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Photo by Dr. Avishai Teicher from Wikimedia
Top 10 Amazing Facts about Dana International
Sharon Cohen popularly known as Dana International was born on February 2, 1972, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Her parents are Bat Galim Cohen and Eliyahu Cohen. They named her Yaron Cohen, a male name in Israel.
Dana was the youngest of three children and was named after an uncle who had been killed during a terrorist attack.
She found out she was transsexual as a youngster and started to identify herself as a trans woman at the age of 13 years.
The celebrity singer has been very successful in her career, including winning the Eurovision song contest competition.
Here are the top 10 Amazing facts about Dana International Facts
1. She is the Most Famous Transgender in Israel
Photo by Daniel Kruczynski from Wikipedia
Dana started to identify herself as a female from a very young age and wanted to become a singer ever since.
In 1993, Dana underwent sex reassignment surgery abroad and legally changed her name to Sharon Cohen.
Dana began performing as a drag queen and by the age of 18, she was widely known in the gay club scene.
She was banned by TV and radio early in her career because a transsexual sent the wrong message to the nation’s youth.
Dana travels around the world and receives the adulation of those who consider her a pioneer for transgender rights.
2. Dana International is a Pop Star
Photo by Daniel Kruczynski from Wikipedia
Dana international wanted to become a pop star since she was 8 years old after she watched an Israeli singer named Ofra Haza perform in the 1983 Eurovision song Contest.
Although her family did not have much money, her mother worked hard to pay for her expensive music lessons.
Dana International took her stage name from a feminized version of a childhood friend Daniel, who died in a car accident.
Her first song was a cover version of a Whitney Houston song. The song became a hit topping all charts in Israel.
Dana international became become a global pop star after she represented Israel in the Eurovision song contest in 1998.
Dana has gone on to release 17 singles and 12 albums, making her a household name in Israel and across the globe.
3. Dana International is a Gay Rights Defender
Dana International is a transgender pop star who reflects ultimate femininity through her confident, sexy, and unapologetic performances.
She was the first Israeli artist to speak courageously about her sexual orientation.
Her International songs are very popular and a mainstay on the playlists of all-time favorite songs in LGBT clubs around the world.
She starred in Amnesty’s global campaign, advocating for Gay Rights and all Human Rights in general.
Dana international is the uncompromising spokeswoman and defender of the LGBT community’s shows.s in Israel.
4. Dana International Won 1998 Eurovision Song Contest
Photo by Dr. Avishai Teicher from Wikimedia
In 1995, Dana attempted to fulfill her childhood dream of performing in the Eurovision Song Contest show.
She entered the Eurovision qualifying contest in Israel, but she failed to qualify for the contest after she came second in the preliminaries.
Dana was chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 in Birmingham.
In May 1998, Dana performed “Diva” at the Eurovision final and won the contest with 172 points, and became the first Israeli and transgender to do so.
She performed again at the Eurovision song contest in 2011 but failed to qualify for the finals. She performed as a guest singer in the 2019 contests that were held in Tel Aviv, Israel.
5. Dana International has a Documentary about her Life
In 2000 a documentary about Dana International was released in the Hebrew language.
The film, entitled ” Diva Forever” is about Dana International’s journey from her childhood to performing on the biggest stage.
It also follows her to Copenhagen, where her song Diva competed for the title of the best Eurovision song ever.
The film portrays Dana’s public and private life in the years that followed the glorious moments she had on stage in Birmingham.
It also reflects the disillusionment which came to Dana International in the years following her famous victory.
6. Diana International is a Celebrity in Israel
photo by Frédéric de Villamil from Wikimedia
Although Israel has produced many gifted and popular artists over the years, Dana international has captured the minds of many Israeli music fans.
Since she won the Eurovision song contest in 1998, Dana international has become the face of Israeli pop music culture around the world.
Her songs have been translated into different languages across Europe and parts of the middle east.
Dana is the most vocal transgender person in Israel, advocating and defending the rights of Transgender and gay rights in her home country.
Dana International has risen from humble background to the international stage of pop music.
7. Dana International has Caused Serious Religious Debates
Photo by Dr. Avishai Teicher from Wikimedia
Dana international is a popular figure in the whole of Israel, she has represented her country on the international scene with her musical performances.
being a transgender artist, religious establishments in Israel are vehemently opposed to her stardom.
They view her and her music as a bad influence on the morals and values of the youth.
A serious religious debate had been held on whether Dana should be allowed to pray in a synagogue.
One rabbinical authority concluded that since Dana is a transgender, she should be recognized as a man by religious organizations.
8. Dana International Political Connections
Dana campaigned for Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni shortly before the 2009 legislative elections in Israel.
At a women’s political rally in Jerusalem Dana performed a disco song alongside Tzipi Livni onstage.
When she failed to win the 2011 Eurovision song contest held in Germany, Dana received a personal call from Israel’s opposition leader Tzipi Livni.
Livni congratulated her stellar performance in the competition, terming her as an Israel ambassador on the music international stage
9. Dana International is a Member of the Gay Pride Parades
Dana International is an active member of the gay pride movement, she attends gay pride parades that are staged every year in different parts of the globe.
A gay pride parade is an outdoor event celebrating LGBT social and self-acceptance achievements.
These parades are used as a platform to demand more legal rights for gay communities.
10. Dana International was an Actor on a Reality Show
Dana international acted as a judge on a popular TV reality show dubbed kokhav Nolad in 2011.
Kokhav Nolan’s show was based on the British Pop Idol model. the show was used to identify new talented vocalists in the nation of Israel,
After its debut on Israeli Channel 2 in 2003, Kokhav Nolad became very popular and turned
The show ended in 2012, after 10 successful seasons.
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