Ilana Avital


Ilana Avital is an Israeli singer and actress. She also gained fame internationally, known as Lena and Sandy Miller.

Biography

Avital was born in Paris, France as Brigitte Abitbol in a family of Tunisian Jewish origin. When she was 11 she immigrated to Israel with her family. At 13, she was signed to a major French record company. In 1977, she took part in the Israel Song Festival with "אותך" when she was just 17. In 1978, she came third at the International Song Festival in Chile with the song "לאהוב". Her debut album לאהוב אותך was released after the competition. Her next single was "שלום חבר" and a same titled album that followed.
Avital moved briefly with her husband Shlomo Zach and son to Canada continuing her career. She released an album which was a great success in Canada, particularly with the single "Adios Amigo". Under the name Sandy Miller, she released a double-A sided single "Sympathy/Tell Her I Tried". Eventually the couple moved to France for an international career for Ilana, before coming back to Israel.
In 1984, she released her album called בזכות ימים כאלה composed by her. It remains a very popular children's tune in Israel.
In the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s, Avital continued to take part in many other festivals particularly in a number of selection processes for Eurovision for Israel (known as Kdam Eurovision

Private life

In 1978 she married Shlomo Zach, her manager and they had a son, Amit, born in 1979. In May 1987, the couple divorced after nine years of marriage. In 1988, married Avital remarried businessman Shai Techmeier, and in 1993 had her second son, before she divorcing again in 2001.

Discography

Albums

;Various
;Acting