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EUROVISION: IF YOU WIN, IS IT WORTH COMING BACK? - DANA INTERNATIONAL 1998, 2011


Loreen of Sweden is the 15th previous Eurovision song contest winner who has decided and/or managed give it another try. Only Ireland's Johnny Logan has managed to win twice, as we all know. One can't really do a ranking however as the contest had changed so much from the 1950's with maybe a dozen songs to the approx 40 we have these days. In coming days I will feature the winners who decided to come back after winning the contest as there also many winners who have won with their second or third try.

Dana International (Sharon, previously Yaron, Cohen, 54). Now we can easily say for her coming back wasn't maybe a good idea. If her first time and win in 1998 was a triumphant ground breaking success despite a very small winning marginal: 172 for her, 166 for Imaani and 165 for Chiara.  But this big fan of late Ofra Haza tried already in 1995 to get to Eurovision placing second in the national final with Layla tov Eropa, and had been already scoring hits by then and especially after. Orthodox Jews and conservatives may have been against her but she sailed to international fame and became a real Icon. But nothing lasts forever, especially fame and it seemed her time was up. But in 2007 she scored another big hit Love boy, and the year after by surprise the winning song of 2008 national final, sung by Boaz Mauda, was written by her and placed 9th in the Eurovision. Maybe that convinced her to try it again and in 2011 she was chosen for Israel with Ding dong. Sadly it scored only 38 points placing 15th in the semi-final thus making her the very first (and so far) only previous winner not qualifying for the final...
Her career continued with occasional singles, talent show judge engagements and performing in Eurovision gatherings, and of course at the Eurovision when it came back to Israel in 2019. 

1998 Israel - Dana International - Diva  1./25
2011 Israel - Dana International - Ding dong  NQ (SF 15.)

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