| SHIRI MAIMON was born in Haifa, and grew up in the neighboring town of Kiriyat Haim.
From the age of four, Shiri knew that she wanted to be a singer, even without knowing the true meaning of the word. She was an active member of her family’s ‘entertainment team’ – singing and dancing on every possible occasion. The microphone was one of her first ‘toys’ and being on stage is one of her most vivid memories of her childhood.
In 1991, aged ten, Shiri had her first ‘professional’ appearance on stage when she sang a well-known song of that period in the annual children’s ‘Festigal’.
During her school years Shiri was a member of Haifa’s youth ‘group’, appearing at a variety of different functions. At the same time, Shiri worked on developing her ‘stage presence’, taking guitar and keyboard lessons as well as jazz dancing.
In 2000 Shiri was called up for her National Service, and was invited to join the Air Force Entertainment Group traveling the length and breadth of the country to entertain the troops.
After the Army, Shiri decided to move to Eilat which is Israel’s major ‘tourist’ town and, as a result, a source of employment for many singers and dancers in the hotels and clubs. She worked there for a year as a singer and dancer.
In 2003 Shiri auditioned for ‘A Star Is Born’, Israel’s version of ‘Pop Idol’. She was voted into 2nd place, gained tremendous popularity with the public, and was one of the few artists to be signed to a recording contract by Helicon Records.
As a result of being ‘discovered’ through the ‘A Star Is Born’ competition, Shiri was invited to join the team of presenters of ‘Exit’, a daily television program in which she interviews people and discusses subjects that are of interest to youth.
Shiri also had a lead part, singing and acting in the children’s musical ‘Mamamia’. Shiri is currently working on her first album. November 2004 saw the release of the first single – ‘Until You Understand Me’. The second single is ‘The Silence That Remains’, the song which was selected to represent Israel in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest.
The album is scheduled for release in the summer, and already in her pre-promotion appearances Shiri is showing her ability to handle pop songs, dance and big ballads and impressing her audiences with the importance she places on the visual aspect of her show – her beautiful gowns and her dancing. |
