Kobi Marimi

Kobi Marimi
קובי מרימי
Marimi in 2019
Marimi in 2019
Background information
Born
Yaakov Marimi

(1991-10-08) October 8, 1991 (age 35)
Ramat Gan, Israel
GenrePop
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actor
InstrumentsVocals
Years active2017–present

Yaakov "Kobi" Marimi (Hebrew: קובי מרימי; born October 8, 1991) is an Israeli singer and actor. Having won the sixth season of the singing competition HaKokhav HaBa, he represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Home", finishing 23rd in the final.

Biography

Yaakov (Kobi) Marimi was born and raised in Ramat Gan, Israel, to Dalit and Eli Marimi. After studying at Ohel Shem high school, he did his military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Adjutant Corps. He studied in the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio. Marimi resides in Tel Aviv. He has worked as a pub host and movie theater cashier.

Career

Theatre

During his studies he appeared in the plays The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Comic Illusion and Prayer. After graduating from Nissan Nativ, he performed in Every Living Thing Needs and Chambaloo's Treasure, and made his Israeli Opera debut as Natan in Messiah Now, for which he won the Promising Actor Award at the 2017 Musical Celebrations in Bat Yam.

HaKokhav HaBa and Eurovision

Marimi won the sixth season of HaKokhav HaBa. This earned him the right to represent his country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 on home soil in Tel Aviv. His entry, "Home", was chosen from about 200 submitted songs; it was written by Inbar Weitzman and Ohad Shragai. It finished 23rd of 26 in the final. Israel's score was later revised to 35 points, all from the televote, after the European Broadcasting Union withdrew the 12 points awarded to Israel by the Belarusian jury because of an error in the aggregated result; Israel's placing was unchanged.

Later career

In June 2019, Marimi joined Habima Theatre, Israel's national theatre, to star in its production of Spring Awakening.

In September 2019, he released "Yalla Bye", his first song after Eurovision, which he co-wrote with Gal Gio Cohen and Eyal Yishai. It was followed in January 2020 by the ballad "Lo Levad" ("Not Alone"). In August 2021 he released "Yotze MiZeh" ("Getting Out of It").

In December 2025, Marimi suggested in a social media video that "Home", which had been chosen for him by a professional committee, had harmed his career.

Discography

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
ISR
"Home" 2019 2 N/a
"Yalla Bye" 1
"Lo Levad" 2020 16
"Yotze MiZeh" 2021 — N/a

References

  1. ↑ "לאהוב את קובי" [Loving Kobi]. Yedioth Ahronoth (in Hebrew).[dead link]
  2. ↑ "הגאווה של רמת גן" [The pride of Ramat Gan] (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Israel's 2019 Eurovision contestant: Kobi Marimi". The Jerusalem Post. February 12, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Kobi Marimi to represent Israel in 2019 Eurovision Song Contest". Arutz Sheva. February 12, 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Kobi Marimi will represent Host Country Israel!". Eurovision Song Contest. February 12, 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Marimi Kobi, actor". israel-opera.co.il. Retrieved February 13, 2019.[dead link]
  7. ↑ "Kobi Marimi crowned 'Rising Star' and will represent Israel at Eurovision". The Times of Israel. February 12, 2019.
  8. ↑ Steinberg, Jessica (March 12, 2019). "Like a 'memorial' lament: Israel's Eurovision pick doesn't quite bring it 'Home'". The Times of Israel. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  9. ↑ ToI Staff. "Israel's Eurovision entry celebrates performance, despite disappointing finish". The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  10. ↑ ToI Staff (May 23, 2019). "Israel loses its Eurovision 'douze points,' retains rank". The Times of Israel. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  11. ↑ Bukar, Ran (June 16, 2019). "הג'וב הבא של קובי מרימי אחרי האירוויזיון: תפקיד בהבימה" [Kobi Marimi's next job after Eurovision: a role at Habima]. Yedioth Ahronoth (in Hebrew). Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  12. ↑ "אחרי האירוויזיון: קובי מרימי מוציא שיר ראשון – "יאללה ביי"" [After Eurovision: Kobi Marimi releases first song, "Yalla Bye"]. Walla! (in Hebrew). September 12, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  13. ↑ Patimer, Dudi (January 26, 2020). "קובי מרימי בשיר חדש, "לא לבד": "חצי קלאץ'" שמתפספס ולא מרגש" [Kobi Marimi's new song "Lo Levad": a "half clutch" that misses and doesn't move]. Maariv (in Hebrew). Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  14. ↑ Yanay, Gilad (August 12, 2021). "שנתיים אחרי האירוויזיון, קובי מרימי יוצא מזה עם שיר חדש" [Two years after Eurovision, Kobi Marimi is getting out of it with a new song]. Reshet 13 (in Hebrew). Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  15. ↑ Bukar, Ran (December 28, 2025). "קובי מרימי רומז: השיר לאירוויזיון הרס לי את הקריירה" [Kobi Marimi hints: the Eurovision song ruined my career]. Yedioth Ahronoth (in Hebrew). Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Media Forest: 20 (12-05-19 19-05-19)". Media Forest. Retrieved May 19, 2019.[dead link]