(voir plus bas pour la version française) Jacques Duvall is something of a writer’s writer. The Belgian is one of the few lyricists in the French language to be recognised as such. There are plenty of songwriters that can write lyrics in France, but few lyricists known for doing just that.

Duvall’s reputation comes from the range of singers he has worked with, including Alain Chamfort, Jane Birkin and Henri Salvador.

He also delicately balances his work for mainstream singers with a darker edge such as his long-standing writing relationship with the celebrated Parisian trans singer Marie France.

His biggest hit was his first: Banana Split, an ambiguously perverse pop hit for the teenage (at the time) Lio. 

Rather than go the path of recounting Duvall’s life and work in detail, the publishers of “Jacques Duvall: Le contrebandier de la chanson” chose to ask a number of reviewers and music journalists to provide essays about Duvall, looking at different themes: Duval and success; Duvall and “automatic rhythms”; Duvall and Serge Gainsbourg (with whom he is often compared).

As they are writing about a writer, they all seem determined to out-write each other. The prose is florid. As most of the interesting parts happened during the musically explosive 80s and 90s, we are treated to numerous anecdotes from both the writers’ and Duvall’s youth.

The best parts for me come from several interviews. Duvall is entirely straightforward when he talks about writing, his career and credibility. Despite his cred image, he has advice about listening to music: “Be  careful, don’t limit yourself to things of good taste. You mostly have to listen to mainstream pop – the best stuff is there, of course”.

Asked about other writers, he cites Albert Wiellemeitz, Jerry Leiber, Willie Nelson and Gainsbourg. But his biggest praise goes to Lorenz Harz (big Broadway hits and “My Funny Valentine”). “He only ever wrote love songs, without ever having lived a love story himself. I loved his biography, even though nothing happens in his life apart from his songs. If I’m not careful, I could end up like that as well. Brrr.”

Buy “Jacques Duvall” on the site of Editions du Caïd 

Buy “Jacques Duvall” on Amazon FR

(version française)

Jacques Duvall est en quelque sorte un auteur pour les auteurs. Le Belge est l’un des seuls paroliers de langue française à être reconnu comme tel. Il y a beaucoup d’auteurs-compositeurs capables d’écrire des paroles, mais très peu de paroliers sont connus juste pour leurs mots.

La réputation de Duvall vient de la diversité des chanteurs avec lesquels il a travaillé, dont Alain Chamfort, Jane Birkin et Henri Salvador. Il marche en équilibre entre son travail pour les chanteurs grand public et une touche plus sombre, comme sa longue relation d’écriture avec la célèbre chanteuse trans parisienne Marie France.

Son plus grand succès fut son premier : Banana Split, un tube pop pervers pour Lio, alors adolescente.

Plutôt que de raconter en détail la vie et l’œuvre de Duvall, les éditeurs de « Jacques Duvall : Le contrebandier de la chanson » ont choisi de demander à plusieurs critiques et journalistes musicaux de rédiger des essais sur Duvall, abordant différents thèmes : Duval et le succès ; Duvall et les « rythmes automatiques » ; Duvall et Serge Gainsbourg (avec lequel il est souvent comparé).

Peut-être parce qu’ils écrivent à propos d’un auteur, ils semblent tous déterminés à se surpasser les uns aux autres. La prose est – comment dire – fleurie. Comme la plupart des moments intéressants se sont déroulés durant les explosions musicales des années 80 et 90, nous avons droit à de nombreuses anecdotes de la jeunesse aussi bien des auteurs que de Duvall.

Les meilleurs moments pour moi viennent de plusieurs entretiens avec l’intéressé. Duvall est tout à fait direct lorsqu’il parle d’écriture, de sa carrière et de sa crédibilité. « Attention, ne vous limitez pas aux machins de bon goût. Il faut écouter de la varièt’ surtout – les meilleurs trucs sont là, bien sûr. »

Interrogé sur d’autres paroliers, il cite le français Albert Wiellemeitz, Jerry Leiber, Willie Nelson et Gainsbourg. Mais il applaudit surtout pour Lorenz Harz (grands succès à Broadway et « My Funny Valentine »). « Il n’a écrit que des chansons d’amour, sans jamais avoir lui-même vécu une histoire d’amour. J’ai adoré sa biographie, même si rien ne se passe dans sa vie à part ses chansons. Si je ne fais pas gaffe, je pourrais finir comme ça. Brrr.  »

See Jacques Duvall for Duvall’s own releases as a singer.

