Reuveni Brothers

Reuveni Brothers (Hebrew: האחים ראובני), later also known as Reuveni Music, is an Israeli record label, production and music distribution company founded and managed by brothers Meir and Asher Reuveni, with involvement from their brothers Danny, Drori and Elitzur Reuveni. The company specialized in the production and distribution of Mizrahi music (Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Jewish music) and was among the first to drive this genre into the mainstream. Starting from pirate cassette copying in a family electrical goods store in the Hatikva neighborhood of Tel Aviv, the brothers moved into recording studios, artist management and live performances. At their peak they were the most prominent production company in Mediterranean music, recording approximately 700 albums and launching the careers of many of the genre's biggest stars, including Zohar Argov, Haim Moshe, Margalit Tzan'ani, Eyal Golan, Nati Levi, Shimi Tavori, Avihu Medina, Tzion Golan, Ofer Levi, Jackie Mekayten, Doron Miron, Ahuva Ozeri and Daklon. In 2022 the company received the ACUM Prize for its contribution to Hebrew song and Israeli culture. The company faced economic difficulties during the transitions from records to cassettes, cassettes to CDs, and later to internet-based music consumption, compounded by a fire at their offices in 1998 that destroyed much of their archive. Today Meir and Danny Reuveni own the company's activities and the royalties to the songs it produced, a situation that has led to a family dispute and legal claims from the other brothers. In 2025 a two-part documentary mini-series, "Kings of the Cassettes: The Reuveni Brothers," aired on HOT, chronicling the company's history.

The Reuveni Brothers company was founded by brothers Meir and Asher Reuveni, members of a large Persian and Sephardic family of ten siblings living in the Hatikva neighborhood of Tel Aviv. The family owned an electrical goods store, where they copied cassettes and sold them to friends and acquaintances. A turning point came in 1973, when Asher Reuveni's wedding took place at home rather than in a hall, in the shadow of the Yom Kippur War and the fall of a family member. The musical performance was entrusted to Daklon (Yossi Levi) and guitarist Ben-Mosh (Moshe Ben Moshe), who recorded the event and released it as a cassette that achieved great success. This recording became the basis for the band Tzlilei HaKerem, one of the most important groups in Mizrahi music. At their peak, the leading Mizrahi music singers were signed to the Reuveni Brothers production company. The company produced their albums and for some also served as manager, most notably Zohar Argov, for whom Asher Reuveni acted as manager and produced a successful tour after Argov won the Mizrahi Song Festival with the song "HaPerach BeGani." In 1988, Reuveni Brothers was among the first record companies in Israel to produce albums as CDs, and the company produced a large quantity of records and albums for many singers. During the 1980s, the company produced and distributed more albums than any other company in Israel, including for singers at the beginning of their careers. By the summer of 1989, they had produced 25 albums and collections as CDs, alongside continued distribution of records and cassettes. Over the years, the Reuveni Brothers experienced several economic difficulties during the transitions from records to cassettes, from cassettes to CDs, and later to music consumed primarily on the internet. These were compounded by a fire that broke out in their offices in 1998, which damaged much of their material and caused their activity to decline. They also faced counterfeiters who sold pirated cassettes and discs of their artists, reducing the company's profitability. After the fire, company manager Meir Reuveni, together with his brother Danny, worked to rehabilitate the company and clear its losses from counterfeiting and the fire that destroyed much of the company's productions and distribution. Today Meir and Danny Reuveni own all of the company's activities and the royalties to the songs it produced. This has meant that the other brothers—Asher, Drori and Elitzur—receive no royalties at all for works in which they were involved, leading to a family conflict and lawsuits demanding royalties for the three brothers who are no longer part of the company. In 2025, a two-part documentary mini-series, "Kings of the Cassettes: The Reuveni Brothers," aired on HOT. The series chronicles the company's founding by the brothers and the beginning of recordings of the Mizrahi music they loved, through the production and distribution of thousands of records and cassettes and the representation of Mizrahi music stars, as they stood against a rigid establishment that initially gave no opening to artists of Mizrahi-Mediterranean music on television or radio. The Reuveni Brothers fought for this music's right to stand at the forefront, alongside the opening of stores for wide distribution of Mizrahi music, from record and cassette shops in Hatikva to the old Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, and distribution throughout the country.

• Asher Reuveni's wedding recording becomes a hit cassette, leading to the formation of Tzlilei HaKerem

• Among the first Israeli record companies to produce albums as CDs

• By summer, produced 25 albums and collections as CDs

• Fire at offices destroys much of the company's archive

• Awarded ACUM Prize for contribution to Hebrew song and Israeli culture

• Documentary mini-series "Kings of the Cassettes: The Reuveni Brothers" airs on HOT

• Asher Reuveni, co-founder, dies at age 76

Pioneer and leading producer of Mizrahi music in Israel.

• Albums by Zohar Argov

• Albums by Haim Moshe

• Albums by Margalit Tzan'ani

• Albums by Eyal Golan

• Albums by Nati Levi

• Albums by Shimi Tavori

• Albums by Avihu Medina

• Albums by Tzion Golan

• Albums by Ofer Levi

• Albums by Jackie Mekayten

• Albums by Doron Miron

• Albums by Ahuva Ozeri

• Albums by Daklon

1. 1Reuveni Brothers - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2האחים ראובני - Hebrew Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org