Mei Finegold has impressed us all week with her fierce rehearsals. She’s got the moves, she’s got the looks, and most of all she’s got the voice. We caught up with Mei at an afternoon meet-and-greet at the Hotel Scandic Copenhagen. We sipped on Macedonian wine and then talked about how Mei balances her various identities: rocker, artist, gay icon, mother. She also tells us how she gave birth shortly after warming up a crowd of 15,000 people! We’re in love with this woman. Are you?
You can keep up-to-date with the latest Eurovision news and gossip by following the team on Twitter @wiwibloggs and by liking our Facebook page.
She seems like a nice person. But the song is not my favorite, it just does’t grow on me.
@Erin @Nitzan thank you for the discussion; it’s been a pleasure to exchange ideas with you. Tov ledaber ‘im anashim kamoch 😉
Yes!! I’m dying for a photo finish this year. Getting tired of always having an obvious winner. And it’s actually starting tomorrow!!
Best to Mei <3
Erin, Marcelo, what a discussion! Let me tell you this – never have Israel had such a powerful mix of singer, song and presentation. It is above and beyond what I personally dreamed could emerge out of an IBA selection. Lets wait for Thursday to see the end result and support Mei for her tremendous efforts.
@Marcelo – Isso é muito gentil da sua parte dizer algumas palavras em Hebraico POR ME SER FELIZ…perhaps only good can come out of a total clean up. After all, ‘what’s another year’ without a ‘Party for Everybody’? better get our act together and hope for the best. It’s not the end of the world if we’re absent for a year. At least let’s leave on a high note! My best scenario for this year is a neck to neck point count between 2-4 countries in the lead with the final country voting to hold all the cards. The last… Read more »
@Erin IBU shut down?? I know nothing about it and how the thing works, but surely there will be another institution up and about *before* it actually ceases to exist. Strange, though… I sort of “liked” (if it may be called that) your idea of Mei’s representation as the “swan song” for the IBU. If anything, at least to provide closure (you know, in psychological terms). Too sad, however, that Israel/the IBU are not that interested in the ESC. And let me explain this a bit better: betach that the ESC is not the be-all-and-end-all, that goes without saying and… Read more »
-if only she was given the tools to enhance and facilitate her performance in the best way served.
@Marcelo – I am actually Israeli so I totally share your impressions of Mei and Marina. I didn’t follow Kochav Nolad religiously, but I remember very well that Mei was nailing almost every song with a mesmerizing delivery. However, when we learned this year that she was chosen internally, many eyebrows were raised because her singing career was put to a standstill after the release of her first album back in 2010. Now, Eurovision in Israel isn’t a national event unlike other countries and there is no clear procedure year by year as to how to put things in motion,… Read more »
@ Erin – I’ve known Mei (Mei the performer, that is) almost as well as any Israeli for I fell for her years ago while she was a contestant at Kochav Nolad -the “Israeli Idol” show. She and others over the 10+ year long saga have shown great talent and ability; she, on the other hand, along with Marina Blumin, have been the ones to shine impeccably through and through ever since [just as much as there are few words to describe Mei’s strength and accuracy, there may well be no words at all to describe Marina’s talent and artistry].… Read more »
@Nitzan – My greatest concern is that the act doesn’t come across as effortless because of the physical challenge Mei willingly puts herself through. I also find that the visual aspect of the presentation is legging behind due to endemic problems with the Israeli willingness and/or ability to adapt to the standards of the contest nowadays. So in the end, Mei is perhaps overdoing and over-compensating for those weaknesses and the question is whether her oozing personality and high energy are enough to get her to the place she deserves and which recognizes her true talent. Let me make it… Read more »
Mei is talented singer, she’s tiger on stage.
Greetings from Baku
Mei is great, and so is the lovely Wiwi!
Erin, I respect your words, I must say I do find a corelation between the song and the presentation, under the concept of “girl power”. The interpratation doesn’t have to be literal. I am not worried about her voice since what we heard is only a rehearsal, captured from the hall. At live shows she is usually impeccable.
Mei has such an easy going personality: she is so generous in her answers and so forthcoming to engage in a sincere dialogue. If it were only about a personality contest, I’d definitely give her a douze points, especially for her humble and down-to-Earth approach. One needs to be reminded that it takes a real Pro to agree to the almost impossible and dubious terms put by the Israel Broadcasting Authority, in which Mei had to present 3 complete videoclips in one week with minimal public funding. Mei says in many interviews that the combination of English and Hebrew in… Read more »
I really hope she passes through. Almost everyone loves her and her song, and I’m sure the juries did too.