All You Wanted to Know About... Uzziah Tzadok
He recently celebrated his Bar Mitzvah and is already one of Israel's most beloved singers. Who is the shy child that's become the hottest musical sensation of this winter?
Uzziah Tzadok is barely 13 and a half years old, yet the musical accolades showered upon him could easily sustain several singers. A child? Certainly, but also an artist of international caliber. An artist with a kippah, sidelocks, and a wonderful voice that melts hearts. The adoration he receives on the reality show 'Music School', in which he participates, is truly unprecedented. The teachers vied for him since the auditions, and the teacher who won him over, Yehoram Gaon, cannot stop raving about his talented student. And if anyone missed the message, his performance of one of the most complex Israeli songs, 'Tzel Etz HaTamar', definitively sealed his status as the hottest musical sensation of this winter.
Tzadok is the eighth child in a family of 11 children, and he has been singing since he was eight years old when his parents noticed his exceptional voice and began to encourage him to sing at family events and celebrations. Over time, he signed a contract with producer David Fedida, who started organizing performances for him in Israel and abroad. Even before Yehoram Gaon met Uzziah, the shy boy had already released his first album: 'Shomer Yisrael'. His most famous song before the program was 'KoNav Me'ir', a song about Rabbi Ovadia, written by his daughter-in-law, Yehudit Yosef, and performed by Tzadok for the first time at the wedding of Rabbi Moshe Yosef and his wife Yehudit. The song has since become a hymn of longing for Rabbi Ovadia, much thanks to Tzadok's heart-stirring performance.
Tzadok's journey on the reality show in which he participates has from the start been a coronation journey. His grades have been excellent from the very beginning, and he seems to have patented the delivery of musically thrilling moments—from 'Tzel Etz HaTamar' to the duet with Yehoram Gaon. But despite the dazzling success and media frenzy surrounding him, Tzadok continues to stand out mainly with a modest smile, shy look, and the body language of a gentle child who doesn't quite understand the commotion he is causing.
His modesty is apparent even in the answers he recently provided to 'Mako' during an interview. "When I sing, I want to give to everyone, for everyone to love it, and I hope they'll do something with it. I myself am moved by the singing itself, both excited and concentrated. If I'm focused on the singing, I also think about how people will love and be moved by the song. Part of the matter is to feel together with everyone."
But despite his love for singing, he is clear about his priorities. "At school, they appreciate my singing, but I don't sing there. We don't have ceremonies with songs. I don't sing at events or holidays there. I once learned a bit of music, but now I love studying Torah the most. I sing in the synagogue in the settlement, go up to the Torah, and pray there often."
When asked about the singers he likes, Tzadok candidly pays respect to his community—without pretense. "I like Avraham Fried, Mordechai Ben David, Ohad Moskowitz. I’ve received compliments from all three on my beautiful music. I’m not familiar with non-religious Israeli music or non-Hebrew music."
