Israel's Eurovision Song, Cultured Not Pop

From year to year, Israel seems to try to surprise the international Eurovision audience with gimmicks and an enormous variety of performers and genres. This year the "committee" finally went for for a very cultured performance, "Home," sung in English by by Kobi Marimi, the exact opposite style of last year's "Toy," which actually won.



If the Eurovision "directors" had been willing to accommodate Shabbat observance, then Israel would have been represented by The Shalva Band. Instead, that very unique and professional band, will be part of the local entertainment that host countries provide during the broadcast.

Last year's Israeli Eurovision song "Toy" sung by  Netta Barzelai.



None of the songs resemble the Israeli winning Eurovision songs from the 1970s. I miss that old Israeli music style.

"A-ba-ni-bi" sung by Izhar Cohen & Alpha Beta, 1978



Eurovision 1979,  "Hallelujah,"Sung by Milk and Honey



What do you think?

Israel's Eurovision Win, Not Just Music

When I saw Israel's Netta's "Toy" in the Eurovision semifinal last week, which was the first time I watched it or any of the annual contest for years, I began to understand that Eurovision's no longer just a "song contest." And I'm not talking about the "politics." If you want to know a bit about the "politics," then read my Shiloh Musings post.

The staging and production of Eurovision is now most suited to a sports arena, and there's no way that it will fit in Jerusalem's Binyanei Ha'uma, where it had been held in the past.


Israel's "Halleluyah" won Eurovision in 1979, when the competition took place in Jerusalem's Binyanei Ha'uma.

Compare it to Israel's win in Lisbon just a few hours ago:



There's nothing simple about the staging. Of course the most spectacular place in Jerusalem would be Sultan's Pool, outside of the Old City, but security would be easier at Teddy Stadium. What do you think?

Entertaining Evening in The Israel Museum

Last night I joined with thousands of others at a beautifully entertaining evening in the Billy Rose Gardens of the Israel Museum.

We were davka entertained by one of the newest and most veteran Israeli singing sensations. The main attraction was Yehoram Gaon, who has been an Israeli favorite for half a century. He sang and spoke, as if he was shooting the breeze with old friends, which in a sense we all were. He even cracked some jokes at his own expense, recognizing that he's an "antique" of sorts. More sadly he mentioned that the singers he started out with are no longer in This World.

Yehoram Gaon's performance was an old time Israeli style singalong, and the lyrics were posted on the enormous screens framing the stage.

The opening act was a young couple, young enough to be Yehoram Gaon's grandchildren. They are known as "Yonina" and came to people's attention not very long ago when they began posting their singing on facebook.  They sang in Hebrew, English and even some original songs. They are marvelous, and the audience was impressed, especially  those who had never before heard of them.

As is customary at Israeli events, there was a "pop up" minyan as soon as it had become dark enough, just before the show began. 

I must say that the crowd was extremely well behaved and seemed to enjoy both parts of the show.