Israel Song Festival

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Israel Song Festival
Festival HaZemer VeHaPizmon
Genre Pop music, etc.
Location(s) Israel
Years active1960–1980
Founders Israel Broadcasting Authority

Israel Song Festival (in Hebrew: Festival HaZemer VeHaPizmon, Hebrew : פסטיבל הזמר והפזמון, lit. Israel Song and Chorus Festival) was an annual music competition organized by public broadcasters Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA). In its final years the competition served as the Israeli national preselection of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Contents

History

The idea for the competition came from Kol Yisrael producer Israel Daliyot after seeing people celebrating Domenico Modugno's victory in the 1959 Sanremo Music Festival while on vacation in Rome. [1] Daliyot approached the Israel Broadcasting Service, and with involvement of the Prime Minister's Office, the first festival was held as part of the 1960 Independence Day celebrations.

The festival became an annual fixture in the Independence Day celebration over the following years, although it was not held in 1962, 1962 and 1968, when it was replaced by other variety shows. In 1975 the festival was cancelled by the IBA director-general Itzhak Livni, as he considered the festival's songs to be of low quality, [2] and was replaced by another singing festival that didn't air to television. At 1976, there was another replacement festival called "The singing celebration", which worked differently; there was no competition, and the participants performed 2 songs each, one that was already known and one brand new. After two years of absence the festival was reinstated, but not was held earlier in the year, during Purim. In 1978 the festival was designated as the national preselection of the Eurovision Song Contest, and until the festival was cancelled, in 1981, the competition was held between January and March.

After the 1980 Festival the competition was cancelled and was replaced by Kdam Eurovision as the national preselection of the Eurovision. Attempts were made to reinstate the competition, first in 1987, as part of the Arad Hebrew Music Festival, and three times more in 2000–2001, 2005–2006 and 2013. [3]

Format

Between 1960 and 1966 each song was performed twice, once by a male singer and once by a female singer, in order to give emphasis on the song itself rather the performer. In 1967 the format was changed so each song was performed once. Following the main competition an intermission was held during which the viewing crowd submitted its vote for the winning song, while an interval act was performed. In 1969 votes from five ballots around Israel were added to the total of votes.

Winners

YearSongArtistLyricistComposer
1960 "Erev Ba"
(ערב בא)
Aliza Kashi, Shimon BarOded AvisarArie Levanon
1961"Saeni Imcha"
(שאני עמך)
Esther Ofarim, Gideon Singer Pnina AvniZvi Avni
1964"Yaldati Imri"
(ילדתי אמרי)
Benny Amdurski & Nechama Hendel, Rinat ChoirMoshe DorYa'akov Hollander
1965"Ayelet HaChen"
(איילת החן)
Arik Einstein, Yafa Yarkoni Oded BetzerNathan Shachar
1966"Leil Stav"
(ליל סתיו)
Arik Einstein, Yafa Yarkoni Haya CohenHaim Tzur
1967"Mi Yode'a Kama"
(מי יודע כמה)
Mike Burstyn Rimona Di-NurYa'akov Hollander
1969"Balada LaChovesh"
(בלדה לחובש)
Yehoram Gaon Dan Almagor Shimon Cohen
1970"Pit'om Achshav, Pit'om HaYom"
(פתאום עכשיו, פתאום היום)
Shlomo Artzi Tirza Atar Ya'akov Hollander
1971"Rak HaYare'ach"
(רק הירח)
Ilanit Shimrit OrrDan Amihud
1972"Tov Li LaShir"
(טוב לי לשיר)
HaTov, HaRa VeHana'ara Ehud Manor Shmulik Kraus
1973"At VeAni Noladnu BeTashach"
(את ואני נולדנו בתש"ח)
Edna Lev Moti Giladi Yigal Bashan
1974"HaBalada Al Baruch Jamili"
(הבלדה על ברוך ג'מילי)
Shlomo Artzi and Mrs. Apple GroupShlomo ArtziGidi Koren
1977"Rakefet"
(רקפת)
Ruhama Raz Talma Alyagon-RoseMoni Amarillo
1978 "A-Ba-Ni-Bi"
(אבניבי)
Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta Ehud Manor Nurit Hirsh
1979 "Hallelujah"
(הללויה)
Milk and Honey Shimrit OrrKobi Oshrat
1980"Pizmon Hozer"
(פזמון חוזר)
The Brothers & the Sisters Gidi KorenGidi Koren
1987"Yona Im Aleh Shel Za'it"
(יונה עם עלה של זית)
Southern Command Entertainment GroupTalma Alyagon-RoseTalma Alyagon-Rose
2000"Tfilat HaOr"
(תפילת האור)
Aki Avni & Haya SamirNurit Bat Shachar-TzafrirYoshi Sade
2001"Rikud HaChayim"
(ריקוד החיים)
Keren ShaniAvner EshkolItzhak Eliezrov
2005"Mishehu Gadol"
(מישהו גדול)
Shai Gabso Hana GoldbergDudi Levi
2006"Im At BaInyan"
(אם את בעניין)
Malta BayaAssaf ShalemYair Eldar
2013"Tachzeri"
(תחזרי)
Pe'er Tasi Pe'er TasiDudu Matana

Presenters

YearsPresenter(s)
1960–1971 Itzhak Shimoni
1972 Yossi Banai & Rivka Michaeli
1973–1980Rivka Michaeli
1987 Daniel Pe'er
2000 Moni Moshonov & Miki Kam
2001Moni Moshonov & Yael Abecassis
2005 Erez Tal & Adi Ashkenazi
2006Rivka Michaeli & Alma Zack
2013 Uri Gottlieb

See also

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References

  1. ישראל דליות, אבי פסטיבל הזמר והפזמון Tamar Zinman, 19 November 2018, The National Library of Israel (in Hebrew)
  2. ביאליק היה מתהפך בקברו: ההיסטוריה האבסורדית של פסטיבלי הזמר והפזמון Ben Shalev, 18 September 2015, HaAretz (in Hebrew)
  3. פסטיבל הזמר והפזמון חוזר Noa Hershkovitz, 15 January 2013, Walla! (in Hebrew)