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The cover features one of the austere portraits that typified Kraftwerk. Is it Karl or is it one of the several masks they used for promo and stage work?

In other words, how real is it?

Dusseldorf in the seventies

Bartos details everything in his book. So let’s skip to the meaty stuff quickly: in the seventies, he was happily running parallel careers as a classically-trained percussionist and member of beat bands in Dusseldorf.

Kraftwerk already existed at the time. Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider were looking for a percussionist. Recommended by a professor, Bartos visited the Kling Klang studio and immediately gelled with the group. Through extensive jam sessions using often lo-fi instruments and (for the time) high tech, they grew the very particular Kraftwerk sound.

They also honed the KW schtick – the idea that all this emotional stuff is unnecessary. Songs could be about a motorway, neon lights, comets or radio waves. At the same time, they squeezed all emotion from the visuals.

They came across as pastiches of humanity. This is the birth of the robot/showroom dummy. Was there anyone there?

Deep intellectuals

Yet Kraftwerk were never just another pop band. Hütter and Bartos both had deep intellectual curiosity, which Bartos displays in his excellent musings about classical composers (if you have wondered what to make of classical music, this section will help).

Bartos emerged as perhaps the most musical of the team. For example, the drum patterns on many of the tracks are more subtle that one would expect.

Dynamics of Kraftwerk

What became increasingly clear to both Bartos and therefore the reader, is that the dynamics of the band were very particular. Bartos had to basically stamp his foot to get any recognition (or composing credits). The Hütter/Schneider duo ran Kraftwerk literally like a company.

At a certain point, this became an issue. Albums became harder and harder to finish, (Tour de France took an agonising five years). And for all the influence they have had on popular music, Kraftwerk never really had the success they aspired to.

Musical loop

It must also be said that they were on a musical loop, using familiar sounds and effects over and over.

The problem, according to Bartos, is that they had stopped actually playing or jamming together, and writing became a process of assembly rather than an organic one. There is a lesson here crying out to people that work on their own primarily with desktop tools. The irony is that this was what they had been claiming or at least projecting from the start.

The question here is: could Kraftwerk have become what it is without the contribution of  a classically-trained musician and their improvisations at rehearsals? Given that he co-wrote many of the trademark songs, I’d argue that Bartos’ role was essential.

But life did not end when Bartos left Kraftwerk (check his website below). His various projects have continued largely in the same musical vein, albeit harmonically more rich. He also plays the Kraftwerk tracks that he co-wrote in concert with side projects (such as providing a live accompaniment to the silent movie “The Cabinet of Dr Caliagari”)..

Ultimately, “The Sound of the Machine” is a fascinating and detailed account of how one of the defining sounds of the age came about.

What we learn:

• The massive influence of avant-garde art and music from the twenties onwards
• How the trademark sound was forged
• The importance of jamming in their songwriting
• The evolution of recording and audio-visual technology
• The internal dynamics of a successful band (not unique to Kraftwerk)
• The fascinating musical path of Karl Bartos himself

At over 600 pages, “The Sound of the Machine” is a hefty book – and I’ve just realised that this is a hefty review. But it’s an easy read and is recommended.

(Michael Leahy. Photo: Omnibus Press)

Buy The Sound of the Machine on Amazon. Visit Karl Bartos’ official site

Michael Leahy’s lyrics

Taupin is famously Elton John’s go-to man for words. This makes him one half of one of the world’s most creative, enduring and successful creative partnerships. Few writing teams have proven so prolific or have lasted so long. I have to look back at the days of musicals for anything comparable, people such as Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein but also maybe Jagger and Richards. What about Lennon and McCartney, you say? A brilliant team, although their time together was shorter.

A scattershot sponge

What can be said about Taupin? “Scattershot” is largely the tale of an emotional sponge that spent his life people-watching, learning to grow up – at times reluctantly – while spilling out timeless and superbly crafted songs with a strong emotional core.

It’s a book that is not short of juicy details and name-dropping. The early days are inevitably hard and frustrating, until a music exec encouraged them to stop trying to write “puerile pop” for others and embrace their own voice.

I’ll skip over the details (don’t worry, they are all in the book). But when Elton John started generating attention, things became both more productive and more haywire pretty quickly.

