ISRAEL

The Israeli entry was unveiled on March 10th via the host broadcaster's website and on youtube. The act chosen to sing for Israel was chosen using in the HaKokhav HaBa show which concluded on February 12th at the Keshet Studio in Neve Ilan, hosted by Asi Azar & Rotem Sela. The act who will perform in front of the home crown is Kobi Marimi with the song “Home”

This is another black and white video but most of the shots are of Kobi’s head and shoulders. There is also a lot of use of mirroring and creating multiple bodies almost in a kind of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ kind of way although this song is nothing like that! There are also shafts of light, like a door coming ajar at points in the video although it’s not particularly clear why but I am guessing it is to do with the coming or going ‘home’.

The song is a very emotional ballad that has more than a nod to ‘You raise me up” in its construction. The song starts like a religious chant but soon going into a softly spoken verse but gradually his voice becomes more full and rounded. Without any change or signal in the backing track we go straight into the chorus. If fact you don’t really realise is the chorus until the final word ‘home’. The next verse starts up but this time it is an ensemble effort with Kobi backed up by a number of singers. The backing track is still just a piano so you can kind of predict how the song is going to progress. Straight after this there is a short pre-chorus before going into another chorus. This time a drum kit and strings enter the backing track with the piano, but this doesn’t last very long as it goes back to the piano for the very end of the song.

This is a lovely, calm and emotional ballad and it is certainly the kind of safe song you sometimes expect from a host nation. Kobi’s voice is a little unusual and had some very ethic tones to it but at times it feel a little too ‘normal’ for his style and I almost would have like to have seen a bit more of the chanting at the start filter through into the body of the song. Compared with some of the ballads that need to qualify this is much more understated and doesn’t have some of the drama and probably won't have some of the outlandish staging others might have.

I think that this is a great stand alone song but with its mid-running order placing it might get overrun and overshadowed by many of the slightly more unusual entries on offer this year. It’s a good song but not another winner.

ARTIST –  Kobi Marimi

SONG – Home

MUSIC -  Ohad Shargai, Inbar Weitzman

LYRICS - Ohad Shargai, Inbar Weitzman