December 21, 2012 | 1:10 pm

One Israeli Creation for the Weekend

Posted by Noga Gur-Arieh

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This weekend, I invite you to enjoy the music of Uzi Hitman: singer, sonwriter and an Israeli television personality. Hitman's music is a milestone in Israeli culture. With his music, Hitman raised a generation of children, including myself, and touched the hearts of many adults. Even now, 37 years after the beginning of his career, and almost 9 years after his sudden death, his music continues to take a big part our lives.

His career began in 1976, when he composed a popular melody for Adon Olam, and his popularity grew mostly during the 1980s and 1990s. Overall, he composed and wrote over 650 songs. His most famous songs include Noladati Lashalom (I Was Born for Peace), Ratziti Sheteda (I Wanted You to Know), Todah (Thank you), Mi Yada' Sh'kach Yihiye (Who Knew It Would Be Like This) and Kan (Here), which reached 3rd place in the 1991 Eurovision Singing Contest. Hitman also stared in the children's shows: Parpar Nehmad, Hopa Hey, and Shirim Ktanim, for which he also composed the music. In 2004, at the age of 52, he died after having a heart attack. His death took many by surprise, but even though he is no longer here to create and perform, his spirit will always continue to live through his amazing songs.

Hitman is one of my favorite musicians, and has been my one and only favorite back when I was an infant. My parents always remind me of how I would sit every day in front of the television screen, watching one of his tapes, and "singing with Uzi."

Toda (Thank you)

Shirei Yaldoot (Childhood Songs))- from the children's tape: "Shirim Ktanim"

Ratziti She'Teda (I wanted you to know)