Transgender diva to represent Israel in Eurovision

March 9, 2011 05:22 AM

http://imgs.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/03/08/entertainment/e233129S05.DTL

(03-09) 05:22 PST JERUSALEM, Israel (AP) --

Israel's transgender pop diva, Dana International, is heading back to the Eurovision song contest in hopes of trying to recapture the top prize she won at the competition 13 years ago.

The flamboyant singer, who was known as Yaron Cohen before a sex change operation nearly two decades ago, was selected on Tuesday night to represent Israel with the Hebrew-English song "Ding Dong."

Israel Chooses Transsexual Dana International for Eurovision 2011
By: William Lee Adams

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/09/israel-chooses-transsexual-dana-international-for-eurovision-2011/

In a cheeky nod to anatomy, the world's most famous transgender pop star has penned an inspirational dance number called "Ding Dong."

And last night it proved to be a winner. The song—an ode to silent prayer and personal resolve set to a mid-tempo dance beat—secured top marks from a professional jury and Israeli Eurovision fans to win Kdam 2011, Israel's national selection contest. Dana will now represent the country at the Eurovision final in Düsseldorf, Germany this May. (The pan-European singing contest remains the world's most-watched non-sporting event, attracting more than 120 million viewers annually, and helped launch the careers of previous winners like ABBA and Celine Dion, and countless Eastern European acts.)