What is amazing in this day and age is how closely they stuck together professionally, with Taupin often touring with John well beyond the time one would think he needed to absorb life on the road. The well-documented excesses are, well, documented again – notably from Taupin’s side. And they stack up.

How fickle and random success can be

Songwriters won’t really pick up all that many tips, although there are moments when he gives a view into his thinking as a writer. As the years progress, he seems to have become more aware of what they were doing together. Plus, a number of unsuccessful side projects were there to remind him how fickle and random success can be.  

Ultimately, I followed the book to the end as it is a tale of wine, women and song – how a guy blessed with everything he could wish for manages to blow everything up several times. Not wanting to spoil a good read, the ending involves a woman (singular) and his other great passion in life, painting.

Amusing, gossipy (that evening with Dali and his entourage!) and very well written.  The UK edition has a better cover.

“Scattershot” is published by Monoray

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Screenshots spreading across the r/YoutubeMusic subreddit show new warnings in the app: “You have X views remaining — unlock lyrics with Premium.” The counter ticks down from five, then slams the door shut unless you take out a subscription.

No confirmation from Google

This move has apparently been brewing for months. Back in late 2025, a handful of users spotted the “unlock lyrics” prompt — now, it’s popping up everywhere. Google hasn’t formally confirmed anything yet, but by the time they do, you can bet the switch will already be flipped.

YouTube Music Premium runs about $11 a month in the U.S. (or $14 if you go for full YouTube Premium). In Europe, you’re looking at €12 to €14 for individuals and up to €26 for families — all for features that used to be free.

Cashing in on advertising revenue

Song lyrics might not sound like a big deal to casual listeners. But for artists, songwriters, and anyone who lives for music they have long been an issue. In the early days of the web, hundreds of websites popped up with song lyrics. They cashed in on advertising revenue without sharing it with the writers or their publishers.

This led to numerous lawsuits and an ongoing battle to allow writers to benefit from the revenue being generated. Although the YouTube lyrics move will not endear them to many users, it is nonetheless a good thing.

Ultimately, if money is being made on lyrics (and it is), why should the writers be excluded?

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Sidebar: How do you get Lyrics on the Web?

• Spotify: Offers subscribers synced lyrics for free in most regions, powered by Musixmatch. No paywall — at least not yet.
• Apple Music: Lyrics are included in the standard subscription; the app even animates them live as you listen.
• Amazon Music: Gives live lyrics to Prime and Unlimited tiers, with some access for free users.
• Tidal: Still lyric-friendly; no reports of restrictions so far.

Quick question: how often do you read lyrics from YouTube, Spotify or Deezer: often/sometimes/never?

(Michael Leahy. Source: GSMArena, Reddit et al. Photo:  ?? / Pexels)

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The answer to that probably lies in how much you know about Batt. Executive summary, he is best known for:

• creating the music (and just the music) for The Wombles;
• his work with violiniist Vanessa-Mae
• and later discovering, writing for and managing Katie Melua.

Of course there is far more to his story.

If you know anything about “The Hunting of the Snark”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, his Royal commands, an album with Hawkwind, his songs with Cliff Richard, then it’s a safe bet you’ll get something from it.

If not, you’ll get an insider’s view of how the music biz and West End works. You’ll also get an idea of how one person deals with wild swings in his career and fortune that are positively scary at times.

But “the Closest Thing to Crazy” has one feature that is essential to every good (auto)biography, SOMETHING HAPPENS ON EVERY PAGE.

The machinations of Batt and the promo teams, radio programmers, managers and label execs are endlessly fascinating, although not always amusing. The spillovers (otherwise known as consequences) into his private life are recounted in painful details.

The once-mighty music business

But the book has another and I think important role: it details the way the once-mighty music business used to work before it became a cottage industry. The scale of the projects that Batt could put together is impressive. Multi-album deals were signed in parallel with stage and TV shows.  Massive houses and yachts were acquired and (sadly) lost. Tons and tons of records were sold, driving huge revenue, notably healthy mechanical rights that just no longer exist at that level.

None of this is by accident. Batt’s relentless promotion and willingness to spend massive amounts on TV advertising is a lesson for anyone that considers themselves to be good at promotion or management. He’s also willing to put in the hours to perfect his various crafts.

