"Diva" by Dana International

Birthday wishes go out to Israeli pop superstar Dana International, whose 1998 hit Diva (written by Tzvika Pick) handily won that year's Eurovision Song Contest; she'd been inspired to enter the competition ever since her idol Ofra Haza represented Israel in 1983.

Dana was discovered by legendary Israeli DJ and producer Offer Nissim, who produced her first album, Danna International, in 1993; it was followed by 1994's Umpatampa, E.P. Tampa in 1995, and 1996's Maganuna.

Conservatives were naturally outraged that she was chosen to represent Israel at Eurovision, clearly without ever having seen it; if ever there was a perfect blending of event and participant it's Eurovision and Dana International*.

*Although Ukraine's Verka Serduchka comes a close second!
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