Svika Pick
Encyclopedia
Svika Pick (also Tzvika Pik, Tsvika Pick) is an Israel
i pop singer
and composer
.
Pick was married to Israeli songwriter Mirit Shem-Or. Shem-Or wrote the lyrics for many of Pick's hits, including Mary Lou, which was about herself. They are now divorced but the couple still collaborates artistically. They have three children. Two of Pick's daughters have performed duos as the Pick Sisters.
in the early 1970s.
In 1998 Pick wrote the song Diva
performed by Dana International
, which won the Eurovision Song Contest
. He also wrote songs for several other Eurovision contestants. In 2002 he composed the Light a candle for Sarit Hadad
, who represented Israel in Eurovision 2002
. That year, Habima Theater
staged a musical called Mary Lou based on Pick's old hits. In 2003 he composed the song Hasta la vista for Oleksandr Ponomaryov
, Ukrainian
entrant in Eurovision 2003
. He also wrote a song for the Belarus
ian contestant of Eurovision 2005
Angelica Agurbash
, but she later decided on a different one, acknowledging Pick for his effort. Pick himself competed seven times in the Israeli preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2010, he composed an entry for Harel Skaat
for Israel
, and for Sopho Nizharadze for Georgia
.
Pick was one of the judges of the TV talent show, Kokhav Nolad
("A Star is Born").
In 2005, Pick was voted the 83rd-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i pop singer
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
Henrik Zvi Pick (later Svika Pick) was born in Wrocław, Poland. He studied music at the Conservatory of Ramat Gan and started to perform at the age of 15.Pick was married to Israeli songwriter Mirit Shem-Or. Shem-Or wrote the lyrics for many of Pick's hits, including Mary Lou, which was about herself. They are now divorced but the couple still collaborates artistically. They have three children. Two of Pick's daughters have performed duos as the Pick Sisters.
Music career
Pick was one of Israel's leading pop singers in the 1970s, when he was voted "Israeli male singer of the Year." He played a lead part in the Hebrew version of the musical HairHair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
in the early 1970s.
In 1998 Pick wrote the song Diva
Diva (song)
"Diva" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1998 performed in Hebrew by Dana International representing Israel. The music was composed by Tzvika Pick, and the lyrics by Yoav Ginai. It totalled 172 points in the polling.The song became the last entry entirely in a language other than...
performed by Dana International
Dana International
Sharon Cohen , professionally known as Dana International is an Israeli pop singer of Yemenite Jewish ancestry. She has released eight albums and three additional compilation albums, positioning herself as one of Israel's most successful musical acts ever...
, which won the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1998
The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The presenters were Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson...
. He also wrote songs for several other Eurovision contestants. In 2002 he composed the Light a candle for Sarit Hadad
Sarit Hadad
Sarit Hadad is an acclaimed Israeli singer. She stems from a musician family with both origins in the Tunisia and Caucases...
, who represented Israel in Eurovision 2002
Eurovision Song Contest 2002
The Eurovision Song Contest 2002 was the 47th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place on 25 May 2002 at the Saku Suurhall Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
. That year, Habima Theater
Habima Theater
The Habima Theatre , is the national theatre of Israel and one of the first Hebrew language theatres. It is located in Habima Square in the center of Tel Aviv.-History:...
staged a musical called Mary Lou based on Pick's old hits. In 2003 he composed the song Hasta la vista for Oleksandr Ponomaryov
Oleksandr Ponomaryov
Oleksandr Ponomaryov born, August 9, 1973, Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine) is one of the most famous singers of Ukraine. He has been awarded the country’s "Singer of the Year" seven times.One of Oleksandr's early passions was boxing...
, Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
entrant in Eurovision 2003
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
. He also wrote a song for the Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
ian contestant of Eurovision 2005
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
Angelica Agurbash
Angelica Agurbash
Angelica Agurbash , born May 17, 1970, is a Belarusian singer and former model perhaps most known for representing Belarus at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005....
, but she later decided on a different one, acknowledging Pick for his effort. Pick himself competed seven times in the Israeli preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2010, he composed an entry for Harel Skaat
Harel Skaat
Harel Skaat is an Israeli singer and songwriter. He represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "Milim" ....
for Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and for Sopho Nizharadze for Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
Pick was one of the judges of the TV talent show, Kokhav Nolad
Kokhav Nolad
Kokhav Nolad is an Israeli reality television show searching for talented new vocalists based on the British Pop Idol and American Idol model. Since its debut on Israeli Channel 2 in 2003, Kokhav Nolad has achieved great popularity and turned out many new musical stars...
("A Star is Born").
In 2005, Pick was voted the 83rd-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.