Shiri Maimon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shiri Maimon
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Maimon in 2022
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
שירי מימון
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| Also known as | Shiri Maymon |
| Born | 17 May 1981 Haifa, Israel |
| Origin | Israel |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actress, television host |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Helicon |
Shiri Maimon (born May 17, 1981) is a famous Israeli singer, actress, and TV host. She became well-known after being the runner-up in the first season of the singing competition show Kokhav Nolad. Shiri represented her home country, Israel, in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, where she finished in fourth place.
In 2008, Shiri won the "Best Israeli Act" award at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards. She even performed at the event! Later, in June 2013, Shiri became one of the judges for the first season of The X Factor Israel. She continued this role for two more seasons. In 2018, she moved to judge another popular TV show, Rising Star Israel.
Shiri Maimon also made her mark in theater. In 2018, she played the main role of Roxie Hart in the Broadway musical Chicago. In February 2024, she recorded a live album of her greatest hits with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
Contents
Shiri's Early Life and Career
Growing Up and Starting Out
Shiri Maimon was born in Haifa, Israel. She grew up in a neighborhood called Kiryat Haim. Her family has roots from different Jewish communities, including those from Algeria, Syria, and Greece. Her parents are Mazal and Natan Maimon. She has an older brother named Rami, an older sister named Livnat, and a younger brother named Asaf. In Hebrew, her first name, Shiri, can mean "sing" or "my song."
Shiri first performed when she was just ten years old. She sang at a festival called Festigal. At age 12, she joined a children's music group called "Tehila." She also hosted shows on a local community TV channel. In high school, she was part of her youth organization's band. After high school, Shiri served in the Israel Defense Forces. She sang with the Israeli Air Force Entertainment Troupe. There, she met Zvika Hadar, who later became the host of Kokhav Nolad. In 2001, she appeared in a music video for the band Teapacks. Before Kokhav Nolad, she worked as a singer, dancer, and bartender in Eilat.
Becoming Famous on Kokhav Nolad
In 2003, Shiri Maimon tried out for the first season of the new singing show Kokhav Nolad. The host, Zvika Hadar, stepped away from judging her audition because they already knew each other. Shiri passed the auditions and joined the show. In one part of the show, she sang "Atuf BeRahamim" by Rita and moved on to the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, Shiri sang "Kshe’at Atzuva" and won first place, which meant she would be in the final. For the big final, Shiri sang "Don Quixote" by Dana International. She finished in second place, getting over 400,000 votes!
Kokhav Nolad became very popular in Israel. Many of the songs performed on the show, including Shiri's, were played a lot on the radio. The three finalists, including Shiri, became very famous and were often featured in the news. This helped them start their careers in the Israeli music world.
In December 2003, while working on her first album, Shiri also became a host on a popular daily TV show for young people called EXIT. She was one of the main hosts until she left the show in October 2005.
In 2004, Shiri recorded a song with Ran Danker called "Kama Koakh Yesh LeLev Shavur." This song was part of the Hebrew soundtrack for the movie "El Cid: The Legend". That same year, Shiri performed with Shlomi Shabat at one of his concerts. They sang a duet of his song "Bechol Makom." This live performance was played on the radio and released on Shabat's albums.
In November 2004, Shiri released her first single, "Ad SheTavin Oti," while still working on her debut album. The song did fairly well on the radio charts. In December 2004, she also performed in an Israeli children's musical called "Mamma Mia."
Eurovision and First Album Success
Representing Israel at Eurovision
In 2005, Shiri was asked to join Kdam Eurovision, which is Israel's show to choose its Eurovision representative. Shiri decided to enter with her second single, "HaSheket SheNish’ar" (The Silence That Remains). This song was released to radio stations on February 15. On March 2, Shiri won the competition by a huge margin, scoring 116 out of 120 possible points. This meant she would represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kyiv.
Shiri made a music video for "HaSheket SheNish’ar," inspired by the movie "The Bodyguard." There were some issues with the video because it had many hidden advertisements. Shiri's team explained this was due to funding problems, as the Israeli Broadcasting Authority didn't help pay for the video. The video was eventually allowed to be shown. There was also a legal issue where someone claimed to own the song's music, but the court allowed Shiri to perform it at Eurovision.
While getting ready for Eurovision, Shiri recorded an English version of the song called "Time To Say Goodbye". She decided to sing the song half in Hebrew and half in English at the Eurovision contest. Even though many people didn't expect her to do well, Shiri placed seventh in the semi-final on May 19, which qualified her for the final. In the final, on May 21, she finished in an amazing fourth place, earning 154 points!
