Festigal’s removal of word ‘frecha’ sparks debate

The Israeli Twitterverse and media are buzzing over the decision of Festigal organizers to remove the word “frecha,” which means flower or blossom but is slang for “Mizrahi bimbo,” from a performance of the “Frecha Song” by singer Anna Zak.

In a clip of a performance by the singer/model that will be part of the upcoming Festigal holiday show, the song title has been changed to “I Feel Like Dancing” and the word “frecha” does not appear in the song, although Gil Mishali, a reporter for Reshet, wrote on Twitter that audience members at the performance could be heard calling out the word “frecha.”

The song was one of the signature hits of beloved Yemenite-Israeli singer Ofra Haza (19572000). The singer, who grew up in Tel Aviv’s Hatikvah slum, embraced her Mizrahi heritage, singing traditional Yemenite songs in Arabic, wearing traditional Yemenite garb and performing the upbeat “Frecha Song” as if to wink at the ethnic stereotypes about Mizrahi women.

Its lyrics were composed by the actor/director Assi Dayan, and its melody by Svika Pick (today also known as Quentin Tarantino’s father-in-law). In it, a young woman tells off a man, saying that although she loves life, including being silly and dancing, she isn’t into him. It was composed for Dayan’s 1979 movie, Shlager, in which Haza had a role. At first, radio stations refused to play the recording, considering the word “frecha” and the lyrics too suggestive, although it quickly became a smash hit.

However, in today’s climate of political correctness, the song is again considered scandalous by some. Neta Houter, writing on the website Mako, said she did not want to have to tell her son what this slang term meant: “True, it is a great and beloved song. It can also be seen in reclamation and protest (alongside racism and misogyny). But it just doesn’t fit Festigal. It was written by an Ashkenazi man (Assi Dayan, Svika Pick composed) for a Mizrahi woman (Ofra Haza), and is murderously stereotypical.”

In a lively thread on Mishali’s Twitter feed, many commented on whether the editing of the song was justified, with some wondering why Festigal management chose the song to begin with. Talila Shlimovich wrote: “So what’s the smart thing about incorporating the song into Festigal and censoring the central thing about it? Sterilize its content. In the first place, the song should not be included in Festigal. In my opinion, the song is not suitable for this competition and for children. And that would have saved us this stupidity. Politically Correct Derivatives.”