Israel
Israeli sandwich shop creates viral song about omelettes
Lehem Havita, an Netanya restaurant, has sparked a sandwich war with its catchy hit
August 1, 2023 15:29
Lehem Havita, an Netanya restaurant, has sparked a sandwich war with its catchy hit
August 1, 2023 15:29When you think of Israeli popstars, you may think of a few names. Maybe Noa Kirel, the Eurovision bronze medallist from earlier this year, or if you're a bit older, perhaps Dana International. What you won't think of, is a portly shopkeeper from the coastal town of Netanya, just north of Tel Aviv.
But for millions of Israelis, the song of the summer is Lehem Havita (or 'omelette sandwich' in English). The song, which was concocted as a plug for one man's baguette and egg restaurant has taken on a life of its own in Israel being played at weddings and nightclubs and spawning a whole host of remixes.
The video, which premiered on Youtube in the middle of June, has received over a million listeners on Youtube and has racked up tens of millions of views on Tiktok.
Users on the app have posted videos of them enjoying the song at events, in public and even at the sandwich shop itself which has seen a record number of customers since the video picked up traction.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJb9QTsV/
In the video, the owner of the restaurant Vicky Ezra is shown dancing with baguettes, inspecting eggs, and making sandwiches while lip-syncing to the catchy song. According to JTA, Ezra bought Lehem Havita as an inheritance for his son after he couldn't return to his property business after being hospitalised with a bad case of covid.
The restaurant sells a range of baguettes including shakshuka, merguez sausage and kebab, all priced around ₪30 (around £6.50)
The song's writer, Avi Levi told Israeli gossip site Israel Bidur that he came up with the song in "about 10 minutes." Fans of traditional Greek music may also recognise the melody of the track which was inspired by Vasilis Karras' hit To Diamerisma.
But not everyone is a fan of Mr Ezra's. Israeli tabloid Israel HaYom has reported on Netanya's "baguette wars" after a rival omelette-in-bread shop - Yossi's Havita, accused the songwriters of being a poor imitation of his decades-old shop.
The eponymous Yossi told Israel Hayom: "Yossi Havita is Yossi Havita, everyone else is trying to be Yossi."