Impact of Eurovision
Shiri Maimon's performance at Eurovision got a lot of attention in Israel. Her success was widely reported in the news. Her performance was praised by many Israelis. Her Eurovision broadcast had the highest TV ratings for a Eurovision show in Israel since 1998, reaching 47.9% at its peak. Also, "HaSheket SheNish’ar" was named "The Song of the Year" on many radio stations in 2005. It was also the most played song on Israeli radio that year. Shiri's Eurovision success helped her change her image from a reality show star to a serious singer. It cemented her place in the Israeli music industry.
In March 2005, shortly after becoming Israel's Eurovision representative, Shiri sang the Israeli national anthem before a World Cup soccer match.
In July 2005, two months after Eurovision, Shiri released her third single, "Ahava Ktana" (A Little Love). This song was very successful on the radio charts. In August 2005, Shiri performed at the final of the third season of Kokhav Nolad. She sang a mix of "HaSheket SheNish’ar" and "Ahava Ktana" with other finalists.
Debut Album and Awards
In September 2005, Shiri released her first album, simply called Shiri Maimon. In February 2006, the album received a gold award for selling over 20,000 copies.
Shiri won the "Person of the Year in Music" award at the "Persons of the Year" ceremony. She also won "The Singer of the Year" award from several radio stations.
In October 2005, Shiri released her fourth single, "Kama Pe’amim" (How Many Times), which also did well on the radio. In December 2005, Shiri performed at the Festigal again, this time as a guest star. She sang parts of the theme song and three songs from her album: "HaSheket SheNish’ar", "Ahava Ktana", and "Le’an SheLo Telchi".
In January 2006, Shiri released her fifth single, "Le’an SheLo Telchi" (Wherever You'll Go), which was also successful.
New Projects and International Recognition
Musical Theater and Second Album
In March 2006, Shiri made a guest appearance at the Kdam Eurovision 2006 show. She sang "Le’an SheLo Telchi". In May 2006, she began starring in a musical version of an Israeli movie called "HaLehaka" (The Band) at the Habima theater. She played the role of Noa. The musical ran for about 200 shows until November 2007.
In September 2006, a movie called "No Exit" was released, starring Shiri and other hosts from the Exit TV show. In June 2007, Shiri performed with The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra in a concert honoring Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra. She sang a mix of their songs and three of her own.
Her first song from her second album, "Yoter Tov Lisloach" (Better to Forgive), was released in December 2007 and did well on the radio.
Rega Lifney She... and MTV Awards
In January 2008, Shiri's second album, Rega Lifney She... (Just Before ...), was released. At the same time, she released her first international album, "Standing on My Own". The international album was later put aside.
In February 2008, Shiri released the second single from her album, "KsheHalachta" (When You Were Gone). This song became popular for memorial days. In March 2008, she released "Tohavi Ktzat Et Atzmekh" (Love Yourself A Little), which didn't do as well.
In May 2008, Shiri started a new concert tour. In June 2008, she released "VeRatziti SheTed’i" (And I Wanted You To Know). The music video for this song caused some discussion because it showed Shiri kissing another woman. However, the song didn't become a big hit.
In September 2008, Shiri won "The Singer of the Year" award from the Israeli Children Channel and a teen magazine. In October 2008, Shiri Maimon won the "Best Israeli Act" at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards. In November 2008, she was chosen as one of the top 5 favorite regional acts, making her a nominee for "Europe's Favorite Act". Shiri released a new song for the event called "Chelek Mimcha" (Part of You) in Hebrew and "Now That You're Gone" in English. She performed the English version in Liverpool. She finished in 3rd place in the "Europe's Favourite Act" category.
In December 2008, Shiri participated in the Festigal for the third time. She competed with the song "Ashir Lecha" (I’ll Sing For You) and finished in second place. She also sang her single "Chelek Mimcha".
In 2009, after her MTV Europe Music Awards success, Shiri was chosen for EMI’s Global One project. This project involved 35 artists from around the world recording songs in their languages. Shiri recorded the Hebrew version of the song "Lately," called "Tamshich Lalechet" (Keep Walking). She co-wrote the lyrics with Israeli rapper Ortega, who also featured in the song. This single was released in Israel in May 2009. Shiri also took part in the multi-language version of the song. In August 2009, Shiri worked with Israeli DJ Skazi on the song "Ani Erdof Otcha" (I Will Haunt You), which was released as a single.
Collaborations and Continued Success
The Show with Shimon Buskila
In December 2009, Shiri announced she would be working with Israeli singer Shimon Buskila. They decided to create a new concert tour together. The show included songs by Shiri, songs by Buskila, and songs they both liked. In January 2010, they released a new song to promote the tour, "Geshem SheYavo" (A Rain To Come). This song was written just for their project and did well on some radio charts. The tour started in March 2010 and ran for over 300 shows until mid-2012.
In March 2010, Shiri also worked with Israeli singer Matti Caspi. She was featured in his song "Samba BeShnaim" (Samba For Two). Shiri also performed as a guest at Caspi's concerts.
