) is a Basque

Basque people

The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...

 singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 of Jewish descent, known for his participation in the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...

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Herzog was a member of various groups in the 1980s, including his own band Ébano. For a short time he was the drummer for the band Cadillac

Cadillac (band)

Cadillac were a Spanish pop group, active between 1981 and 1986. They are known internationally for their participation in the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest....

, and later became a member of La Década Prodigiosa

La Década Prodigiosa

La Década Prodigiosa , also known as La Década, is a Spanish music group formed in the mid-eighties that participated in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest....

. He also wrote songs for other artists, including "Tractor amarillo" which was a hit for the group Zapato Veloz in 1991. He released several solo singles in the 1990s, and "Hasta el final del mundo", a duet with Mónica Naranjo

Monica Naranjo

Mónica Naranjo Carrasco is a Spanish singer born in Figueras, a village in Spain to Andalusian parents. She has sold over 8 million albums worldwide.- Biography :...

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In 1998, Herzog was chosen by broadcaster TVE as the Spanish representative for the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1998

The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The presenters were Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson...

 with the song "¿Qué voy a hacer sin ti?

¿Qué voy a hacer sin ti?

"¿Qué voy a hacer sin ti?" was the Spanish entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, performed in Spanish by Mikel Herzog...

" ("What Will I Do Without You?"). At the contest, held in Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

 on 9 May, "¿Qué voy a hacer sin ti?" finished in 16th place of 25 entries.

In 2001, Herzog joined the team of reality TV programme Operación Triunfo

Operación Triunfo

Operación Triunfo is a reality-show talent contest which first aired on Spain's TVE network in 2001. A kind of cross between Pop Idol, Voces en Función, Star Search, and Big Brother, the show aimed to find the country's next solo singing sensation, putting a selection of hopefuls through their...

, which had been created to find the Spanish entrant for the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest. Herzog was the post-academy director, responsible for ongoing coaching of eliminated contestants, some of whom would provide backing vocals for the ultimate winner of the show. In 2007 he was again involved in Spain's Eurovision selection when he was one of five judges on the show Misión Eurovisión 2007

Misión Eurovisión 2007

Misión Eurovisión 2007 is the show in which Spain selected its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, which was held in Helsinki, Finland on May 12, 2007. Misión Eurovisión 2007 was held throughout January and February 2007. The songs and singers was selected separately...

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