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🇮🇱 Road To Malmö: Israel

photo: IPBC/Kaan

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Israel.

Eden Golan

Eden Golan is an Israeli singer born on October 5, 2003, in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. At the age of five and a half, she moved with her family to Moscow, Russia. This move was challenging as she faced social isolation due to her Israeli identity, with peers often calling her “Natasha” instead of her name.

Eden’s musical journey began in earnest in 2015 when she competed in the Russian pre-selection for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Schastye,” finishing fifth. She further showcased her talent on “The Voice Kids Russia” in 2018, choosing Pelageya as her mentor and impressing with her rendition of Rihanna’s “Love on the Brain,” although she did not make the top three.

Returning to Israel in 2022, Eden collaborated with Lithuanian producer Lucky Luke on the track “Ghost Town,” which garnered around 700,000 Spotify streams. She continued to release music, including the singles “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” with TYMMA, and “Taxi” and “DOPAMINE” in 2023.

2024 was a pivotal year for Eden as she competed in HaKokhav HaBa’s 10th season. Her powerful audition of “Rise Up” by Andra Day scored a perfect 100%, paving her way to victory. Eden is set to represent Israel at Eurovision 2024 with the song “Hurricane,” originally titled “October Rain,” after overcoming lyric controversies. 

HaKokhav HaBa

HaKokhav HaBa (Rising star) is the national selection for the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. It is a talent show with audition rounds. Among others former Eurovision participant Shiri Maimon was a member of the jury. In the final, four artists competed against eachother. Eden Golan was the clear winner. The song, “Hurricane”, was written for Eden in a later stage. One of the jury members, Keren Peles, is one of the co-writers of the song.

Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest

In 1973, Ilanit was the first Israeli representative in the Eurovision Song Contest. Israel was and is able to participate in the contest as the country is a member of the EBU. Not only European countries, but also neighbouring countries are members of the EBU.
Israel won the contest four times: in 1978 Izhar Cohen & The Alpha Beta sang “A-ba-ni-bi” to a first place. A year later, Gali Atari & Milk and Honey kept the trophy in Israel with “Hallelujah”. It was Dana International who won the contest with “Diva” in 1998. In recent years, 2018 to be more precise, Netta won the contest with her song “Toy”.
Last year, Noa Kirel reached a 3rd place with her song “Unicorn”.

Netta, photo: EBU/Andres Putting

The Bookmakers

Currently, the bookmakers predict a 9th place for Israel in the odds to win the contest. In the odds for the 2nd semifinal, the country is 7th. So it is likely that Israel will make it to the final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

The Song

And this is the song:

 

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Blast from the past: Belgium 1981

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1981, when Emly Starr represented Belgium with her song “Samson”. Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest Belgium is one of the countries that participates from the beginning on. The Belgians switch every year between the Flemish and Wallon broadcasters. Just once, Belgium won: in 1986, Sandra Kim sang she was 15, claimed she was 14 and in the end appeared to be 13. However: more Belgian songs were successful. In 1978 and 2003 Belgium was the runner up: Jean Vallee and Urban Trad were very close. In recent years, Belgium made it to the top-5 with Loïc Nottet (2015) and Blanche (2017). The best scoring Flemish entry was the 2010 song “Me and My Guitar”, sang by Tom Dice. Eurosong 1981 No less than 40 songs participated in the Belgian selection of 1981. Out of three heats, 10 finalists were chosen. The final was held in the Amerikaans Theater in Brussels, hosted by Luc Appermont. No results were made public, apart from the winner. However, in later years jury members of those days confirmed that Liliane Saint-Pierre’s “Brussel” reached the 2nd place. Fancy Free sang “De Wereld Is Een Showtoneel“ De Opera sang “De Opera“ Gene Summer sang “Zing Het Maar“ Stella sang “Veel Te Veel“ Ann Michel sang “Ik Ben Gelukkig“ Johann Stollz sang “Hello Hello“ Emly Starr sang “Samson en Delilah“ Lester & Denwood sang “Bonnie“ Venus sang “Talisman“ Liliane Saint-Pierre sang “Brussel“ Liliane Saint-Pierre Stella already participated in 1970 for the Netherlands as a member of Hearts Of Soul, and in 1977 for Belgium as a member of Dream Express. She sang solo for Belgium in 1982. Liliane Saint-Pierre represented her country in 1987, in….. Brussels! The title of the winning song was later shortened to “Samson”. Emly Starr Emly Starr, born Marie-Christine Mareels on September 5, 1957, in Wetteren, Belgium, is a singer best known for representing Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. She began her career at a young age under the stage name “Heidi” but later adopted the name Emly Starr, performing English-language pop and disco songs. In 1978, she appeared in the short film Santiago Lovers. Starr gained recognition with her disco act “Emly Starr Explosion,” and in 1980, she participated in the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, finishing eighth with the song Mary Brown. The following year, she won Belgium’s Eurosong contest, earning the opportunity to perform Samson at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, where she finished in 13th place. In 1985, Starr played the role of Erika in the film Springen and sang its title song, Jump in the Dark. Eventually, she transitioned from performing to the business side of the entertainment industry, working alongside her husband, Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver). Together, they manage the Globe Show Center in Denderleeuw, which houses a television studio and organizes events. They also provide showbiz equipment rentals, contributing to the Belgian entertainment scene. Samson “Samson” was composed by Kick Dandy, a pseudonym for Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver), and the lyrics were written by Penny Els. It is a dynamic, upbeat disco-pop track, characterized by its catchy rhythm and energetic performance, which was a popular style in the early 1980s. The lyrics of “Samson” playfully reference the biblical story of Samson, known for his great strength, and Delilah, who betrays him. However, the song reinterprets the tale, using it as a metaphor for a romantic relationship, with the singer comparing herself to the powerful figure who falls for a lover’s charm. Emly Starr’s lively stage presence and the colorful, engaging choreography added to the song’s appeal. The daring dress with a high slit contributed to the festive atmosphere. Despite the spirited performance, “Samson” scored 40 points at Eurovision and finished in 13th place out of 20 entries. Although it did not achieve a top ranking, the song remains a memorable part of Emly Starr’s career. Share