Also in March 2010, Shiri was chosen to be a spokesperson for the Keren Hayesod organization. She traveled to South and Central America to perform her songs and other Hebrew and Spanish songs.
On Israel's Independence Day in 2010, Shiri performed "Shir LaShalom" (Song For Peace) live. This song is known as an anthem for peace in Israel.
In August 2010, for their 100th show, Shiri and Buskila released a second song from their project, "Shir Tikva" (Hope Song). This song was very successful on the radio.
In March 2011, Shiri co-hosted the Kdam Eurovision 2011 with Aki Avni. Also in March 2011, Shiri and Buskila released a live album called "HaMofa HaMeshutaf" (The Joint Show). The album went gold in September 2011, selling over 30,000 copies. In January 2013, it went platinum, selling over 40,000 copies.
In April 2011, a third song from their project, "Ad Sof HaOlam" (Until The end of the World), was released to promote their live album. In June 2011, the duo performed at the famous Roman Theatre of Caesarea. They performed there several more times.
In August 2011, the duo released a fourth song, "Yamim Meusharim" (Happy Days). In September 2011, the duo won "The Collaboration of the Year" award from several radio stations.
In May 2012, the duo released a fifth song, "Kama Ahava" (How Much Love). This song was released as their show tour was ending. Even though they officially ended their tour, Shiri and Buskila continued to perform together later on.
Solo Album and TV Judging
In June 2012, Shiri released her first single from her new solo album, "Sheleg BaSharav" (Snow in the Heatwave). This song did well on the radio. In July 2012, she released her second single, "Mechaka SheTashuv" (Waiting For You To Come Back).
In August 2012, Shiri Maimon released her new solo album, also called "Sheleg BaSharav". In September 2012, she released the third single from the album, "BeSof Yom" (In The End of a Day). In November 2012, she released the fourth single, "LaIsha SheHayta" (To The Woman Who Used To Be).
In December 2012, Shiri participated in the Festigal for the fourth time. She competed with the song "Shara MeHaLev" (Singing From The Heart) and sang a mix of her songs "Sheleg BaSharav" and "Shir Tikva".
In February 2013, Shiri released the fifth single from her solo album, "Kama at Yafa" (How Beautiful You Are). In June 2013, another song from Shiri and Buskila’s project, "Tamid Iti" (Always With Me), was released for a new tour.
In October 2013, Shiri Maimon became one of the four judges on the first season of the reality show "The X Factor Israel". As a mentor, she guided the "Over 25s" category and won the season with her contestant, Rose Fostanes.
In December 2013, Shiri performed in a children's musical theater show called "Aladdin VeYasmin" (Aladdin And Jasmine). She played the role of Jasmine.
In February 2014, Shiri worked with Israeli singer Muki on his song "Lir’ot Hafuch" (Seeing Upside Down). In March 2014, Shiri started a new concert tour that received great reviews. Her show was even named "The Best Israeli Show of the Year" by a culture magazine.
In August 2014, Shiri released a new single, "Mi Shafuy Mi Meshuga" (Who Is Sane Who Is Crazy), which did fairly well. Her musical partner, Shimon Buskila, composed this song. In January 2015, Shiri released "Zchuchiyot" (Glass), which was very successful and became the tenth most played song on Israeli radio in 2015.
In June 2015, Shiri continued as a judge for the second season of "The X Factor Israel". She mentored the "Girls" category and her contestant, Anna Timofei, came in third place. In July 2015, Shiri released a new single called "Avir" (Air), which also did well.
Starring in Evita and Broadway
In September 2015, Shiri began starring in the Israeli version of the musical "Evita" at Israel's national theatre, Habima. She played the main role of Eva Perón. The show was named "The Best Theatre Play of the Year" in late 2015. Shiri performed in the musical about 200 times until it closed in March 2017. In October 2016, Shiri received the "Best Actress of the Year" award from Habima Theatre.
In January 2016, Shiri asked her fans on Facebook to help her choose which song to cover for her shows. They chose "Chandelier" by Sia. Shiri released a live version of her performance, which received excellent reviews.
In September 2018, Shiri Maimon joined the cast of the Broadway musical Chicago for a two-week run. The show also traveled to Israel for 16 performances.
Personal Life
Shiri Maimon married Yoni Rajuan, an Israeli event producer, in 2011. They have two sons. The family lives in Tel Mond, Israel. Shiri also has Portuguese citizenship because of her family's heritage.
Discography
- Shiri Maimon (2005)
- Rega Lifney She... (Just Before...) (2008)
- Standing on My Own (2008)
- Ha'mofa Ha'meshutaf (The Joint Show) (2011)
- Sheleg Ba'sharav (Snow in the Heat Wave) (2012)
See also
- Music of Israel
- Women of Israel
- Women in the Israel Defense Forces
- List of Israelis
- List of Jewish actors
- List of Jewish musicians
