One of my favourite music events to watch is the Eurovision. It is something that brings out the best from countries from all over the world. Not surprisingly, one of my treasured family posessions is a memorial coin from Eurovision in 1999 that was hosted in Israel because their contestant, Dana International, won in the previous year.
It is so hard to believe that this Israeli Eurovision winner, Dana International, used to be a boy. Her popularity skyrocketed after her victory in 1998. I remember those times when all of my Israeli friends were listening to her song “Diva”. She returned to represent Israel at Eurovision many times after that, including 2011 with her song “Ding Dong”.
Can you imagine, she was banned on TV and radio when she just started out because “transsexual sent the wrong message to the nation’s youth”? Still, even in countries like in Canada, I run into people who manage to make a mean comment about a transgendered woman. Dana was met with a lot of opposition from religious groups when she performed at the Eurovision. This is what she said as a reponse to that:
“My victory proves God is on my side. I want to send my critics a message of forgiveness and say to them: try to accept me and the kind of life I lead. I am what I am and this does not mean I don’t believe in God, and I am part of the Jewish Nation.”
Now she is over 40 and looks better than most women! She even dresses more feminine – in most of her videos she is wearing either pantyhose, fishnets, leggings, or some kind of tight sexy leg wear. Could that be why she is one of my favourite performers?
I remember this. Wow was that 1999? Yes she did look great
James, she won in 1998. Eurovision next year was hosted in 1999 because of her winning.
She is a great looking, sexy etc… But I don’t like her because most off her is about sex. Have a look at the picture when she sits in the red chair with her legs spread very wide. The first most eyes are looking at is where the legs joins to her body. Some eyes might look a bit higher at here breasts, wich I find a bit too big for her body. She wears georgeous looking tights on that picture, but the eye doesn’t see it because of her pose.
You have a great blog here. I just found it today.
Dana won the Eurovision 1998 against her own country being against her, I admire her for that.
Yes, that photo is very provocative, I agree. It is a screen shot from her song “Loveboy” about a male prostitute. Of course, that song is all about sex.
She has some other songs that are more meaningful, like her song “Ding Dong” that she sang in Eurovision 2011. I’d like to get the lyrics for that and get it translated.
Here is the lyrics to her song Ding dong. I found it on http://www.eurovision.tv . You can see the video there and also find the non translated lyrics there too. It is a great site if you like eurovision song contest. The count down has already started for next year wich will be here in Sweden.
This is off topic, but I thought I would give you the lyrics as you wrote you woul dlike to have.
English Lyrics
Eurovision Song Contest 2011 Semi-Final (2)
Israel (IBA)
Performer: Dana International
Song title: Ding Dong
Song writer(s): Dana International
Song composer(s): Dana International
Maybe the good days
Arrived already and they’re here
Just one more moment
And everything is going to change
And we’ll love
Oh, we’ll love
if you have a dream of your own
don’t be afraid go on with your heart
close your eyes and hear the bells
of your soul
Ding dong say no more
I hear silent prayer and its making me
high and fly I know where to go
and I’m comming now
And maybe it’s almost happening, it’s close
Now comes the turn of the good moment
The pain of the heart turns around and leaves
Ding dong say no more
I hear silent prayer and its making me
high and fly I know where to go
and I’m comming now
Praise the day that brings the night
Praise the time that will shine on you
It will bring you salvation
Ding dong say no more
I hear silent prayer and its making me
high and fly I know where to go
and I’m comming now
——————————————————————————–
« Go back to the artist profile of Dana International
.
Loretta, thanks! That’s really nice of you. It’s good to see the translation finally.
I have some knowledge of Hebrew, but not to a point that I’ll understand everything. I’d like to get fluent in it some day.
Who knows, maybe I’ll get to meet Dana some day!
Dana made a smart move to go International as the name implies. She started to hit the market of Eastern Europe and even did a song together with some Russian performers. They play her music on the radio in Eastern Europe.