Shalva Band
The Shalva Band (Hebrew: להקת שלווה) is an Israeli band consisting of five disabled musicians. The band was established in 2005 by Shai Ben-Shushan as part of his personal rehabilitation journey. In collaboration with the SHALVA organizations music program, which supports and empowers individuals with disabilities and their families in Israel, the band has been a global representative of inclusion and integration of people with disabilities in society.
The band gained public interest in 2019 when it competed in HaKokhav HaBa, a music reality show which selects the Israeli representative to the Eurovision Song Contest. The band reached the final stages of qualification, but later learned that they would be required to disobey Shabbat observance during rehearsals for Eurovision. Ultimately, they decided to respect the religious beliefs of several band members and withdrew from HaKokhav HaBa. The band was then invited to perform as the interval act of the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 – without violating the beliefs of any member of the band – with a cover of "A Million Dreams". A few days before performing at Eurovision, the band also performed at the torch-lighting ceremony that opens the celebrations of the Israeli Independence Day.
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