Throw in lots of juicy anecdotes and yes, “The Closest Thing to Crazy” is worth reading.

(Michael Leahy. Photo (c) Dramatico)

Five things you might not know about Abbey Road!  

• First off, Abbey Road was’nt going to be the original title. With the clock ticking down on their deadline, the Beatles were hunting for a fitting title. At one point, they fancied calling it Everest — after a brand of “cool” cigarettes. But the idea of jetting off to the Himalayas for just a cover shot? Not exactly tempting. They scrapped that plan and grabbed a quick snap right outside their own studio. And hey, presto: Abbey Road was born.
• What about the cover shoot itself? The album took long time to record. You might imagine they spent hours getting the perfect shot, but in fact, only six photos were taken. Ian Macmillan, the photographer, had to work swiftly on the bustling street, with the Fab Four crossing the zebra three times. Ian managed just one shot each time. After comparing transparencies, Paul chose the fifth snap as the winner.
• Take a closer look at that iconic image — they are actually walking away from their recording studio. That white building to the left? That’s where the magic happened, and the band wanted to show the world them leaving their creative haunt, which had been their playground for years.
• And what about Paul’s bare feet, you ask? Contrary to the wild conspiracy theories flying around at the time, Paul’s decision to go barefoot was entirely down to comfort. John Kosh, the band’s art director, revealed Paul just kicked off his sandals because they were pinching. No hidden meanings, just a guy enjoying a hot day.
• And to round off, a bittersweet fact: Abbey Road was the last album the Beatles recorded together. Although Let It Be was the final album released before they split in April 1970, most of it was laid down prior to the Abbey Road sessions. August 20th, 1969, marked the last day all four Beatles jammed together in the studio.

Last thing: this was the album that fuelled the rumours that Paul McCartney had actually died. One of the “clues” is the the licence plate of the white Volkswagen in the photo. It contained the elements 28IF, which some took to refer to the age of 28 that Paul would have been if he was alive. Well, he was alive and he was 27! But conspiracies rarely let facts get in the way of a good story. I hear the car is now in a German museum.

(Michael Leahy. Source: Photo: UMG)

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• In the first half of the 1980s, there were 146 weeks with bands in the charts
• In the first half of the 90s, it was slightly down to 141 weeks.
• In the first quarter of the 2000’s (now), we’ve had three weeks with bands at n° 1 (one of which was a Beatles re-release).

This ends several decades when bands were omnipresent in the charts from the fifties onwards.

And it’s not just the UK and US. One of the major music events in France is the NRJ Music Awards. In addition to celebrating local talent, the glitzy show has always acted as a major showcase for international artists. They have just announced the nominees for this year’s show. There are no bands at all, unless you include the Kpop Demon Hunters, which is an interesting exception.

The day the music changed…

Music producer and commentator Rick Beato has an interesting theory. He points to the nineties as the moment where popular music changed. Labels became more insistent about providing hits for their artists. So bands such as Aerosmith brought in writers and/or writer/producers. For example, Diane Warren gave Aerosmith their biggest hit, “I Don’t Want to Miss a  Thing” – a great song, it must be said.

It became clear to the labels that the producers were the ones creating the hits. Following the runaway success of Eurodance acts (including 2 Unlimited), a new generation of uber-producers emerged. People such as Max Martin wrote and produced hits for the cream of American pop – Britney Spears, Pink, Ariana Grande, Justin Timberlake and many more.

So where are the U2s, Dire Straits and even Radioheads? Most are still there, and the legacy bands such as Oasis can even run highly-popular tours. But they are not denting the charts the way that solo artists such as Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga or Ed Sheeran can.

Does this mean that rock music is dead as a chart genre?

(ML: Photo: Cartist / Pexels)

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What happens when the summer festival circuit collides with a DJ’s entrepreneurial spirit—and a penchant for monkey disguises? Enter Kid Noize, Belgium’s answer to both Daft Punk and the world’s busiest event planner.

Picture this: the festival season is in full swing, and while most DJs are grateful to land one prime slot, Kid Noize appeared to pull off the impossible—performing three gigs on the same night, in venues that are two hours apart by car. The crowd was understandably surprised. Was it quantum physics, teleportation, or just a well-timed playlist?

