Diva (song)

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"Diva"
Eurovision Song Contest 1998 entry
Country	Israel
Artist(s)	Sharon Cohen
As	Dana International
Language	Hebrew
Composer(s)	Svika Pick
Lyricist(s)	Yoav Ginai
Place	1st
Points	172
Lyrics	from Diggiloo Thrush

Diva (Hebrew script: דיווה) was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 performed in Hebrew by Dana International representing Israel. The music was composed by Svika Pick, and the lyrics by Yoav Ginai. It totalled 172 points in the polling.

The song is important for a number of reasons, most notably because it was the last entry entirely in a language other than English to win the Contest to date. The interval act before the announcement of votes and Dana's reprise of the song also represents the last time that live music from an orchestra was used in the Contest, as the 1999 Contest was held in a venue not large enough to hold orchestras. Dana is also currently the only transgender singer to have won the Contest.

The selection of Dana International's song caused such controversy amongst conservative groups in Israel that upon her arrival in Britain, police escorts and security were required continuously. The performance consisted of Dana International, wearing a silver dress, being backed by three other female singers wearing black, and involved no dancing.

The song is an ode to the powerful women of history — with Cleopatra in fact being the only real figure named. Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory and Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty are also named.

The song was performed eighth on the night (following Poland's Sixteen with To Takie Proste and preceding Germany's Guildo Horn & Die Orthopädischen Strümpfe with Guildo Hat Euch Lieb!). At the close of voting, it had received 172 points, placing 1st in a field of 25. This was Israel's third Contest victory and, as they had not entered the previous year's Contest, they achieved the unusual distinction of having won a Contest the year after not competing as well as winning a Contest and not competing the next year (as they had done after Hallelujah won).

After winning the contest, Dana International caused a stir by arriving to the presentation late after a long delay in changing into an extravagant costume designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier adorned with bird feathers before performing the reprise.

The song was chosen in an internet poll conducted by the European Broadcasting Union in 2005 as one of the 14 most popular songs in the history of the Eurovision, and was one of the entrants in the Congratulations 50th anniversary concert in Copenhagen, Denmark, held in October 2005. It was re-enacted by Dana International along with six dancers equipped with giant feathered fans and a live orchestra as the original footage was shown in the background. Diva came 13th in the final voting.

The song was succeeded in 1999 as Contest winner by Charlotte Nilsson, performing Take Me to Your Heaven for Sweden.

It was succeeded as Israeli representative at the 1999 Contest by Eden with Yom Huledet (Happy Birthday).