"I want to take adventage of my gift from god on the best side..."

Shiri Maymon is 23 years old, and lives in "Azur" - Tel Aviv.
Two years ago she performed for the first time on TV in "Lo Nafsik Lashir - Star Born" and won the second place on Nitzanim stages.
When she was 10 years old she performed as a Festival girl (1991) and after that began performing with the group "Tehila" around the country.
At the time she was in Junior High and High school she was a member in "Noar Leumi" - teens group and also hosted few times on Haifa's local channel.
In the army she was a member in the army band.
After the army she moved to Eilat and began working as a dancer and a singer in the night club "Xsite" for one and a half years.
In this days she is hosting a teenagers show, "Exit" on channel 3, she's going to perform in the upcoming Eurovision in Kiev and she's working hard on a new CD.

In her free time she likes to read books, write and play music. She likes to be alone or with her boyfriend.
Her favourite Israeli singers are Riki Gal, Natasha's Friends, Ivri Leader, Hayhoodim. Her favourite singers around the world are Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera.
To the TV show where she started - "Star Born" she came from Mahfood's Agency, her representing agency.

Her wishes never end and her dream is not clear yet - to win the fame, to ìøâù and to "take advantage of my gift from god on the best side..."
Courtesy of www.shiri-maimon.co.il/shiri/english

The Singer

Love the name, dig the cleavage. Shiri Maymon seems to be a sort of uptight Hebrew Britney Spears, if you can get your head around that idea. Or if you can't she's a bit like Candice from Coronation Street. Decent voice on Shiri, even though the backing singers are a major concern. All in all she's a tad vacuous, quite content in her own abilities, and destined to be crimping hair in a years time.

The Past

"Surely Israel aren't a Eurovision nation" I hear you cry. Well just because they aren't in Europe doesn't stop them from assailing eardrums every year. Just wait for Australia to have a go.
Israel, perhaps understandably, often use the Song Contest as a bizarre sort of peace propaganda media. But they find real success when they bin that idea, and go with cross-dressers or songs called Happy Birthday, Hallelujah, or A-Ba-Ni-Bi. These songs prove the immutable law, that songs involving the same word repeated ad nauseum always prevail.
So three wins for a new nation strictly outside of Europe isn't that shabby. A proud heritage and not one to smirk at, or else you'll have a wall built around your house, and patrolling troops will use your dog as target practice just to keep you on your toes.

The Song
After the unremitting cheese of Lior Narkis and David D'Or over the last couple of years, Israel go sober.

This is one of the stronger medium paced ballards, and should (if the world is a fair and just place) romp into the final.

Two nagging itches at the back of my head bother me. First is the Israeli language. In fairness the song and Shiri manages to soften it incredibly well, but Hebrew isn't for the squeamish.
Secondly is the good ole political implications of Shiri singing for a nation which is endured by a couple, disliked by more, and hated by many. It won't help. Still into the final it goes, as you can't keep a good pair down (but they can be raised up, no problem).

Gestures - 8 Modest fisting in a ballard stylee
"Wanna" Count - 0

Overall
Expect plunging necklines, a spittle bucket, and audience cramping by this point. Slap bang in the middle of a run of ballards, it's a bit up in the air how this will do. Israel have recently developed into one of the most keen Euro nations, and a final place is the least they expect. They should manage it, if only for the most obvious assets.

In a Nutshell
"You could drop a Gaza Strip in her cleavage and it wouldn't budge"

"The Shrink Says"

The key to Shiri's (which means "Song of My Soul" in Hebrew) success is the empathy expressed during her performance. The key here is the relationship she has with her father, a loss adjuster from Jerusalem. Any deep-seated anger at her father for forcing her through the performing arts and the army (and often at the same time) when barely an infant may reflect detrimentally in her music.

Another intriguing aspect of this young lady is her desire "to be alone" as listed in her biography. This worries me, as it illustrates a fear of commitment and if she cannot commit to the song, then success may elude her…snore

Potential Hairdresser Shiri Maymon
Hairdresser Candice of "Coronation Street"

Hasheket Shenish'ar

EHayiti ke'iveret le'or hayom
Merov hahigayon lo nish'ar makom
Ro'edet leyadcha vehasam shebi odlo nigmar
Noshemet li mimcha veha'ta'am kvar mar

Hamabat acher, vehakor choder
Ata mistater, et gufi shover
Hamabar acher, vehakor choder,
eich od yom over bli neshima

Laila ba le'at hazman ne'etzar
Laila, ve'ata hasheket shenish'ar
rega echad nofelet itcha
Besof hamischak
(Ze rak hasheket shenish'ar)

Ba'erev shuv chomeket meharechov
Mitoch ha'afela menasa lachshov od ktzat aleicha
Overet od daka aruka shemargisha kmo netzach
Verek bil'adeica

Hamabat acher, vehakor choder
Eich od yom over bli neshima

Laila ba le'at hazman ne'etzar
Laila, ve'ata hasheket shenish'ar
rega echad nofelet itcha
Besof hamischak

Laila, ve'ata hasheket shenish'ar
Rega echad, nofelet itcha
Besof hamischak
(Ze rak hasheket shenish'ar)

The Silence That Remains

I was as a blind person to the light of the day
From too much logic there was no space left
Passing beside you and the drug inside me is not over yet
Breathing a bit from you and the taste is bitter

The look is different, and the cold invades
You are hiding, you're breaking my body
The look is different, and the cold invades
How another day is over without breathing

Night is falling, slowly time stops
Night, and you are the silence that remains
For one moment I am falling with you
At the end of the game
(It's only the silence that remains)

In the evening, slipping away again from the street
In the darkness, trying to think just a little bit more about you
Another long minute passes, it feels like forever
And it's empty without you

The look is different, and the cold invades
How another day is over without breathing

Night is falling, slowly time stops
Night, and you are the silence that remains
For one moment I am falling with you
At the end of the game

Night is falling, slowly time stops
Night, and you are the silence that remains
For one moment I am falling with you
At the end of the game
(It's only the silence that remains)

Prediction Semi Final =2nd
Final 5th