Turns out, it was none of the above. Kid Noize, famed for performing behind a monkey mask (his own cartoon alter ego brought to life), simply called in reinforcements. Two, to be exact. Yes, while the real Kid Noize was behind the decks at one gig, two stand-ins—each donning the iconic mask—covered the others.

“Kid Noize is now a team”

When dance fans started connecting the dots (and the timetables), the cat—or perhaps the monkey—was out of the bag. Rather than ducking the issue, Kid Noize took to Instagram to dramatically reveal: “After 15 years playing Kid Noize, I am honoured to announce that I have coached the best successor that I could… Kid Noize is now a team. Bigger, stronger, freer. There is no real or fake.”

Cue a flurry of online debate. Some punters mused that Daft Punk, the original masked maestros, never resorted to such shenanigans. Others wondered—underneath the mask, does it really matter who’s calling the tunes as long as the party keeps swinging?

Celebrated DJ Olivier Gossiers told A-Lyric pretty much the same thing: “If people are happy to pay a guy in a monkey mask to play music, do they really care that much who is behind the mask as long as the music is good and they’re having fun? There’s a certain amount of hypocrisy behind the indignation.”

One thing’s clear: promoters might now find themselves wondering which Kid Noize will rock up—artist, intern, or someone who just looks good in a monkey mask. The original Kid Noize has declared that he has now swapped the decks for the director’s chair, steering the ship as “artistic director.”

(Michael Leahy. Photo: Brice De Pass Creative Commons 4.0 Int’l)

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Let’s back up a bit: To open a match in June 2025, the LA Dodgers invited singer Nezza to perform the national anthem. Apparently, she had prepared to sing it in Spanish, but was asked at the last moment to sing it in English. She went ahead and sang it in the language she had prepared it in, Spanish.

This led to conflicting opinions. Although her version was well received by the audience (many of whom identify as Latinos), comments on social media show some people took this is a sign of disrespect.

Jonathan Santamaria on Facebook summed up the opinion of many, “I believe the national anthem shouldn’t be sang in any other language except English and people should respect that.”

User RossMGoBlu on Bluesky gave the opposing viewpoint: “She followed her heart and did it anyway. If you can be anyone in life, be a Nezza”. @rossmgoblue.bsky.social

So is singing the US anthem in Spanish disrespectful?

This issue comes back every so often. It’s worth giving some context. The US anthem has a number of authorized versions, including German, Yiddish, Louisiana French and Spanish. None other than President FD Roosevelt commissioned the official version sung by Nezza.

What’s more, the Dodgers have many Latino fans, and the stadium itself was built on a Latino neighbourhood. So singing the anthem in Spanish does not seem either disrespectful or unusual to me. Nezza herself said, “I just felt like I needed to do it. Para mi gente (for my people)”. The English lyrics on a screen behind her.

However, the match happened in the heat of the ICE raids that principally targeted Latinos. So there was perhaps a subtext.

My question: why play the anthem before matches at all?

The tradition of playing the national anthem before US sports largely started as a patriotic move during the second world war. “[It] was heard everywhere,” notes historian Marc Ferris. “Before the opera, before the movies, before the theater.” And, of course, before sports events. But US readers should know that this is unique to the States. Other countries only play national anthems at international competitions, when different national teams play against each other.

Nezza thought there might be some kickback. After her performance, she posted a comment to Tiktok:  “Safe to say I’m never allowed in that stadium ever again.” Contrary to some rumors, however, the Dodgers have not banned her. The team reaffirmed to CNN that there were “no hard feelings” on their part. A team spokesperson confirmed to The Times, “She is certainly welcome back at the stadium. She is not banned.”

(Michel Leahy. Photo: © Matt Weller / Unsplash)

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After visiting Iceland a few times to work with the group Hatari, the Palestinian singer and filmmaker Bashar Murad noticed that Eurovision candidates do not necessarily have to be from the country they represent. The example he gives: Celine Dion, who sang – and won – for Switzerland in 1988.

With songwriter Einar Stefan (from Hatari that already represented Iceland once), he put together the track “Wild West” and submitted it to the Icelandic organisers for the 2024 edition. The colourful fake Country & Western track reached second spot but was pipped to the post by the house track “Scared of Heights” by Hera Björk, which ultimately didn’t get very far.

A petition for Murad for 2025

In the run-up to the Eurovision 2025 final on May 17, an online petition was started to try and get Murad a spot on the show. That’s not going to happen. There is no way a country that is not a member of EBU can appear.

