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Imri Ziv אימרי זיו | |
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 Imri Ziv in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Imri |
| Born | (1991-09-12)12 September 1991 (age 33) Hod HaSharon,Israel |
| Genres | |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
Imri Ziv (Hebrew:אִימְרִי זִיו,[imˈʁiˈziv]; born 12 September 1991), knownmononymously asImri (stylised inall caps), is an Israeli singer and voice actor. After winningHaKokhav HaBa, he representedIsrael in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 inKyiv with the song "I Feel Alive", finishing in 23rd place in the final.[1]
Born inHod HaSharonIsrael, on 12 September 1991, to a family ofAshkenazi Jewish (Romanian-Jewish,Polish-Jewish,Austrian-Jewish, andUkrainian-Jewish) descent.[2][3][4] Ziv studied at Ilan Ramon High School. While doing his obligatory military service, he practiced in a musical band of the Education and Youth Corps Unit of theIsrael Defense Forces. For university, he studied a degree in communication sciences at theInterdisciplinary Center in Herzliya.
Imri says that since he was a child he has had a talent for easily learning languages. He speaks fluentSpanish with anArgentinian accent, as his Spanish teacher was from Buenos Aires.[5] In June 2023, Imri came out as gay.[6]
In 2012, he auditioned for theinaugural edition of the television talent showThe Voice Israel, singing "אהובתי" with 2 judges of four,Sarit Hadad andRami Kleinstein turning their chairs. Being part of Team Rami, he proceeded to the Battle Rounds singing "פרפרים" and was eliminated by mentor Kleinstein who opted for advancing teammate rival Orit Shalom.
Ziv performed as abacking vocalist in Israel'sEurovision Song Contest2015 and2016 entries, respectively withNadav Guedj singing "Golden Boy" andHovi Star singing "Made of Stars" with both qualifying to the finals.
In 2016, he performed voice over inHebrew for the 3D animated filmTrolls.
He participated inseason 4 ofHaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion, the reality singing competition "The Next Star for Eurovision", being the Israeli format ofRising Star. In the auditions on 2 and 3 January 2017, he performed "The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga, obtained 93% of the public vote and the approval of all judgesKeren Peles,Harel Skaat (2010 Israeli Eurovision entrant) and duoStatic & Ben-El Tavori.
In the quarter-finals held on 30 and 31 January 2017, he performed "Rude Boy" (Video: Imri Ziv performs Rude Boy on YouTube) byRihanna earning 72% and approval from three judges and in the semi-final "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith earning 95% and approval of all judges and qualifying for the finals.
In the final on 13 February 2017, he first performed "Halo" byBeyoncé[citation needed] winning 78% of the public's votes and approval of all four judges. He followed it up with an interpretation of "Because of You" byKelly Clarkson winning the contest with 74% approval rating. The finalist Diana Golbi finished runner-up with 67% and Julieta was third with 58%.
After winningHaKokhav HaBa L'Eurovizion, Ziv represented Israel at theEurovision Song Contest 2017. His song, "I Feel Alive", written by Dolev Ram and Penn Hazut was released on 9 March 2017, placing third in the second semi-final and 23rd in the final.[7]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISR | |||
| "I Feel Alive" | 2017 | 6 | Non-album single |
| "Imrico" | 2019 | Non-album single |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | HaKokhav HaBa winner 2017 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
