Ishtar, born Eti Zach on November 10, 1968 in Israel, rose to fame as the lead
singer of Alabina, a band that mixed musical traditions as well as languages,
and racked up chart hits in various countries. Ishtar launched her solo career
in 2000 with the album La Voix d’Alabina, adding a pronounced Asian musical
influence to the hybrid of Arabic and dance music that had made Alabina a
success. The single “Last Kiss” proved to be a club hit. Her 2003 follow-up,
Truly Emet, found her attempting to forge a connection between Arab and Israeli
culture by singing songs in both Arabic and...