# Valerie Hamaty

Valerie Hamaty (Arabic: فالري حماتي; Hebrew: ואלרי חמאתי, born September 28, 1999) is an Arab Israeli singer and actress. She finished in second place in the eighth and eleventh seasons of the musical reality show Rising Star.

## Biography

Valerie Hamaty was born and raised in Jaffa, Israel, to an Arab Christian-Orthodox family. Her father, Tony, owns a tapas bar and pizzeria in Yafo. Her mother, Raymond, is a tax consultant. Hamaty attended Collège des Frères de Jaffa, and later Municipal High School Dalet in Tel Aviv, majoring in biology and chemistry.
At the age of seven, she joined the orchestra of the Orthodox Christian Scout Association, playing the flute and clarinet. At the age of ten, she was accepted to the Israeli dance troupe Mayumana, performing with them for two years.
After graduating from high school, she began studying at Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in Ramat Hasharon, where she completed a two-year course, and among other things, won third place in the Shirimon competition.

## Music career

In the summer of 2021, she competed in the eighth season of the musical reality show "Rising Star" on Keshet 12, and came in second place (after the winner Tamir Greenberg). During her participation in the show, she performed well-known songs in Arabic, Hebrew, and English.
On October 2021, she released her debut single after the show, "Kakha Levater", along with an accompanying music video. That same month, she was a guest performer at a concert of Enrico Macias.
In May 2022, she performed at the torch-lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl.
On July 10, 2022, she released her fourth single, "Albi". In October 2022, she released the single "Ala Bali", which reached number four on the Media Forest weekly chart. She played Tirza Atar in the play "Od Hozer HaNigun" at Habima.
In October 2022, she participated in the television special "Tribute to Dana International", which aired to mark the 20th anniversary of the Israel Gay Youth Organization and the musical career of Israeli singer-songwriter and trans icon Dana International, in which she performed "Saida Sultana".
Starting in January 2023, she plays Manar in the youth series "Madrasa" by Sayed Kashua, which tells the story of the students and staff of a bilingual Jewish-Arab school in Jerusalem. She also sings the theme song of the series.
In addition, since the same year, Valerie Hamaty plays Yasmine Dhaud in the youth series "Thalatha" which aired on Teen Nick. On February 5 of that year, she released the single "Laila". On June 26, she released the single "Hayim". On August 30, she released the single "Kmo Meshuga", a collaboration with Osher Biton. On September 4, she released the single "Ma'aruf".
In 2024, she participated in the third season of the show "Rokdim Im Kokhavim" on Keshet. On March 17, the song "Mishala", was released in collaboration with singer Ivri Lider. On June 30, Valerie Hamaty released the single "Shome'a". Valerie Hamaty is expected to star in the series "Tahrir" on Yes.
In November 2024, she returned to "Rising Star" for its 11th season with the goal of representing Israel in Eurovision Song Contest 2025, eventually finishing second behind Yuval Raphael.

## Discography

* Shuftak (2021)
* Kakha Levater (2021)
* Kakha Levater (2021)
* Mangina (2022)
* Ana Mallet (2022)
* Yeladim Shel HaHayim (2022)
* Halvai (2022)
* Albi (2022)
* Ala Bali (2022)
* Madrasa (2023)
* Laila (2023)
* Hayim (2023)
* Kmo Meshuga (2023)
* Ma'aruf (2023)
* Mishala (2024)
* Habaitak (2024)
* Shome'a (2024)