Haredi radio shuns male singer due to feminine voice (YNET NEWS)

Singles released by young singer boycotted by haredi stations following angry calls from listeners who thought songs were sung by woman

Yael Eichenwald Published: 06.27.07, 17:00 / Israel Jewish Scene

Twenty-year-old Eliyahu Haim Fayzakov, a young and talented singer from Netanya, recorded his first album this year and released several singles, which were initially warmly accepted by haredi radio stations.

However, Fayzakov recently noticed that his songs had disappeared from the airwaves and were no longer being played by the stations. “At first they played my songs frequently and an interview with me was even held on one of the stations.

“But suddenly I noticed that they stopped playing me… I approached the stations to find out what’s going on, and received the answer I feared most, ‘Your voice is too feminine’.”

According to Fayzakov, radio station directors explained to him that his songs prompted angry calls from listeners who complained of the stations playing women singing.

According to Jewish law, men are not allowed to hear women sing, due to modesty considerations.

“I always knew it wasn’t easy being a singer in the haredi world, and certainly not with a voice like mine,” Fayzakov said. “But there are still a lot of people who encourage me to keep singing. My voice is unusual and even special.”
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If this isn’t a case of “don’t bother me with the facts” we don’t know what is. How sad is this? FEH!