Shiri Maimon is a singer and pop star who was discovered in the first season of the Israeli American Idol.
Maimon (32) made her debut as a singer at the early age of ten, when she participated in a children’s song festival. She later used her larger-than-life voice to entertain soldiers as a member of the Israeli Air Force entertainment troupe. In 2003, she auditioned for the first season of Kokhav Nolad (A star is born,) an Israeli version to American Idol. The show became a huge hit, and Maimon ended up as the first runner up. The success of the show made her a national star and have her a jump start on her musical career.
She released her first single, “Until You Understand Me” in 2004. While working on her debut album, she was a presenter on a popular daily youth Israeli TV show, EXIT. In 2005, she presented Israel in the Eurovision singing contest and came in fourth with the pop-ballad “HaSheket SheNishar” (The silence that remains.) Maimon’s debut album, Shiri Maimon, was released that year, and became a big success, selling over 20,000 copies (which earned it the title of a “gold album.”) In 2006, she starred in the musical version of the Israeli cult movie, Halahaka (The Troupe,) and the following year she released the first single from her second album.
In 2008, Maimon was placed third at the MTV European Music Awards' Europe's Favorite Act category. That year, she released her second album, Rega Lifney She… (Just before…) and her first International album, Standing on My Own. In 2012, she released her third album in Hebrew, Sheleg Ba'sharav (Snow in the heatwave.) Nowadays, she is a judge on X- Factor – Israel and touring the country as part of her shared concert with singer Shimon Buskila.
Ha'Sheket SheNishar (The silence that remains) – from the 2005 Eurovision contest
Kshe'At Atzuva (When you're sad) – Performed in Kokhav Nolad
