World Song Contest

The 14th edition of the World Song Contest started on April 15th 2006. 34 countries showed their interest, a number which usually led to a qualifying round. But a new rule was taken, and all countries competed in a final. It was more exciting during the live coverage with 6 countries receiving at least 100 points, but also harder for voters to decide to which songs they were going to vote.

Among the entries, one of them probably received a lot of attention. Japan made its debut in this edition, and it's always a pleasure to welcome countries from other continents than Europe or America. This led to a great first try with a thrid position. But if new countries joined, others just didn't take part. Poland and Austria were missed for the originality they usually bring to the contest.

The Eurovision Song Contest season was in its crucial week when the results were revealed. It's not a surprised that some players tried to see the popularity of some of this year's ESC participants. The final results were not really optimistic. Lordi for Finland came last and Keith Camilleri, member of the Swiss band six4one, didn't reach the top 20 for Malta.

Russia was ready for a 4th victory but Israel, which wasn't seen as a favourite by several participants, surprised everyone by taking the crown. Only two points seperated the songs, but they were enough for Shiri Maimon and Lean She'Lo Telchi to give a first victory to Israel.

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THE WINNER

Country: Israel
Artist(s): Shiri Maimon
Song: Lean She'Lo Telchi

Shiri Maimon (born 17 May, 1981) is an Israeli pop singer, TV show host and actress. Maimon was born in Haifa, Israel, and raised in Kiryat Haim. She is of Sephardi Jewish descent and was born to a Tunisian father and Moroccan mother. She made her debut at the age of ten, at a children's song festival. She joined the Israel Defense Forces, where she sang with the Israeli Air Force entertainment troupe. In 2001, she featured on a music video by the band Teapacks. Later, she worked a year and a half as a singer and bartender in Eilat. In 2003, she auditioned for Kokhav Nolad and ended up the first runner-up. She released her first single, "Until You Understand Me". While working on her debut album, she was a presenter on a popular daily youth TV program in Israel, EXIT. In 2005, Maimon took part in the Kdam Eurovision, the pre-Eurovision song contest at which Israel's national entry is selected, and was not the favorite to win. She won first place for her performance of HaSheket SheNish'ar (Time to Say Goodbye). Thus she became Israel's representative at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev. She was placed fourth in the contest, winning 154 points. In September 2005, Maimon released her eponymous debut album, Shiri Maimon which went gold within a few months, selling over 20,000 copies. She appeared on the soap opera Yeladot Ra'ot (Bad Girls) on the Israeli Music Channel, where she played the role of Maya Gold, a talented singer and recording star trying to balance her career and her love life with caring for her drug addicted brother. Her first single out of her second album, was released in December 2007, entitled "Yoter Tov Lisloach" (Better to Forgive), and became a hit. In March 2006, she began starring in a musical version of an Israeli cult movie "The Band" in the Habima theater. In January 2008 her second album Rega Lifney She... (Just Before...) was released. Winning the MTV Europe Awards as Best Israeli Act, she went to Liverpool, where she performed a new single, "Now That You're Gone". In competition for the "Europe's Favourite Act", she finished in 3rd place, before the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 Dima Bilan, and the famous British singer Leona Lewis. She was also chosen to take part in the Global One project, a worldwide project to record songs with successful local artists in their native languages in over 20 countries panning five continents around the world.