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This weekend, the Eurovision song contest was held, and the winner was Jamala from Ukraine.
This win was incredible because the song was a somber, and serious tone about the deportation of her Crimean ethnic group by the Russians in World War II.
Russian state media have called the song “anti-Russian”, and have even suggested that the song broke the Eurovision rules, as the competition does not allow songs that are political in nature. The contest officials determined that the winning song did not violate the rules of the contest.
But Jamala has admitted that the song is based in history, from stories of her family years ago. Stalin deported the Crimean Tatars under suspicion of collaboration with the Germans during the war. During a news conference, Jamala said “I was sure that if you sing, if you talk about truth, it can really touch people. And I was right.”
She does not deny that the events of recent years played a role for her song. “Of course, it’s about 2014 as well. These two years have added so much sadness to my life,” the singer told The Guardian newspaper this week.
The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, congratulated Jamala on twitter:
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And even Twitter posted a clip of the song for their “video of the day”
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This win helped to secure Ukraine as the location for the 2017 Eurovision contest.
What is Eurovision?
- It is an international song contest.
- It has been held since 1956, making it one of the longest running international song competitions
- 52 countries have participated in the contest
- Each country gets one entrant, and they must perform an original song.
- TV audience of 100 million – 600 million per contest.
The lyrics of Jamala’s song, translated into English:
1944
1
When strangers are coming…
They come to your house,
They kill you all
and say,
We’re not guilty
not guilty.
Where is your mind?
Humanity cries.
You think you are gods.
But everyone dies.
Don’t swallow my soul.
Our souls
Yaşlığıma toyalmadım
Men bu yerde yaşalmadım
Yaşlığıma toyalmadım
Men bu yerde yaşalmadım
2
We could build a future
Where people are free
to live and love.
The happiest time.
Where is your heart?
Humanity rise.
You think you are gods
But everyone dies.
Don’t swallow my soul.
Our souls.