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Blast from the past
Martijn

Blast from the past: Belgium 1981

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1981, when Emly Starr represented Belgium with her song “Samson”. Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest Belgium is one of the countries that participates from the beginning on. The Belgians switch every year between the Flemish and Wallon broadcasters. Just once, Belgium won: in 1986, Sandra Kim sang she was 15, claimed she was 14 and in the end appeared to be 13. However: more Belgian songs were successful. In 1978 and 2003 Belgium was the runner up: Jean Vallee and Urban Trad were very close. In recent years, Belgium made it to the top-5 with Loïc Nottet (2015) and Blanche (2017). The best scoring Flemish entry was the 2010 song “Me and My Guitar”, sang by Tom Dice. Eurosong 1981 No less than 40 songs participated in the Belgian selection of 1981. Out of three heats, 10 finalists were chosen. The final was held in the Amerikaans Theater in Brussels, hosted by Luc Appermont. No results were made public, apart from the winner. However, in later years jury members of those days confirmed that Liliane Saint-Pierre’s “Brussel” reached the 2nd place. Fancy Free sang “De Wereld Is Een Showtoneel“ De Opera sang “De Opera“ Gene Summer sang “Zing Het Maar“ Stella sang “Veel Te Veel“ Ann Michel sang “Ik Ben Gelukkig“ Johann Stollz sang “Hello Hello“ Emly Starr sang “Samson en Delilah“ Lester & Denwood sang “Bonnie“ Venus sang “Talisman“ Liliane Saint-Pierre sang “Brussel“ Liliane Saint-Pierre Stella already participated in 1970 for the Netherlands as a member of Hearts Of Soul, and in 1977 for Belgium as a member of Dream Express. She sang solo for Belgium in 1982. Liliane Saint-Pierre represented her country in 1987, in….. Brussels! The title of the winning song was later shortened to “Samson”. Emly Starr Emly Starr, born Marie-Christine Mareels on September 5, 1957, in Wetteren, Belgium, is a singer best known for representing Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. She began her career at a young age under the stage name “Heidi” but later adopted the name Emly Starr, performing English-language pop and disco songs. In 1978, she appeared in the short film Santiago Lovers. Starr gained recognition with her disco act “Emly Starr Explosion,” and in 1980, she participated in the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, finishing eighth with the song Mary Brown. The following year, she won Belgium’s Eurosong contest, earning the opportunity to perform Samson at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, where she finished in 13th place. In 1985, Starr played the role of Erika in the film Springen and sang its title song, Jump in the Dark. Eventually, she transitioned from performing to the business side of the entertainment industry, working alongside her husband, Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver). Together, they manage the Globe Show Center in Denderleeuw, which houses a television studio and organizes events. They also provide showbiz equipment rentals, contributing to the Belgian entertainment scene. Samson “Samson” was composed by Kick Dandy, a pseudonym for Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver), and the lyrics were written by Penny Els. It is a dynamic, upbeat disco-pop track, characterized by its catchy rhythm and energetic performance, which was a popular style in the early 1980s. The lyrics of “Samson” playfully reference the biblical story of Samson, known for his great strength, and Delilah, who betrays him. However, the song reinterprets the tale, using it as a metaphor for a romantic relationship, with the singer comparing herself to the powerful figure who falls for a lover’s charm. Emly Starr’s lively stage presence and the colorful, engaging choreography added to the song’s appeal. The daring dress with a high slit contributed to the festive atmosphere. Despite the spirited performance, “Samson” scored 40 points at Eurovision and finished in 13th place out of 20 entries. Although it did not achieve a top ranking, the song remains a memorable part of Emly Starr’s career. Share

Share
Read More »