Ninet Tayeb: 10 Facts on Her 43rd Birthday

Ninet Tayeb, a prominent Israeli singer and actress, is celebrating her 43rd birthday on Wednesday. Since winning the first season of "Kochav Nolad" (A Star Is Born) in 2003, Tayeb has released albums, starred in TV series, performed internationally, and undergone significant personal and professional transformations. To mark the occasion, ten lesser-known facts about her career and life have been compiled.

Tayeb's musical journey began before her "Kochav Nolad" fame. At 15, she won the "Pezmonu'ar" singing competition in Kiryat Gat with a rendition of Mariah Carey's "Hero." In 2000, she also secured first place in the "Kolot Ve'Tzlalim" (Voices and Sounds) young talent competition hosted by the Educational Television. By the time she auditioned for "Kochav Nolad" in 2003, she was still serving in the IDF's Combat Engineering Corps as a maintenance non-commissioned officer, where she even sang the corps' new anthem.

Her victory in the "Kochav Nolad" finale at Nitzanim beach was decisive, with Tayeb winning 49% of the viewer votes, totaling over 720,000, against contestants Shiri Maimon and Shai Gabso. She performed Zohar Argov's "Yam Shel Dma'ot" (Sea of Tears), catapulting her to national stardom overnight. In 2007, Tayeb participated in the reality show "P'am B'Chaim" (Once in a Lifetime), spending a month living with a local community in Jamaica alongside singer Ben Artzi. A year later, she requested not to perform on Shabbat during the revived "Children's Songs Festival," leading to all performances being scheduled on weekdays.

Tayeb's international career includes a notable performance with British rock musician Steven Wilson at London's Royal Albert Hall in 2015. This collaboration led to invitations for him to join his European and North American tours and contributions to several of his albums. In television, Tayeb was initially slated to play Avishag in the series "Zaguri Empire" but took on the role of Lizi due to scheduling conflicts with her album "Kol HaChayot Yad'u." She also lent her voice to Disney, dubbing Princess Tiana in the Hebrew version of "The Princess and the Frog" in 2010 and providing singing vocals for Mary Poppins in an earlier Hebrew release.

Beyond her performing career, Tayeb hosted and produced her own radio show, "Pando-Ng'ena," on 88FM from 2010 to 2011, before departing to focus on new music. She is a mother to two daughters, Emilia and Luna Rachel, with musician Yossi Mizrahi, from whom she separated in 2024. Her elder daughter, Emilia, has already begun an acting career, appearing in the series "Tir'u Oti" (Look at Me), suggesting a continuation of the family's artistic talents.