Shalva Band wows audience at Eurovision 2019
The Shalva band performed at the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv on Thursday, May 16th, 2019. The band wowed the audience with a rendition of "A Million Dreams" from the film The Greatest Showman.
Shalva Band's Future
The Shalva Band is comprised of eight talented musicians with disabilities and performs to the highest musical standards by invitation at cultural venues and dignitary events throughout the year. Inspiring crowds with its musical repertoire and charm, the band is one of Shalva’s most celebrated inclusion programs.
The band members are employed by Shalva as musicians and they also study, work, and volunteer in the broader community. Some of them are graduates of Shalva’s rehabilitative programs and their musical talents were discovered and developed through Shalva’s music therapy program. What began as a unique outlet for talented Shalva program participants in 2005, has developed into a model for cultural inclusion and continues to impact audiences and musicians throughout Israel and beyond.
With the band’s growing popularity in Israel, the Shalva Band regularly performs with celebrity artists and at the fore of popular music forums. In addition to being a delightful and inspiring musical experience, the band’s performances shatter attitudinal barriers, causing mesmerized audiences to believe in human potential and dignity.
Members of the Shalva Band at a press conference said: “We’ve made a huge change in Israeli society.” “Today, when we walk in the street, the Israeli people want to embrace us, not because we’re a gimmick, but because we’re good at what we do.”
When asked about the band’s next steps and dreams, Samteh said that, “we’re already in the middle of our dream... we just want to keep creating and keep writing songs, and performing in Israel and overseas.”
