Marina Maximilian Blumin

Marina Maximilian Blumin (Hebrew: מארינה מקסימיליאן בלומין‎; born 15 December 1987), known as Marina Maximilian, is an Israeli singer-songwriter and actress. She was the runner-up on the fifth season of the reality music competition show Kokhav Nolad.

Marina Maximilian Blumin
מארינה מקסימיליאן בלומין
Marina Maximilian, 2019
Background information
Birth nameMarina Blumin
Born (1987-12-15) 15 December 1987
OriginDnipropetrovsk, Soviet Union
(now Ukraine)
GenresPop
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
Years active2002–present
LabelsHelicon
Associated actsCommon Band

Early life

Blumin was born in Dnipropetrovsk, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) on 15 December 1987. At the age of three, she immigrated to Israel with her parents. The family lived with friends in Ramat Gan before settling in the Pardes Katz neighbourhood of Bnei Brak. From a young age, Blumin studied piano with her mother, Ella, a classical pianist, and sang in a choir. She later went to the conservatory where her mother taught.[1]

Blumin graduated from Ironi Alef high school in Tel Aviv. She began performing at jazz clubs at the age of 15, after pianist Rick Birman took her under his wing. She performed at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat.[1] She sang with Common Band, an ethnic-fusion-rock-jazz band, at festivals and clubs.

Career

Singing

Kokhav Nolad

In 2007, Blumin auditioned for the fifth season of Kokhav Nolad and was accepted. During the show, she mostly sang Israeli pop and folk songs, adding her own jazz nuances. She sang "Halomot" ("Dreams") by Ruhama Raz, "Shir Ahuvat HaSapan" ("Song of the Sailor's Lover") by Rita, "Bluz Kna'ani" ("Canaan Blues") by Ehud Banai, and "Vidui" ("Confession") by Alexander Penn (sung by Yehudit Ravitz).[2] In the end, Blumin qualified for the final along with Bo'az Ma'uda and Shlomi Bar'el, and came in second, with Nurit Galron's "Nifradnu Kakh" ("That's How We Parted").[3]

Step into My World and Armonot Ashan

Blumin did not serve in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and was accused of "draft evasion", while actually, she had received an exemption for mental health reasons; instead, she had volunteered to teach children voice development and singing at the Ben Shemen Youth Village. In April 2008, she held her first solo performance at the Yamei Zemer Festival in Holon, which was managed by Tzedi Tzarfati. In May 2008, she released a duet with Boaz Mauda called "Mi Haya Ma'amin".[4] The song became a hit in Israel. In June 2008, she released her first solo single, "Sof Sof".[3] In 2012, she contributed vocals to the song "Melting Thoughts" on the Yossi Sassi album Melting Clocks.[5]

Blumin released her first studio album, Step into My World, an English-language pop record that also includes a Russian song, in August 2013. The first single was the song "Two Pigs", and was released in January 2013. A second single, "Tango", was released in April.[6] On 17 September 2014, it was revealed that Israel's Radio 88FM, which oversees the country's artist selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, had approached Blumin to sing at the 2015 event in Vienna, though the deal eventually fell through.[7] In 2016, Blumin released her second studio album, titled Armonot Ashan, this one entirely in Hebrew except for the last track, which is sung in English. She later performed at the opening ceremony of the 2017 Maccabiah Games on 6 July 2017.[8]

Acting

As a teenager, Blumin appeared in two Cameri Theater productions: Hanoch Levin's play Requiem at age fifteen and the musical The Producers at age eighteen. She also participated twice in the Acre Festival, where she sang in the play Schmetterling (Farewell, Butterfly), which won first prize in 2005. In 2006, she participated in Rabak and wrote the music for it, receiving honourable mention. She began her television career with a role in the police drama Pillars of Smoke.[9] Most recently, she has starred in the third season of the political thriller Fauda.[10]

Discography
  • Step into My World (2013)
  • Armonot Ashan (2016)

Filmography
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2009 Pillars of Smoke Bat Kol 1 episode
Weeping Susannah Shura 3 episodes
2011 Barefoot Alexandra 6 episodes
2011–12 The First Family Alin 18 episodes
2019–20 Fauda Hila Bashan 12 episodes

References
  1. Halutz, Doron (20 February 2009). "Art etc. / it girl". Haaretz. Retrieved 21 February 2009.
  2. "The Israeli "American Idol" – A Star is Born". jewishstudies.washington.edu. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  3. "Stepping Out". jpost.com. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  4. "Radio Editors' Choices Regarding The Next Israeli Entry". escbubble.com. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  5. "Marina Maximilian Blumin". discogs.com. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  6. ""Tango"-מארינה מקסימיליאן בלומין מזמינה אתכם ל" [Marina Maximilian Blumin invites you to "Tango"]. nrg מעריב (in Hebrew). Maariv. 29 April 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  7. Schneider, Ori (17 September 2014). "Israel: Radio 88FM wants Marina Maximilian Blumin to sing at Eurovision". wiwibloggs.
  8. "Maccabiah Games: Your Guide to Celebrating the 'Jewish Olympics' in Israel". Haaretz. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  9. "Art Etc. / It Girl". haaretz.com. 19 February 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  10. "In Her Own Hands: an interview with Marina Maximilian Blumin". timeout.com. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
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