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Dana InternationalPopular Israeli pop singer-transsexual.
Date of Birth: 02.02.1973
Country:  Israel |
Content:
Dana International: A Biography
Dana International, born Yaron Cohen, is a popular Israeli pop singer and transgender woman (MtF). She was born in a humble family on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. It is believed that he received his name in honor of his uncle who died in a terrorist attack. Yaron was the youngest child in the family, with his sister Limor being four years older and his brother Nimrod being three years older. His father worked as a judge's assistant, while his mother was a housewife.
From a young age, Yaron enjoyed playing with girls and using dolls as toys. It can be assumed that he first felt the foundations of his transgender identity in childhood. At the age of eight, he began to pursue music. At ten, he joined the municipal choir, and at fourteen, he participated in his first musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". After completing elementary school, he continued his education at "Ironi Alef", where he met two brothers, Lior and Schmulick Sa'adia, who would later work as dancers for him.
In the beginning, Yaron managed well in school, but internal conflicts, fueled by his sexual maturity, became unbearable for him. His grades started to decline while his popularity in nightclubs grew. At the age of 16, he began performing in clubs, dressing up in bright female outfits and wigs. To his joy, his parents supported his "eccentricities" with understanding.
In 1988, Yaron met Ofer Nissim, who organized a revue called Li La Lo (Me, Her, Him) and was having trouble finding a soloist. This is when he adopted the stage name Dana, a parody of Whitney Houston's song "My Name Is Not Susan", which soon became very popular. Her next song, "Dana International", managed to break into the American charts, bringing her recognition outside of Israel.
After the release of "Dana International", Yaron gained not only popularity but also money. In 1993, he took the most important step in his life by traveling to England for gender confirmation surgery. His parents, especially his sister Limor, with whom he shared secrets since childhood, easily accepted this news.
Yaron changed his masculine name to Sharon, and Dana International was born. After a rehabilitation period, she released her first album, "Danna International", which went gold. According to Dana, people should react to her gender confirmation surgery as a minor detail in her biography, like a change in hair color or a nose job. She stated, "First and foremost, I am a singer, and then come other things - character, beauty, and the past." However, it is impossible to overlook such a significant aspect of her life. She recognizes this herself and incorporates ambiguity into her songs, performing at festivals and parades for the LGBTQ+ community.
Her next album, "Umpatampa" (1994), went platinum. In the same year, she was named the Performer of the Year in Israel. Illegal copies of her songs gained immense popularity abroad, especially in Egypt. In 1995, Dana tried to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest but only managed to secure the second place in the Israeli pre-selection contest, Kdam-Eurovision. She then released a new album, "E.P.Tempa", which blended disco, trance, and house music. In November 1997, Dana International was chosen to represent Israel at Eurovision 1998 with her song "Diva", written by Svika Pick. In May 1998, she won the contest with 172 points. After her victory, Dana International became an international superstar, giving interviews on CNN, BBC, Sky News, MTV, and many other prestigious channels. Her single "Diva" soared to the top of the charts in most European countries, and the album sold over 400,000 copies worldwide. However, a contract with Sony, a promising record label, was never signed due to disagreements.
Dana International recorded a cover version of Barbra Streisand's song "Woman In Love", but it did not become as successful as "Diva". This was followed by the less successful album "Free" in Europe. Dana returned to Israel and began working on new projects. The Israeli version of the album "Free" was released, and a Japanese version followed after her visit to Japan.
In 2005, the song "Diva" was chosen as one of the 14 best songs in the history of Eurovision at the 50th anniversary edition in Kyiv. However, it did not make it into the top five.
In the summer of 2007, Dana International released an album titled "Hakol ze Letova". One of the songs, "Seret Hodi", was performed with the well-known Israeli singer Idan Yaniv. Dana sings in Hebrew, English, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, and Russian.
Dana's victory at Eurovision sparked outrage among Orthodox Jews. During her childhood, Yaron had fallen in love with his classmate named Daniel, who tragically died in a car accident.
Philip Kirkorov recorded a cover version of Dana's hit "Diva".
Officially, Dana International's passport still lists her as a man named Yaron Cohen.
In May 2000, a documentary film titled "Lady D" was released in Israel, dedicated to Dana International.
