Moshe Brand, a Haifa boy born in 1947, was the French singer Mike Brandt, who reached world fame. He ended his life in Paris, France on 25/4/1975 when he was 28 years old, and was buried in the Haifa Tor cemetery following a visit to the special exhibition about him, which has been on display for a year at the Haifa City Museum and will come down this coming Saturday, 27/5/23.
Haifa has an array of six museums located at different sites in the city. The Haifa City Museum, which deals with the urban space and the history of the city, was established in 2000 in the German colony in a Templar building from the 19th century. Throughout the year, from May 2022 to May 27, 2023, the Mike Brent exhibition, entitled "Up to the Brides of the Body" curated by Inbar Dror Lex and Yifat Ashkenazi, is on display at the museum.
Moshe Brand was born in Haifa in 1947, and in his adulthood became a huge French singer named Mike Brand and won worldwide fame. Brent, as we know, ended his life in Paris when he was only 28 years old and was buried in his hometown of Haifa.
To this day, Mike Brent is considered one of the most successful Israeli singers of all time, and for 48 years since his tragic death, his records and songs continue to be sold in many copies and his grave is still a pilgrimage site for thousands of his fans in Israel and around the world.
the best place
The Haifa City Museum, located on Ben Gurion Boulevard, between Sarah Street in the lower city, where Moshe Brand lived in his youth, and Mike Burnett Boulevard in the Kiryat Eliezer neighborhood, is probably the most suitable place to host the exhibition that presents the unique, glamorous, stormy and tragic life story of Mike Burnett , which gives a fascinating picture, through which you can learn about his complex character.
The exhibition was established around the unique personal collection of Zvika Brand - Mike's younger brother - which he donated to the city museum. The collection includes thousands of rare photographs, collectibles, notes in Burnett's hand, clothing items and more.
Remembering Mike
Filmed interviews with people who worked with Mike Brent during his career in Israel, who remember Mike and their youth with endless enthusiasm, were added to the basis of this exhibition. Noam Semel, a prominent cultural figure, producer, general manager of theaters in Israel, who was Israel's cultural consul in the United States, began his artistic career as a promoter, and in 1969 was Mike Brent's first promoter in Israel.
A revolution on stage
The charismatic icon enthusiastically recounts performances in hotels that he arranged for Moshe Brand, in which the singer charmed his listeners with American pop hits, including the historic performance at the Hilton Hotel Club in Tel Aviv, where the owner of the "Baccara" nightclub in the Hilton Hotel in Tehran saw him and signed him to a work contract. Businesswoman Liora Ofer, who was a member of the trio of singers "Elinat" in the years 1970-1972, recalls with sparkling eyes the opportunity she was given, to be Mike Burnett's backing singer in his performances in Israel. Yoav Kutner, the legendary radio broadcaster, lecturer and music critic, who was a scientific consultant for the exhibition, said that Brent made a big revolution in the way he performed and behaved on stage, against the background of conduct that was acceptable in the music scene in Israel at the time.
Chronicle known in advance?
In the exhibition, excerpts from Erez Lauper's documentary film, called "Les Mois Teme", as the name of Mike Burnett's first hit in French, are screened. The film won the Ophir Award for Documentary in 2002.
The film boldly confronts the question of Mike Brent's suicide in April 1975, after an earlier suicide attempt in November 1974: "Was the sharp turn in Mike Brent's successful career really unexpected, or is the story of his life a predetermined chronicle of suicide? A story of injustice , power, a lot of money and the murder of innocence.
The success and the price
Mike started composing his songs and wanted to be presented to the public in a different way, as an artist-creator and not just as a cover photo. When the first cracks were discovered that led to the first suicide attempt in Geneva, the producers refused to accept the fact that the money machine would stop working. A story of a conflict between the desire to succeed and the price that Mishel was willing to pay."
Noam Semal, Brent's first promoter, Kaor, was cordial, sympathetic and benevolent. In contrast, Mike's other promoters, those in France, are described as greedy and exploitative.
To the end
The impressive and experiential exhibition "To the ends of the body" At the Haifa City Museum, it is a significant contribution to perpetuate the memory of Mike Brent, after Mike Brent Boulevard was inaugurated in Haifa in August 2020.
