Eden Alene Is the First Israeli of Ethiopian Descent to Represent the Country at the Eurovision Song Contest
Feb. 10 2020, Updated 7:42 p.m. ET
"Remember those walls I built, well, baby, they're tumbling down," sang Eden Alene at the Israeli talent show, The Next Star, on Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Her goosebump-inducing performance of Beyoncé's "Halo" was that which earned her the first place, and with it, the incredible opportunity to take part in the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest. The 19-year-old chanteuse is the first Israeli of Ethiopian descent to represent the country at the ever-popular program. Ready to find out more about her?
Eurovision's up-and-coming star Eden Alene knew that she was destined for singing at an early age.
The Next Star was far from the only time Eden appeared on a televised singing contest. Despite her young age, the incredibly talented singer has already participated in shows like the Israeli The X Factor, a reality show calling on dozens of contestants to show off their best streaks and compete against each other for the much-coveted trophy and a cash prize. Eden won the show just when she turned 17.
According to The Times of Israel, the songstress spent most of her youth preparing for a successful career in the music industry. As her mother, Zehava Varkanesh, informed the news outlet, Eden has been attending singing classes since the age of three, and she was an active member of the YMCA Youth Chorus between the ages of 14 and 16 as well.
"She sings in the bathtub at home, she’ll sing if people ask her to at the bus stop," Zehava told the news outlet.
As she also remarked, it hasn't always been easy to support Eden's career choices and nurture her talents. As Zehava explained to The Times of Israel, she had to work as a housekeeper to provide for her and ensure that she receives everything needed to prosper.
"Eden has definitely been hustling and working. You have to if you want to make it as an artist," explained Micah Hendler, the founder and director of the YMCA Youth Chorus the same outlet.
"She not only has the incredible gift of her voice, but really works so hard at it. It was amazing to be part of her growing up [process] personally and musically," Micah added.
"Eden has had the most incredible, resounding success on the national and global stage [...] And deservedly so, she’s fantastic," he said, appraising Eden's most recent performance.
NikkieTutorials, Stefania, and more will also make an appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, between May 12 and 17, this year's Eurovision Song Contest will feature a roster of household names.
Makeup artist and YouTube superstar, NikkieTutorials will be the online host of the program, recording backstage interviews and reporting from the red carpet.
Other confirmed guests include Montaigne, the Sydney-based singer-songwriter representing Australia; Stefania, the singer standing for Greece; Vasil, a musician from North Macedonia; Samanta Tina from Latvia; and Diodato from Italy.
The selection process varies in every competing country. According to Wiwi Bloggs, the full list of contestants will be released in the next few weeks.
