Zino & Tommy

Haim Zinowitch, aka ZINO, is one of the most famous and prolific musicians in Israel. A pioneer and self-described chameleon, Zino's music encompasses a wide variety of musical genres, from folk to rock to ambient/electronica. With his partner Tomer Biran (TOMMY), he also creates music for films, TV shows, and commercials, especially in Israel. Born of Russian and Moroccan descent, Zino was always interested in different cultures and music, blending his love of folk and rock with Celtic, Scandinavian, and Romanian music, among other influences. His career began with a stint in a military band, after which he collaborated with Israeli musicians on various compilations before recording The Gibberish Album in 1992. This "half circus, half musical" brought 115 musicians and singers from different cultures together on one stage to sing in gibberish-what Zino describes as "folk songs for an imaginary village." Zino's next album, 1993's A Bit of Lust, a Bit of Tenderness, a Bit of Love, was a major milestone in the development of Israeli alternative and hard rock music and made him the "bad boy" of Israeli rock. Zino's next CDs ranged from alternative rock (Drive By) to hip-hop tracks with Zino's innovative production/sampler techniques (Zino And The Human BeatBox). In 2000, Zino became front-page news in the Israeli media when he disguised himself as a war-scarred singer. Dubbing himself "The Burned Man," he created a fictitious biography and appeared in public disguised as a burned, masked cripple. The Israeli media gave The Burned Man and his mysterious story prime-time coverage, during which Zino revealed his true identity. After this "artistic terror act," The Burned Man's first CD was released, becoming one of Israel's all-time best-selling albums. A second title followed soon after. Zino began collaborating with Tommy in 1997, and they have since released the CDs Travels With My Amp and Invisible Things, with songs ranging from funk to rock to trance and chill-out. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.