JERUSALEM (JTA) — British media reported that Israel has permanently withdrawn from the Eurovision song contest after the closing Israel Broadcasting Authority made its farewells live while reporting the country’s scores. Other countries also took the farewell by IBA host Ofer Nachshon to mean that Israel would be leaving the annual tournament, whose finals took…
Israeli director Yoav Tzafir is blaming Israel’s poor showing in the 2017 Eurovision contest finals on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. Israeli pop singer Imri Ziv came in 23rd out of 26th place in the competition in Ukraine with his song “I Feel Alive.” The song’s music video was co-directed by Tzafir and Elad…
(JTA) — The Hashomer Hatzair Jewish youth movement called on its members in Israel to vote for a performer representing Belgium in the Eurovision song contest because she is a member of the organization’s Brussels branch. Ellie Delvaux, 17, aka Blanche, is one several dozen performers from 26 countries, including Israel, who are participating in…
(JTA) — Roma and Jewish groups in Hungary celebrated as a Roma singer’s song about oppressed minorities advanced to the finals of the Eurovision song contest. Joci Pápai, 35, is the first Roma to represent Hungary in the continental song competition among 42 countries. He made the cut in the semi-finals Thursday night in Kiev, along…
Israeli singer Hovi Star lived up to the second part of his stage name at the Eurovision semi-finals Thursday, as his performance garnered enough points to qualify for Saturday’s finals. After a stellar performance during a rehearsal last week, Star became a favorite as odds of him winning were changed from 1/150 to 1/25, Metro…
Fifty years ago, Danny Sanderson was a freshman at the High School of Music & Art, in New York City’s Hamilton Heights. He was new to Manhattan, having grown up in a Tel Aviv suburb, born to parents that had made aliyah from the States in 1948. His father had recently assumed a post as…
A Romanian opera singer dressed like Dracula and wailing falsetto. Dancers in a Perspex boxes and drummers dosed in baby oil. Moustachioed Greeks dancing and singing about the joys of free alcohol. A Russian plea for world peace in three minutes with a key change. In case you missed it, that was the Eurovision Song…
Israel is hoping for a big win at the Eurovision Song Contest in mid-May with a performance of “Rak bishvilo” (“Only for Him”) by Moran Mazor. Mazor, who will turn 22 during the contest, earned the right to represent Israel in Malmö, Sweden, the site of this year’s event, by defeating nine other finalists in…
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