Israel – The long running Israeli show, HaKokhav HaBa, or Rising Star, concludes tonight and the winner will be the representative of the host nation In Tel Aviv at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The winner tonight is guaranteed a place in the Eurovision Grand Final on May 18th.
The song will not be revealed until 10th March 2019.
The HaKokhav HaBa L’Eurovizion final starts tonight at 20:15 (CET) on Keshat 12. It has been running for 4 months and over 30 shows so far. Keshat wants to market the format to other countries.
It will be hosted by one of the ESC 2019 hosts, Assi Azar, and Rotem Sela. A jury will comprise of Asaf Amdurski (Israeli singer, songwriter and producer), Keren Peles (Israeli singer and poet), Shiri Maimon (Israel, 2005), Harel Skaat (Israel, 2010) and Static & Ben-El Tavori, pop duo.
The first part of the show sees the four finalists paired off to fight it out in two duels as follows:
- Ketreyah ‘Locked Out of Heaven‘ (Bruno Mars cover) vs Shefita ‘My Way‘ (Frank Sinatra cover)
- Kobi Merimi ‘Let It Be’ (The Beatles cover) vs Maya Buskila ‘Alive‘ (Sia cover)
The two winners will go to the super final, along with one of the losers that the jury choose. All three will then perform a solo song (unannounced at the moment) and it will be a jury/televote split for the winner. Viewers around the world can vote via the Mako App.
Shefita’s selection would not be without controversy. Her on stage persona (her real name is Rotem Shefy) is not popular with Israeli-Arabs and she has been accused of blatant cultural appropriation. You can read more about that here.
Check out some of the finalists previous performances here and let us know who your favourite is.
The Eurovision Times 
I maybe watch this today..contestants seem interesting, and not only Shefita..
I haven’t followed the Israeli process and won’t tune in tonight either because I am not interested in shows picking the artist but not the song. I’ll patiently wait until the whole package becomes available.
Good luck!
How that Shefita issue seems to you, they all talk about these days?
I have just seen your comments on the Serbian thread. I don’t have an opinion at this point because I don’t know enough about it. What I can say though is that I support art that provokes and makes people rethink what they believe to be certainties or established truth. In fact, asking uncomfortable questions is what makes the arts so valuable. Therefore almost everything is allowed in the arts imo.
I m not sure if I will like it, that approach..but we will see..
I have sent Z&G to Shevek, waiting for reaction later this afternoon. :D
Shefita or Middle Eastern version of Freddie Mercury FTW 🤗
Works for me! Freddie was genetically Middle Eastern, too, I think – weren’t his parents first generation immigrants to UK. Go Shefita!!
He was from Tanzania and of Indian origin!
And from the interesting city of Zanzibar specifically.
Yeah, Zanzibar..they are Parsi.. :)
I have watched “Bohemian rhapsody” recently.. :)
What did u think of the film? I thought it was politically a bit iffy (all the str8 guys in the band are family men who don’t party; the gay guy does, a set-up I thought we had overcome) – but Rami Malek was great and esp the Live Aid re-creation was amazing!
They are not Persian😊
Not Persian, but Parsi from India originally.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsis
Ha yes!
😀she is pissed
Hahahahahah Im tired of her, press only speaks about her these days..
Thx that’s right I thought he was of Egyptian ancestry because I thought of Remi Malek – so clearly v convincing performance!
Yes,he is brilliant and hopefully get the Oscar
Mahmood has been confirmed for Italy🤗
https://escxtra.com/2019/02/12/italy-mahmood-confirms-eurovision-2019-participation-with-soldi/
Oh good a big fuck you to Salvini! I do hope they’ll reform
The voting system and help him work on his vocals.
He doesn’t need to sing like a bird…what he has is enough for that song
You know…the talking😀
Good news. :)
Bravo!
