In the early decades of Israel, Yossi Banai was the closest thing to a multihyphenated talent: he was a trained stage and film actor, comedy writer, theatre director and a magnificent vocalist. Banai loved French chansons, especially those of Jacques Brel and George Brassens, which he translated to Hebrew and performed on stage and on record. His ability to inject emotion into his vocals and move people, along with his love of storytelling and humour, made him one of the greatest performers in Israel's history. He won numerous awards, and his death in 2006 was considered a national tragedy.