International, Dana
Where's Dana?
She was the number one diva, after winning the Eurovision Song Contest with a song called Diva. But where is she now?
Remember Dana International? You probably do if you're a fan of the Eurovision Song Contest, since she was the one who last won it for Israel
in 1998, with the dance tune Diva – although it was her past life as a man which grabbed more headlines than her victory, and made her one of the more controversial winners of recent years.
Born Yaron Cohen in Tel Aviv in 1972, she began her career as a female impersonator, before having a sex change and becoming Sharon Cohen when she was 21. She had already established herself as a chart star before Eurovision came along, thanks to a string of hit albums in Israel and the Middle East.
But eight years on from her famous victory in Birmingham, what's she up to?
Well, having scored a worldwide hit with Diva , Dana has continued to enjoy chart success on home territory, with her most recent Ha'Chalom He'Efshari released in 2002, and she's due to release a new single and album in Israel later this year.
Eurovision sensation
And of course she's still a huge star in Eurovision circles. She performed at the 1999 contest in Jerusalem, famously tumbling over on her high heels while presenting the trophy to winners Sweden and sparking a security scare in the process.
More recently she appeared at 2005's Congratulations: 50 Years of Eurovision, a celebration of the contest's first half-century – where Diva was among the nominees for greatest Eurovision song of all time.
She's proved there's life after Eurovision – despite opposition from many Israelis who were outraged at her participation in the contest, suggesting it would bring shame on the country. "My victory proved that God was with me. I don't need one of these rabbis to tell me if I'm acceptable for God."
Reprinted with permission of Daily Jews
