Harel Skaat - Musical Style

Musical Style

Skaat has been called a "convincing and captivating" performer and his singing has been described as "smooth, precise, very clean and very clear". In an article reviewing the first decade of the century in Israeli music he was called "the most passionate singer in Israel from 2006–2007". In addition to the criticisms of Skaat's music which has been noted elsewhere in the article, some of the criticism of the singer has focused on his association with Kokhav Nolad and the phenomenon of instant celebrity. A 2006 article published on Nrg.co.il criticized the pleasant, but "mainstreamed" and essentially non-progressive nature of the dominant contemporary Israeli pop music, including that by Skaat, Shai Gabso (alternative spelling: Shay Gabso), Ninet Tayeb, Harel Moyal, and other Kokhav Nolad graduates.

Skaat has said, "My wish was always to be a singer, and I'm still working on it." Skaat is one of many well-known singers, both past and present, of Yemenite Jewish heritage—a long line that includes Bracha Zefira, Shoshana Damari, Haim Moshe, Zohar Argov, Ofra Haza, Gali Atari, Dana International, Achinoam Nini (Noa), and many others. However, unlike the music of some Yemenite Jewish singers, there have been generally few hints of the distinctive singing style often associated with that culture in Skaat's music. Although Skaat has said that he has been influenced by Rivka Zohar and he has named Rami Kleinstein and Sarit Hadad as two of his favorite singers, he stated in a February 2010 interview that, "I don't think I ever been influenced by someone in specific. I have always listened to so many different kinds of music. I feel as if I have learned from each singer I listened to and still do. From the vigour of the great female singers, through the song interpretation of French performers to the intricate structures of classical music pieces. I find inspiration in them all!"

Skaat was reportedly set to work on a new album, to be recorded in English, the first of his that would be targeted at an international audience. Grammy award winning producer, Narada Michael Walden, who has worked with a number of musicians, including Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey has been linked to the project. However, after the original reports, there have been no major updates on the status of the project in the major Israeli media for some time.