Ester Rada's parent's had to flee from Ethiopia when famine struck the country in 1983. They travelled to Israel and became citizens there.
A year after they settled in Kiryat Arba, Ester was born. They lived in a volatile Jewish settlement on the outskirts of Hebron in the West Bank. The family stayed there until Rada was 10. Slowly and steadily, as she grew up she was distanced from Ethiopian culture.
Though she was born and brought up in Israel, her looks separated her from other Israelis. To get rid of feeling different, she went for singing. She became singer in the military band. After completing military duties, she moved to Tel Aviv and became actress.
Recently, she released her four song EP titled `Life Happens'. It comprises of Ethio Jazz riffs and other soulful stylings. It is said that her latest work explains itself for her being embraced in Ethiopian roots though self-acceptance was tough for her.
She says that her mother tells that she could speak Ethiopian language very fluently until she was six years of age. "I wanted to be an Israeli. Only when I grew up, after the army I think, that's when I felt whole with all of the pieces in me", explains Rada.
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