautiful language: music. Especially, I am celebrating love. So, my dear, dear extended family, I am inviting you to celebrate it with me tonight. Thank you very much."
טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו