Salomone "Moni" Ovadia, also known as Moni Ovadia, was born on April 16, 1946, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and is a Bulgarian-born Italian Jewish actor, musician, singer, theatrical author, and activist. His family fled to Italy in 1949 due to rising anti-Semitism. In Milan, Ovadia attended the local Jewish school and later graduated in political science. He began his music career as a singer and musician with the band Almanacco Popolare under Roberto Leydi. In 1972, he founded the Gruppo Folk Internazionale, which evolved into the Ensemble Havadià in 1978, focusing on traditional Italian and Balkan music. Ovadia's theatrical debut came in 1984, followed by notable productions such as Dalla sabbia dal tempo (1986) and Oylem Goylem (1992). His work often blends Yiddish songs with recitations, drawing from Eastern European Jewish culture. In the 1990s, Ovadia's performances gained significant acclaim in Italy. He collaborated with various artists and bands, including Modena City Ramblers for their album Appunti partigiani (2005).
