WATCH: Israel’s Eden Alene storms through to Eurovision Song Contest finals
The talented 21-year-old will become the first singer of Ethiopian descent to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest with her song Set Me Free
Eden Alene will become the first singer of Ethiopian descent to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest after storming through the competition’s first semi-final in Rotterdam on Tuesday night.
Alene, 21, was originally due to sing at last year’s contest with her entry, Feker Libi, which featured four languages – English, Hebrew, Amharic and Arabic – but never got the chance after the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
This time around, the Eurovision hopeful – who won the Israel version of X Factor in 2018 – will sing pop anthem Set Me Free and compete alongside 25 other nations, including hosts The Netherlands, on Saturday night.
Alene, who was born in Jerusalem, is the daughter of Ethiopian-Jewish immigrants.
After studying ballet for 11 years, she began taking vocal training lessons and decided to pursue a career in music.
Israel has won the Eurovision Song Contest four times, most recently in 2018 thanks to Netta Barzilai and her upbeat pop track, Toy.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
