Yardena Arazi is a popular Israeli singer and entertainer. She is the daughter of Jewish immigrants from France and Germany and at the age of 16, joined a band where she became its lead vocalist. She did her National Service in the Israeli army as part of the Nahal entertainment troupe.
Her first experience at Eurovision came at the 1976 contest in The Hague as part of the female trio Chocolate Menta Mastik with the song Emor Shalom. The girls finished in 6th place with 77 points. Three years later, she became the second former contestant to be a presenter after Corry Brokken at the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 in Jerusalem alongside Daniel Pe'er.
She frequently performed in the Kdam national finals throughout most of the 1980s as a solo artist, and won the right to represent her country at the Eurovision Song Contest 1988 in Dublin with the song Ben Adam which finished in 7th place with 85 points.
Eurovision Song Contest 1988 | |||
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Participants | |||
Beathoven • Tommy Körberg • Boulevard • Scott Fitzgerald • MFÖ • La Década Prodigosa • Gerard Joling • Yardena Arazi • Celine Dion • Jump The Gun • Maxi & Chris Garden • Wilfried Scheutz • Hot Eyes • Afroditi Frida • Karoline Krüger • Reynaert • Lara Fabian • Luca Barbarossa • Gérard Lenorman • Dora • Srebrna Krila | |||
Songs | |||
Þú og þeir (Sókrates) • Stad i ljus • Nauravat silmät muistetaan • Go • Sufi • La chica que yo quiero (Made In Spain) • Shangri-La • Ben Adam • Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi • Take Him Home • Lied für einen Freund • Lisa, Mona Lisa • Ka' du se hva' jeg sa'? • Kloun • For vår jord • Laissez briller le soleil • Croire • Vivo (Ti Scrivo) • Chanteur de charme • Voltarei • Mangup |
Trivia[]
- Yardena is said to be deeply superstitious. In 1988, she agreed to represent her country when a tarot reader told her the song performing ninth would win the contest (Israel had been in the ninth spot, but with the withdrawal of Cyprus, that spot went to Switzerland, which went on to win the contest)