Dana International

An Israeli singer with a big-voiced, dramatic style, Dana International lived up to her name when she won 1998's Eurovision Song Contest, establishing herself as a pop fixture and LGBTQ+ icon for decades to come. The first transgender artist to appear at the competition, her winning song "Diva" built on the success of albums including 1994's platinum-selling Umpatampa, earning her fame across Europe. She remained prominent in Israel's pop world during the 2000s, issuing well-regarded albums such as 2001's Yoter VeYoter and 2007's Hakol Ze Letova and appearing as a judge on the singing competition Kokhav Nolad. Her ties to Eurovision remained strong as she represented Israel once more in 2011 and wrote songs for other Israeli hopefuls, while her performances at Pride events around the world and singles like 2018's "Mi Ha'Ish" spread her message of inclusion.

Born in Tel Aviv, Dana International dreamed of becoming a singer while still a child. By the time she was 18, she was performing at clubs as a drag queen and parodying the hits of various female singers. The DJ Offer Nissim saw one of her shows and produced International's 1993 debut single "Saida Sultana," an interpretation of Whitney Houston's "My Name Is Not Susan." Her first album, Dana Intl, followed later in the year; certified gold in Israel, it was also released in Jordan, Egypt, and Greece. She consolidated this success with 1994's Umpatampa. A trance-influenced set of songs, it was a hit across the Middle East and took her to another level of fame in Israel, where it went platinum and earned her Best Female Artist at that year's Israeli Music Awards.

In 1995, Dana International released the Tampa EP, a collection of remixes, alternate versions, and previously unreleased songs. She made her first Eurovision bid that year, placing second in the Israeli qualifying competition. Her qualifying song, "Layla Tov, Eropa," was another hit in her homeland. International's third album, 1996's Maganuna, boasted three hit singles ("Don Quixote," "Cinquemilla," and "Waving") and, like her debut album, was certified gold in Israel. The following year, she appeared on Eran Zur's album Ata Hava Sheli, which featured the hit duet "Shir Kdam-Shnati (Sex Acher)." International once again auditioned for Eurovision in 1998, and despite opposition from various Israeli religious groups, went on to represent Israel on the international stage. Singing the song "Diva," she won the contest along with international fame. "Diva" became a top ten hit in several European countries and peaked at number 11 in the U.K., and the album of the same name was also a smash.

Dana International returned to Eurovision in 1999, singing a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Free" as part of the contest's interval act. The single, the album Free, and a cover of Barbra Streisand's "Woman in Love'' didn't match her earlier success, but with the 2000 documentary Lady D and 2001's album Yoter Ve Yoter ("More & More") -- which included the gold singles "I Won" and "After All" -- she reclaimed her popularity. Her renaissance continued with 2002's Ha'chalom Ha'efshari ("The Possible Dream") and the 2003 hits package The CDs Collection. She revisited her Eurovision roots in 2005, performing "Diva" and Baccara's "Parlez-Vous Français?" at the contest's 50th anniversary in Copenhagen.

Dana International's next album, Hakol Ze Letova, appeared in 2007 and scored hit singles with the title track and "Love Boy," which received considerable radio airplay in Israel and Greece. The following year, Boaz Mauda performed "Ke'ilu Kan," a song written and composed by International, at 2008's Eurovision, where it ultimately ranked ninth. International pursued several projects in 2009. She contributed the song "Mifrats HaAhava" to the Israeli version of the reality TV show Paradise Hotel, recorded "I Need Your Love" with the Ukrainian duo NeAngely, starred in the reality show parody Dana Kama/Nama, and became a judge on Israel's version of Pop Idol, Kokhav Nolad. After appearing on the show's seventh and eighth seasons, in 2011 International represented Israel at Eurovision once again with the song "Ding Dong," but did not qualify for the final.

In 2013, Dana International returned with several singles, including "Ma La'asot" ("What to Do"), and "Loca," the video for which promoted that year's Gay Pride Tel Aviv, at which she performed. Her reality show Yeshnan Banot, which featured her as a judge looking for Israel's next girl group, premiered in 2014. That year, she appeared on the first Jewish boat in the Amsterdam Pride Canal Parade. Another string of singles arrived in 2017 and 2018, among them "Mi Ha'Ish," which promoted the 2018 Jerusalem Pride and Tolerance Parade, and a rendition of "Hava Nagila" heralding the Eurovision runup event Israel Calling. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of her Eurovision win, International released a new version of "Diva." The anniversary celebration continued into 2019, when she performed as an interval act at that year's contest in Tel Aviv, sang "Diva" at the final's opening flag parade, and released "Diva to Diva," a collaboration with Swedish singer and 1999 Eurovision winner Charlotte Perelli. ~ Heather Phares & Dave Thompson, Rovi