Dana International

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Dana International was born Sharon Cohen on 2 February 1969 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Born biologically male and named Yaron, she identified as female from a very young age and came out as transgender at 13. From childhood she dreamed of becoming a singer, inspired by Israeli pop icon Ofra Haza. In her teens, she performed as a drag artist in Tel Aviv clubs. During one show, Israeli DJ Offer Nissim discovered her and produced her 1992 debut single “Saida Sultana,” a parody of a Whitney Houston song. In 1993 she underwent gender confirmation surgery in London. Upon returning, she released her first album, “Danna International,” which went gold in Israel. Her 1994 album “Umpatampa” went platinum and earned her Israel’s Best Female Artist of the Year award.

Breakthrough and Eurovision 1998

By the mid-1990s, Dana International was a rising star in Israeli pop. She nearly made it to Eurovision in 1995, placing second in Israel’s national song contest with “Layla Tov, Eropa”. In 1998, Israel’s Eurovision committee chose Dana to represent the country with the dance-pop track “Diva”. Her selection initially sparked opposition from conservative groups due to her transgender identity. Nevertheless, Dana delivered a show-stopping performance in Birmingham and won the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 with 172 points.

The victory made her the contest’s first transgender winner, a watershed moment for LGBTQ+ visibility on the international stage. Fans across Europe celebrated her win. “Diva” became a Eurovision classic, reaching No. 11 on the UK charts. Dana embraced her success as a symbol of acceptance, urging critics to accept her. Her triumph catapulted her to global fame and solidified her status as an LGBTQ+ icon, paving the way for greater diversity in the competition.

International Career and Music Releases

Dana International’s career flourished after her Eurovision victory. She toured internationally and released several albums that broadened her pop-dance repertoire. Notably, the albums “Free” (1999), “Yoter VeYoter” (2001), “HaHalom HaEfshari” (2002), and “Hakol Ze Letova” (2007) produced popular singles and kept her in the spotlight. In 2008, Dana co-wrote Israel’s Eurovision entry “The Fire In Your Eyes” for singer Boaz Ma’uda, which achieved a top-ten finish at the contest. She faced challenges in the 2000s but remained a beloved figure. She continued to perform and release music, often using her platform to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in Israel and abroad.

Eurovision Comeback and Television Roles

In 2011, Dana International made a Eurovision comeback. She won Israel’s national selection with her self-written song “Ding Dong,” earning the chance to represent Israel again. The song failed to qualify for the Eurovision final, making her the first former champion to miss the final on a return attempt. That same year, she became a judge on the Israeli TV talent show Kokhav Nolad, bringing her experience to a new generation of performers.

Dana stayed active after 2011. In 2013 she released new singles and headlined Tel Aviv’s Pride festival. The next year, she starred in the reality show Yeshnan Banot in search of Israel’s next girl group. She also joined Amsterdam’s Canal Parade in 2014, riding on an Israeli Pride float as a symbol of national LGBTQ+ pride. Through these appearances, Dana continued to champion messages of freedom and tolerance.

Ongoing Legacy and Recent Achievements

Dana International has become both a pop culture icon and a champion of LGBTQ+ rights. In 2018, two decades after her Eurovision win, she released a revamped version of “Diva” and performed at Eurovision pre-party concerts. That summer, she headlined a large rally during Israel’s LGBTQ+ equality protests, where her song “Ani Nitzakhti” (“I Won”) became an anthem of the movement. She also performed at the Jerusalem Pride parade, reinforcing her enduring message of love and acceptance. In 2019, with Eurovision hosted in Tel Aviv, Dana performed as an interval act in the first semi-final and made a cameo in the final’s opening, singing “Diva” for the global audience.

Read more about Dana International in After the Eurovision Fame.