Rita

Rita Yahan-Farouz, known mononymously as Rita, is an Israeli singer and actress. In 2011, she became famous in Iran after the release of various pop records in which she sings in her native Persian language. In 2012, Israeli producer Amer Payami managed her album All My Joys, also sung in Persian; it was popular in Israel and Iran, going gold in Israel after three weeks. She has since been commonly referred to as a cultural ambassador between Israelis and Iranians, and has personally stated that she hopes to "puncture the wall of tension" between the two countries. Early and personal life Rita was born in Tehran, Iran, to a family of Persian Jews in 1962. In 1970, they immigrated to Israel, settling down in the city of Ramat HaSharon. Her niece is Israeli actress and singer Liraz Charhi. During her compulsory military service in the early 1980s, she began singing professionally as a musical band member, and rose to stardom quickly. In 1988, she married Israeli singer and composer Rami Kleinstein, with whom she has two daughters. The couple performed together in 2001. In 2007, they announced that they were separating.