Israeli singer Hanan Ben Ari stopped the music midway through his joint concert with Peer Tasi at Amphi Max in Rishon LeZion last Thursday to share a personal story about a difficult period in his life, and the friend who helped him through it.
"There was a period of about half a year when I had a real block about going out, seeing people. I was ashamed," Ben Ari told the crowd, with Tasi standing beside him on stage.
The two singers have been neighbors in Pardes Hanna for a decade, and Ben Ari said Tasi refused to give up on him during those months. "Every day at noon he would honk his car outside my house. 'Hananya, come on, we're going to the sea for a dip.' He would take me by force," Ben Ari recalled.
Tasi, who has experienced sharp ups and downs of his own in the music industry, knew what to say, according to Ben Ari. "He would tell me, 'Relax, I've also been through periods in life, it's all good,'" Ben Ari said, wiping away tears in front of thousands of fans. "He taught me so much about myself, about life and about patience."
The two have kept their close friendship largely out of the public eye, even as their musical partnership has grown. Tasi co-wrote and composed "Stakli Lemala" for Ben Ari's album "Lo HaMeshuga HaYechidi," released in January. In April, the pair surprised fans by releasing a joint single, "Halevai," which they wrote with Tasi's longtime creative partner Eitan Dermon. The song became a hit, and the two went on to make guest appearances at each other's concerts before announcing joint shows in August, at the end of one of Tasi's sold-out performances in Caesarea.
A video of Ben Ari's remarks from the Rishon LeZion concert spread widely on social media.