On the other hand, finding a guest spot somewhere on the show could be a possibility. For one thing, it would go a long way to restoring the Eurovision’s disastrous reputation in this issue. It would also lift the atmosphere on the night.

If this sounds unlikely, bear in mind that none other than the pope made a phone-in appearance at the San Remo festival 2025. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Meanwhile, Murad has a number of European concerts between now and August 2025.

Bashar Murad 2025 concert dates

May 10 Athens Music Week (Greece)

May 25 Ravenna Festival (Italy)

Jun 1 Sun Kawkab Bashar (Shubbak festival – UK)

Jun 7 Sat Baleine Festival (La Ferté-milon – France)

Jul 1 Tue Festival Convivencia (France)

Jul 11 Fri Festival d’Avignon (France)

Jul 19 Sat FMM Sines 2025 (Portugal)

More details on Bashar Murad.

Wild West lyrics

Several people have pointed out that the Wild West lyrics are a bit “clunky”. That’s my feeling as well, but there is an exaplanation. It’s important to keep a good meter in lyrics. The difficulty with the words of “Wild West” is that the accent sometimes falls on weak words. I’ll give an example from the opening verse. I’ll put the accented words in caps:

I’m on THE road again / How did it come to this? / Don’t know where I’m going / But I’m looking for eternal bliss

I’m like A rolling stone / I can’t stay in one place / When you start to get bitter and you wanna get better / You gotta change the taste

In these cases, the accent should have been on the more important words “road” and “rolling”. Bear it in mind when you have longish lines like these.

According to the Iranian newspaper Etemad, the Supreme Court accepted the prosecutor’s appeal, leading to the reopening of Tataloo’s case. While the death sentence has garnered significant media attention, Iran International has reported that the country’s judiciary has denied these claims. The judiciary’s media office stated that a final verdict has not yet been issued, contradicting earlier reports from the Jame Jam newspaper. Britain’s Independent newspaper has tried but been unable to verify these conflicting claims.

Tataloo, 37, an underground musician known for his fusion of rap, pop, and R&B, was extradited from Istanbul where he lived to Iran in December 2023 and has been in detention since. His controversial career includes previous charges of promoting “prostitution” and anti-regime propaganda.

Support for the Islamic Republic

Despite his stormy relationship with the authorities, Tataloo had engaged with conservative politicians, including a notable meeting with former president Ebrahim Raisi. He has also previously expressed support for the Islamic Republic. The sentence comes amidst rising tensions in the Iranian judiciary, highlighted by the recent assassination of two judges known for handling national security cases.

Meanwhile support for the tattooed singer is being expressed on his YouTube page.

In 2024, Iran saw the highest number of executions in nine years, raising concerns over human rights violations in the country.

But at present, we have to see if Tataloo has been sentenced to death or not.

(Michael Leahy. Source: The Independent, Iran International)

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It’s December 2024, and Eurovision 2025 starts will be held in May 2025. Yet the pillow fights – a leftover from the 2024 edition – are already starting. The Slovenian broadcaster RTVSLO has demanded that Israel be disqualified from the event. The demand comes as countries start to announce their qualifying events for the show in Basel, Switzerland.

Israel’s participation last year was already contested by several member corporations. They argued that just as Russia is no longer participating due to the invasion of Ukraine, so Israel should not take part due to the war in Gaza. This is bad news, as the Eurovision slogan is “United by Music”. Plus, the organising body EBU just announced measures to avoid the tensions that reigned backstage at Malmö last year.

Furthermore, Slovenian officials have stated that if the organising body EBU rejects their request, the country may withdraw from the contest in protest. This ultimatum underscores Slovenia’s continued condemnation of Israel’s actions, which President Natasa Pirc Musar has been criticizing on international platforms.

In 2024, Israel was requested (and accepted) to change the lyrics of their song to be perceived as less political. The participation at Malmö, however, was marked by protests inside and outside the venue as well as tensions backstage.

It is unlikely that the EBU will follow Slovenia’s resolution, however, as they have already announced the 38 broadcasters that will take part, including Israel. Some have already announced their final contestants. Meanwhile, in the Israeli qualifying contest Daniel Weiss, a survivor of the Hamas massacre, teamed up with the well-known Arab Israeli singer, Valerie Hamaty.

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