Kobi Peretz has been a major name in Israeli Mizrahi music for nearly 30 years. Since the release of his debut album, Taut Shel Hachaim, in 1992, he has been at the forefront of the ever-popular genre, releasing a further seven albums, the most recent being 2014’s C’est La Vie. He continues to release popular singles, however, with every new release gaining tens of thousands of streams and views within days of its release. Among his biggest hits are ‘Balbeli Oti’, ‘Je T’aime, I Love You, Baby’, ‘Feel the Magic’, and ‘Ya Ruchi’.
Peretz was born in the city of Tel Aviv in 1975. Music is in his blood — his father is the famous Moroccan singer Petit Armo. Peretz began his ascent to the top whilst still a teenager, initially building up his reputation as a live performer across Israel. His first album, which translates into English as Wrong of Life, was released when he was just 17 years old and proved a great success. After a break to complete his mandatory service in the Israeli military, Peretz made a triumphant return to music in 1995 with his second album, Me’em Esh.
Peretz achieved a whole new level of success in the early 2000s with his hit ‘Bebli Him’. His albums continued to sell more and more, with 2004’s Crazy About You being certified gold and 2006’s Everything I Have going platinum. Over a decade later, he remains one of Israel’s premier performers and has performed packed-out shows at all of the country’s major theatres and arenas.