Im Nin'alu

"Im Nin'alu" (אם ננעלו) (English: If the gates are locked) is a Hebrew poem by 17th-century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. It has been placed to music and sung by Israeli singer Ofra Haza and others. Haza first performed this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on television on IBA's General Television in 1978. The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday of 1988.

"Im Nin'alu"
Single by Ofra Haza
from the album Yemenite Songs (Original version) / Shaday / Ofra Haza
B-side	"Remix"
Released	1984 1987 (remix)
Genre	Pop World music
Length	3:28
Label	Teldec Ariola Hed Arzi
Songwriter(s)	Trad. Shabazy Rabbi Shalom-Shabazi
Producer(s)	Bezalel Aloni Izhar Ashdot
Ofra Haza singles chronology
"Hi" (1983) "Im Nin'alu" (1984) "Galbi" (1988)
Music video
"Im Nin'Alu" on YouTube

"Im Nin'alu" went on to become famous in Europe when a remixed version of the song, produced by Izhar Ashdot, reached the top 10 in many countries. The single reached number one in Finland, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and West Germany, where it stayed nine weeks atop the singles chart in mid-1988. In the United Kingdom, the track was a top-20 hit, peaking at number 15, and in the United States, it reached number 15 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 18 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The single reportedly sold some three million copies worldwide, making it one of the first world music recordings to extend over to mainstream pop chart success. London-based duo Coldcut produced a remix of Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid In Full", which heavily samples "Im Nin'alu".

Even though Haza's version of the song shows her own interpretation, and its reception was present-day and popular, it still fits in with the Yemenite tradition that she represented. In 1997, Haza re-recorded the track for her eponymous album Ofra Haza, produced by Frank Peterson of Enigma and Gregorian. The German promo 12-inch for the album's lead single "Show Me" also featured two remixes of "Im Nin'Alu". And in 2008 two new remixes were included on the greatest hits compilation Forever Ofra Haza – Her Greatest Songs Remixed.

The international follow-up single to "Im Nin'Alu (Played in Full)" in 1988 was a remix of the track "Galbi", also originally from the Yemenite Songs album.

Poem "Im Nin'alu"

The poem begins with the words

אם ננעלו דלתי נדיבים דלתי מרום לא ננעלו

Im nin'alu daltei n'divim daltei marom lo nin'alu

Even if the gates of the rich are closed, the gates of heaven will never be closed.^[1]

Critical reception

In his review of the song, Paul Clements from Melody Maker said "something in THAT VOICE does ring four-dimensional, mysterious, and otherworldly in my uninitiated Western ears."^[2] Myrna Minkoff from NME named "Im Nin'alu" Single of the Week, writing, "A thrilling happening. Not in a prickly, shiver, shiver thrilling kind of way nor in a whoosh! loop-the-loop thrilling kind of way. Thrilling in a steady way. It's as magnificent and unfathomable as the reasoning behind a suspension bridge, governed by the same miracles as tension. Even the bits that sound like the South Bank Show theme. Original producer Izhar Ashdot is the remixer who works wonders amongst the sheaves of sequencers and Yeminite percussion."^[3]

Official versions and remixes

1984

• Original recording, Yemenite Songs album a.k.a. Traditional Version - 5:18

1988

• Shaday Album Mix (Played In Full 7" Mix - English Vocal - Edited) - 3:29
• Played In Full Edit (Ariola Records 7", West Germany) - 3:53
• Played In Full 7" Mix - 4:05
• Played In Full 7" Mix - English Vocal - 4:05
• Played In Full - 7" Yemen Vocal (Teldec 7", West Germany) - 4:50
• Played In Full Mix (12") - 5:45
• Instrumental Dub (U.S. 12") - 5:49
• Extended Mix (12") - 6:40
• Gates of Heaven Mix (Mark Kamins and Frank Inglese, U.S. 12") - 6:54

1997

• "Im Nin'alu 2000" - 1997 re-recording, album Ofra Haza - 3:38
• 1997 Re-Recording - Ofra Goes To Hollywood Mix ("Show Me" Promo 12", Germany) - 5:15
• 1997 Re-Recording - Some Skunk Funk Remix ("Show Me" Promo 12", Germany) - 7:30

2008

• 2008 Version, album Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed
• Unplugged Mix, album Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed
• Bridge Mix, album Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed
• Brixxton Squad Mix, album Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988–1989) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[4] 2 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[5] 14 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)^[6] 6 Denmark (IFPI)^[7] 6 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)^[8] 1 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)^[9] 1 France (SNEP)^[10] 6 Greece (Greek Singles Chart)^[11] 1 Ireland (IRMA)^[12] 16 Italy (Musica e dischi)^[13] 24 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[14] 29 Norway (VG-lista)^[15] 1 Portugal (Portuguese Singles Chart)^[16] 1 Spain (AFYVE)^[17] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[18] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[19] 1 UK Singles (OCC)^[20] 15 US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)^[21] 18 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)^[22] with "Galbi" 15 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)^[23] with "Galbi" 22 West Germany (Official German Charts)^[24] 1

