A-Ba-Ni-Bi

Infobox ESC entry
song = flagicon|Israel "A-Ba-Ni-Bi"


caption =
year = 1978
country = Israel
artist = Izhar Cohen & Alphabeta
language =
languages = Hebrew, "Bet Language"
(see article)
composer = Nurit Hirsch
lyricist = Ehud Manor
conductor = Nurit Hirsch
place = 1st
points = 157
place_semi =
points_semi =
lyrics = [http://www.diggiloo.net/?1978il from Diggiloo Thrush]
clip =

"A-Ba-Ni-Bi" (Hebrew script: א-ב-ני-בי, English translation (approximate): "I Love You") was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, performed for Israel by Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta.

The song is generally translated as "I Love You", but the chorus is in "Bet language", a Hebrew language game similar to Pig Latin, in which each syllable is followed by the letter Bet and the relevant vowel. Thus, a more faithful English translation might in fact be "Ibi Lobove Youbou", or, according to pig Latin, ""I-ay Ove-Lay Ou-yay." According to the Bet language, in the song, the term "Ani ohev otakh", or, "I love you" becomes 'A-ba-ni-bi o-bo-e-bev o-bo-ta-bakh'.

This was Israel's first Contest win, which meant under the rules of the Contest that they would host the next year's Contest — marking the first time that the Eurovision Song Contest would take place outside of geographical Europe. According to author and historian John Kennedy O'Connor in "The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History", broadcasters in many of the non-participating Arab countries in North Africa and Asia who had been transmitting the contest, had to cut the broadcast when it was clear Israel was going to win. Jordanian TV ended the show with a still photo of a bunch of daffodils rather than acknowledge the Israeli entry. [O'Connor, John Kennedy. The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History. Carlton Books, UK. 2007 ISBN 978-84442-994-3]

The song (written by Ehud Manor and composed and conducted by Nurit Hirsch, a duo who had collaborated frequently in writing Israeli Eurovision entries, including the country's debut) is an up-tempo disco number, heralding a move towards this style of performance in later years. While sometimes derided as a weak entry — particularly given its title — the song is regarded by most fans as one of the better entries in Contest history, often being performed as part of a medley of favourites, as was the case at the introduction to the 2006 semi-final in Athens.

The song deals with the way in which children relate to love. Cohen sings that, growing up, "we loved secretly/Who were we nice to? — Just uncles and aunts" and that love was conducted secretly and "We whispered only in the Bet language". He compares this to adulthood, where he realises that "Love is a beautiful word" and that humanity should "speak in a language of love", instead of the language of secrecy. Musically, the song is somewhat unusual among Contest entries for ending almost immediately after the key change — most entries have either a bridge or a repetition of the chorus after this point.

At the Contest, Cohen and his five backing vocalists (two men and three women) all wore white clothing and remained mostly stationary, swaying in time to the music.

The song was performed eighteenth on the night (following Luxembourg's Baccara with "Parlez-Vous Français?" and preceding Austria's Springtime with "Mrs. Caroline Robinson"). At the close of voting, it had received 157 points, placing 1st in a field of 20. When it became apparent during the later stages of the voting sequence that Israel was going to win the Contest, Jordanian television cut the broadcast and showed pictures of flowers. [cite book | last = O'Connor | first = John Kennedy | year = 2005 | title = The Eurovision Song Contest 50 Years The Official History | publisher = Carlton Books Limited | location = London|id = ISBN 1-84442-586-X] Afterwards, the Jordanian news media refused to acknowledge the fact that Israel had won and announced that the winner was Belgium (which had actually come 2^nd). [cite web|author=Gisella Farrell|date=2005|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,5-2005230373,00.html|title=The Sun Online - Fifty Years of Eurovision|accessdate=2006-07-15]

The song was succeeded in 1979 as Contest winner and as Israeli representative by Gali Atari performing "Hallelujah" for Israel. Israel thus achieved the rare feat of winning the Contest twice in successive years.

References

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ee also

* Ubbi dubbi
* Opish