Common sense prevailed. He is the rightful 2019 San Remo winner. And of course a very good entry imo
You jury sucker! :P :D
Me? Out of all? Who would have thought :P
Yes,it is…very engaging at first listening and you know I hardly like songs from Italy😊
I hope this decision sticks. You never know with that illiberal fascist italian regime. He is a brave man though, a very brave man and I wish him the best.
I just hope next year good old Italian artists wont skip SR..I mostly watch it for them.. :(
off topic: Tonight at my university https://www.dmu.ac.uk/about-dmu/events/events-calendar/2019/february/the-queer-history-of-the-eurovision-song-contest.aspx?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn
Go Kobi! :)
Who is Kobi?
Male or that black female? :D
Cause I don’t know them, I know Maya and Shefita.. :D
Freddie
?? Freddie is male? And who is then black female one?
Ketreyah…
“Keshat wants to market the format to other countries.”
LOL Shevek and oxi won’t like this :P :D
Lithuania might buy it? ;)
For example.. :D
Maybe Tamara Todevska’s entry written by Darko Dimitrov will be similar to new single of Croatian singer Jelena Rozga written by him together with Emina Jahovic! :)
Polish 2009 representative, Lidia Kopania, has submitted entry to TVP:
And it is the same song from Lithuanian selection this year! :D
Ok, well done Lidia! :clap: hahaha
Happy Birthday Ajda,the diva💜
I love Yakar gecerim… did she do any other collaborations like that?
Yes she did with Kenan Doğulu and his brother
And another artist
Thanks so much – she’s great, total diva! And I love the first song; it’s like Freaky Fortune but they can both sing!
LOL yes😀
Keshet has discovered an attempt by foreign hackers to influence the outcome of Hakokhav Haba final which will take place tonight.
Since Monday, there has been registered significant load on the Mako app, which will be used for the televoting in the show. It is reported that hundreds of vote attempts are being registered from one source located abroad in a short period of time.
Organizers had to block the possibility of the voting from abroad, but believe that the attempts may not end with that, and they still face a challenge. Broadcaster states the voting will go on as planned, but the system may work slower than expected, reports Globes.
Again a mess, and totally pointless mess, it could go without it.. :/
Well, INGA will save me form all that mess around the Europe!
Just dance INGA!
I guess many of us are going to spend lots of soldi… with our telemóveis 😜😛😀
Voting for them on replay 🎶🎶🎶
I’d rather dance with INGA, it costs NOTHING! ;)
A link to the Israeli live stream: http://ogaegreece.com/archives/63694
Thank you so very much, Sir!
:DDDD
lol!Is she your new obsession?I see your interest for Raiven has died down.
Well, this one is really haunting, she knocks down with these moves, and her entry is BOP!
For Raiven, just a bit down, but it will be up when she performs on Saturday! :D
Ok that Israeli weather forecast gave me LIFE!
Maybe they should’ve chosen Sarit Hadad internally when they host it..
Ok this was way too pompous.. :D
If they are showing interval acts…they are all great
Yayyyyy Static & Ben El Tavori will perform❤️
Yay, you are watching too! :)
I am breaking NF records this year😀
Way to go! Yas!
LOL this is so Reality. :D
Ketreyah-Locked Out of Heaven is a hard song to sing,I think she has done a good job
OMG Static & Ben El Tavori are in the jury maybe they won’t perform…I hope they represent Israel one day…They are so much fun
Ok I can already say: Number 1!
Shefita-LOL She literally gives MY WAY her way 😀Love Arabic kind of singing…Israel is holding the contest this year so they can be chill and pick Shefita for the fun of it❤️
The first one did not have much of a voice but this one was too much of a parody. I am glad she did not pass.
Love her nevertheless❤️
They had chicken last year…time for something else.
Ok, are you sure she is out totally?
And the first one had fantastic vocal performance, maybe you don’t like her vocal tone.. :)
Not enough lungs for my ears. I could not even hear what was the vocal tone…She was struggling to be heard above the music.
Well, I really like that “attacking” style of performing, so that’s why. :)