This review is now published following the commemoration of the 48th anniversary of the legendary singer's death that took place this month in Haifa, about which an article was published in Hai Fe on 12/5/2023.
May the memory of Mike Burnett be blessed and perpetuated.
Link to the article about the memorial - 48 years since the death of Mike Burnett:
- the writer, Hagit Bat-Eliezer She is a journalist, translator, poetry editor, cultural critic for literature, exhibitions and films.
Dear lady, if you had any self-respect or any respect for Mike Brandt, you would have checked the facts before publishing them! It's really a shame and shame that you brought up as biographical facts... If it is so wrong and misleading, what about the rest of the article? Big shame!!️
Adriana, if your name is I believed…
You are insolent - when you wrote such an appropriate response.
I am a relative of Mike's, and in our childhood we used to meet a lot at the Brand family house and also at my house in Khoza.
Hagit's daughter Eliezer's article is balanced, beautiful and gives great respect to the late Mike.
You threw out false comments without giving any reason.
Shame on you!
The late Mike Brandt was truly a great singer, it's just a shame that the media didn't like him and that he was exploited in France. As I understand it, he didn't want to leave France, but his heart was in Israel and he performed in front of the IDF soldiers in the Yom Kippur War. In my opinion, he gave us a lot of respect in the world. Mike Brandt will be remembered May his memory be blessed forever. No one compares to the amazing singer, the late Mike Brant
Peace.
I would greatly appreciate it if you would pass on the following fact to: Marcel Itzhaki:
In 2014 the singer Benny Elbaz released a record in which he sings songs by Mike Brandt. On 'YouTube' write: 'Benny Albez Mike' and you will get to some songs. Try to get the record!
Is this Bnei Elbaz from the Shas party?
I think the fans are exaggerating with this whole festival around Mike Burnett Mike Burnett in general all his success was in France he sings in French at all he didn't want to return to Israel at all I don't understand what to make of it he had mental problems and he also didn't like all the admiration around him enough with This festival is all about Mike Burnett
Happy Shavuot
Well done Mike Burnett. strength Happy Shavuot.
As an ardent fan of his, I visited the exhibition, I was very excited, may his memory be blessed
A wonderful exhibition, which tells the story of his tragic life. I was accompanied by the curator of the exhibition and I really enjoyed it
With all due respect to Mike Burnett and his legacy, unfortunately, I consider it appropriate to say that the Haifa Museum is sinning to artists no less important than a singer who went on to become remarkably successful and suffered from mental problems that took his own life.
For example, why not commemorate the Haifa artist beloved of the city, Moshe Novak, they will present his wonderful works, his rich life's work and his work, not to mention naming a street after him.
think about it !
What does M. Novak have to do with this topic,
After all, he is not an artist on the same level.
Mike was a star with millions of fans in Europe, and was honored at this important exhibition.
If you have a proposal for an exhibition in the name of another artist... you should contact one of the museums and propose it.
You forgot to mention and add that I initiated the construction of Mike Burnett Boulevard in Kiryat Eliezer, for which I also received a certificate of appreciation from Haifa Mayor Einat Kalish.
I had a close, dear and talented friend who passed away prematurely, whose name was the late Mike (Moshe) Burnett.
The number of stories circulating about him and about his life are not few, and anyone who thinks they knew Mike and can tell a story, there is no problem with that, but the question that begs is, if there is any basis for their stories, and my response to the fact that many of the stories that have been circulated and written about Mike do not stand up to reality , because Mike and I's friendship didn't start from the moment he rose as a star, rather everything started from those moments when Mike and I started as friends back in 64/65! And a very significant part of his life story is still with me, because I was the only friend from whom he was able to rise to the top since that fallen period at the "Khalif" club where I performed with my band "Neri HaHatzer" and then at the same revival when I performed with my band at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv, from where Mike He received from me the most beautiful gift in his life from which he never returned to us! I've been missing you for decades.
You can read the real story about the beginning of the companies nowadays and later the beginning of the climb towards success as a real star.
Very true, dear Uzi!