Emor Shalom
 |
 "Emor Shalom" | |
|---|---|
| File:Chocolate, Menta, Mastik-Emor Shalom.jpg | |
| Eurovision Song Contest 1976 entry | |
| Country | |
| Artist(s) | |
| Language | |
| Composer(s) | Matti Caspi |
| Lyricist(s) | Ehud Manor |
| Conductor | Matti Caspi |
| Finals performance | |
| Final result | 6th |
| Final points | 77 |
| Entry chronology | |
| ◄ "At Ve'ani" (1975) | |
| "Ahava Hi Shir Lishnayim" (1977) ► | |
"Emor Shalom" (Hebrew script: אמור שלום, English translation: "Say Hello") was the Israeli entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, performed in Hebrew by Chocolate, Menta, Mastik. The singing trio consisted of three young girls, serving formerly in IDF. They were Rutti Holtzman, Lea Lupatin and Yardena Arazi. Yardena Arazi made a comeback in 1988 to estrades for ESC, she also was a member of Nahal in the beginning.
The song is a moderately up-tempo number, sung from the perspective of a woman calling to a man to be her lover. She tells him that "I've been alone for almost thirty years" and asks him to "come say hello, say hello", implying that this is more a generalized call for the man of her dreams rather than to any specific man she already knows. The lyrics can also be interpreted as a call for peace to the Arab countries in the middle east, as "Shalom" in Hebrew means "Peace" as well as "Hello". Founded in 1948, Israel was a 28-year-old country in 1976, giving the line "I've been alone for almost thirty years" an extra meaning- since it gained independence Israel was isolated in the Middle East, surrounded by hostile Arab countries (Egypt and Jordan signed peace agreements with Israel since then).
The song was performed fourth on the night (following Germany's Les Humphries Singers with "Sing Sang Song" and preceding Luxembourg's Jürgen Marcus with "Chansons Pour Ceux Qui S'Aiment"). At the close of voting, it had received 77 points, placing 6th in a field of 18.
It was succeeded as Israeli representative at the 1977 Contest by Ilanit with "Ahava Hi Shir Lishnayim".
The song was covered by Arlene Gould in the 5th season of Kokhav Nolad (Israeli version of American Idol) with a reggae flavour and later on by Mei Finegold in Kokhav Nolad 7 with a so-called "Led Zeppelin" flavour.
