Israel's Eurovision 2011 Song: "Ding Dong" by Dana International (VIDEO)

[Shana A]

Will Adams
Editor-in-chief, wiwibloggs.com

Israel's Eurovision 2011 Song: "Ding Dong" by Dana International (VIDEO)
Posted: 05/ 2/11 06:03 PM ET

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/will-adams/can-israels-dana-internat_b_856413.html

Dana International, the only transsexual ever to win Eurovision, is hoping to reclaim her title in Düsseldorf. This time she's fighting with a "Ding Dong." An ode to silent prayer and personal resolve, the song sets perseverance to a mid-tempo dance beat. Its clichéd message that hope springs eternal would normally leave me yawning. But channeled through Dana -- an Israeli transsexual who has journeyed from outcast to national treasure-- that message takes on renewed depth and universality. "Ding Dong" becomes a solemn battle cry for those living on the margins of society.

But with its cheeky nod to anatomy, "Ding Dong" also carries Dana's personal story. Her return to Eurovision isn't merely a publicity stunt, but an emotional return to the stage where she found her voice. Born Sharon Cohen, she started out as a female impersonator performing in Tel Aviv nightclubs. Following her gender reassignment surgery in 1993, and the subsequent release of her first album, Israeli broadcasters refused to give her any airtime.

[justmeinoz]

Time for our yearly dose of "Eurotrash" again. 
There are some good songs some years. Others not so good. Some are just weird, and some are just plain awful! SBS cover it here every year, and their commentators are good, but I miss Terry Wogan.
It will be interesting to see whether the Balkan nations have escaped the 80's disco yet, and whether England get a vote from anyone besides the Irish.

[tekla]

Time for our yearly dose of "Eurotrash" again. 

It's going to be a hard contest in Eurotrash this year what with the public sighting of Princess Beatrice along side her sister Princess Eugenie at the wedding.

They are quite the Royal Kardashians.  I'm surprised that one of them is not named Snooky.

[justmeinoz]

They can't compare with sight of another hairy Greek chest and gold medallions escaping from a white disco shirt though.