As Europe and Israel tune in for this year's Eurovision, a different kind of artist is rising to the stage - not in Basel or Liverpool, but from the heart of Israel's streets, synagogues, and southern communities still healing from October 7. 

His name is Howie, and while he once stood under the bright lights of Kochav Habah (Rising Star) - the very show that selects Israel's Eurovision contestants - his music now resonates in a different key: soul, faith, and national healing.

Born to a Filipino family and raised in Israel, Howie always felt out of place, he told The Jerusalem Post. He wasn't quite Israeli, not fully Filipino, and didn't connect with the faith traditions surrounding him. But from the age of eight, music gave him an identity when everything else felt in question. "Music found me," he said, describing how it gave him a safe space during a childhood marked by isolation and internal conflict.

Though he gained exposure on radio, television, and Rising Star, Howie admits that back then, music lacked a deeper purpose.

That changed the day after October 7. He traveled to Israel's south to support survivors, where he met a boy from Kibbutz Be'eri who had lost both parents. That encounter changed everything. For the first time, Howie wrote a song not just from emotion, but from national memory - his music transformed from performance to testimony.

Howie performing his song ''Only 9'' at Hostage Square with co-songwriter Ilan Eckhardt (credit: Courtesy)
Howie performing his song ''Only 9'' at Hostage Square with co-songwriter Ilan Eckhardt (credit: Courtesy)
His song, "Only 9", released just a month after October 7, tells the story of October 7 through the eyes of the boy from Be'eri as well as the other kids from the area.

His sound, he explains, is rooted in the gospel and R&B influences of his mother's music - Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder - but is now layered with spiritual intention. After converting to Judaism, he began to see his music as tefillah - a form of prayer. "I describe it as converting gospel to 'Jews-bel'," he says with a laugh, reflecting the blend of soul and Jewish identity that defines his style.

Howie's music today is deeply personal. It reflects his ongoing dialogue with God, his internal questions, and his journey through an identity crisis.

He describes himself as a storyteller, not just of his life, but that of Am Yisrael - the Jewish people. Through this lens, his vulnerability becomes a form of strength, and his inner transformation becomes a source of communal healing.

Howie on Rising Star

His experience on Rising Star was formative but, in hindsight, came too soon in his opinion. He was the youngest contestant, watching other artists, such as Israel's soon-to-be at the time Eurovision winner, Netta Barzilai, with their stylists, producers and managers. Reaching the semifinals, he placed fifth. He now believes that not winning, and not advancing to Eurovision at the time, was a blessing. "I wouldn't have survived the intensity back then," he admits.

Today, Howie isn't chasing fame - he's chasing impact. His music speaks to identity, faith, and the raw emotional reality of life in Israel post-October 7. As Eurovision crowns another star, Howie stands in contrast: an artist shaped not by spectacle, but by substance.

And while his path may not have led to the Eurovision stage—at least not yet—his voice is resonating loudly across Israel, offering light, healing, and emunah through every note.