Year-end charts End of year chart (1988) Position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[25] 11 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)^[26] 25 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)^[27] 3 France (SNEP)^[28] 47 Israel (Reshet Gimel)^[29] 18 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[30] 4 West Germany (Official German Charts)^[31] 2

Certifications

Country	Certification	Date	Sales certified
France^[32]	Silver	1988	200,000
Sweden^[33]	Gold	September 21, 1988	10,000
West Germany^[34]	Gold	1988	250,000

Samples and other versions

The song was prominently sampled in the chorus of the 'Seven Minutes of Madness' remix of the rap duo Eric B. & Rakim's 1987 single "Paid In Full" and Snoop Dogg used the same sample on his re-recorded version of "Paid In Full" titled "Paper'd Up" from his album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$.

Canadian band Delerium sample the lyrics in their song "Hidden Mask", from the 1989 album Faces, Forms & Illusions.

American rap group Public Enemy also sampled the opening few seconds of the song (which are a cappella) on the track "Can't Truss It", featured on the 1991 album Apocalypse '91...The Enemy Strikes Black.

In 1998 Swedish DJ team C&N Project included a sample of the opening line "Im nin'alu" on their single "The Queen of Tel Aviv", which was credited to C&N Project Featuring Ofra Haza.

Israeli singer Michal Cohen performs "Im Nin'alu" on La Kahena (2005) by DJ Cheb i Sabbah.

In the album Confessions on a Dance Floor and in The Confessions Tour by Madonna (2007) the track "Isaac" includes a portion of the poem.

"Im Nin'alu" is the opening track on Eliyahu & The Qadim Ensemble's album Eastern Wind (2009), with lead vocals by Rachel Valfer.^[35]

In 2009 Panjabi MC remixed this song on his album named Indian Timing.

In 2012, Jazz quartet Third World Love performed a version of Im Nin'alu on their album Songs and Portraits.

In 2014, Ishay Ribo released a version of the song on his debut album.

In 2018 the song was recorded by Israeli pop artist Harel Skaat.

In 2021, the song was recorded by Israeli singer Narkis.

References

1. Full Hebrew text of the poem is available here.
2. Clement, Paul (30 April 1988). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 32. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
3. Minkoff, Myrna (9 April 1988). "Singles". NME. p. 12. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
4. "Ofra Haza – Im nin' alu" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
5. "Ofra Haza – Im nin' alu" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
6. "RPM 20 Dance Singles" (PDF). RPM. 29 October 1988. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
7. Danish Singles Chart. 5 August 1988.
8. "Music & Media issue Aug 13 1988" (PDF). Music & Media. August 13, 1988. p. 8. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
9. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
10. "Ofra Haza – Im nin' alu" (in French). Les classement single.
11. "Music & Media issue Aug 13 1988" (PDF). Music & Media. August 13, 1988. p. 9. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
12. Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie 2009-06-02 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 10 April 2008)
13. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 6 June 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Ofra Haza".
14. "Ofra Haza – Im nin' alu" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
15. "Ofra Haza – Im nin' alu". VG-lista.
16. "Music & Media issue Sep 17 1988" (PDF). Music & Media. September 17, 1988. p. 16. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
17. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
18. "Ofra Haza – Im nin' alu". Singles Top 100.
19. "Ofra Haza – Im nin' alu". Swiss Singles Chart.
20. UK Singles Chart Official Charts Company (Retrieved 10 April 2008)
21. "Ofra Haza Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard.
22. "Ofra Haza Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
23. "Ofra Haza Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Ofra Haza – Im nin' alu" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
25. 1988 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at 2011-05-22 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 11 August 2008)
26. "Top 25 Dance Singles of '88" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 10. 24 December 1988. p. 10. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
27. "1988 Year End Eurocharts" (PDF). Music & Media. January 1, 1988. p. 30. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
28. "TOP - 1988". Top France (in French). Retrieved 2023-06-25.
29. "Reshet Gimel Year-end chart 1988". icast (in Hebrew).
30. 1988 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch 2011-08-07 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 11 August 2008)
31. 1988 German Singles Chart offiziellecharts.de 2015-06-27 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 27 June 2015)
32. French certifications (Retrieved 11 August 2008)
33. Swedish certifications Ifpi.se 2012-05-21 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved 11 September 2008)
34. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Im+Nin%27alu')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
35. . eliyahusills.com. Archived from the original on 2008-06-05.

External links

• "Im Ninalu" by Aharon Amram
• Full text of the original poem in Hebrew