When Ukraine selected Jamala and her song “1944” as their comeback entry for Eurovision 2016, the world’s media was paying attention, asking if the historical content of the song lyrics could also be considered political and therefore in breach of Eurovision rules. The EBU has today confirmed via Twitter that the Reference Group has ruled that “1944” is acceptable for entry in Eurovision.
The song is themed around an event that happened 72 years ago – Stalin’s deportation of Crimean Tatars from their native Crimea. In 2015 the Ukraine parliament recognised the events of 1944 as genocide, but Russia still does not (although they recently admitted some fault for the events). The big question was – could mention of this historic event be seen as criticism of current-day Russia?
The issue was extensively reported on by media around the world. Many fans assumed the lyrics would considered be too politically charged to comply with the Eurovision rules, which states that “No lyrics, speeches, gestures of a political or similar nature shall be permitted during the ESC.”
But in response to a query on Twitter, the EBU clarified the matter:
@Refshaleoen The Ref. Group concluded that the title & lyrics of the song don’t contain political speech and don’t breach @Eurovision Rules.
— EBU (@EBU_HQ) March 9, 2016
The song had another potential issue. The lyrics inverts the text of a traditional Crimean song “Ey, güzel Kirim”, saying, “I couldn’t spend my youth there, because you took away my peace”, which could have also been problematic. But when asked, the EBU confirmed there was no issue.
@ESCKAZ The Ref. Group evaluated the song’s eligibility and agreed it can participate in the 2016 #Eurovision Song Contest. @Eurovision
— EBU (@EBU_HQ) March 9, 2016
This means we’ll definitely see Jamala performing “1944” in Stockholm. With Russia entering an upbeat pop song, the two countries couldn’t be further removed in their approaches to Eurovision 2016.
What do you think? Was the EBU right to approve “1944”? Or are the song lyrics too political? Share your thoughts below.
@David Who you’re welcome! 🙂 What bugged me with her current ESC entry is her sad song. We know Jamala as bright charismatic girl, I just wanted to show the other side of her.
@oxyk Thank you for the YouTube link to “It’s me, Jamala.” Filmed back in 2010, she looks amazing and the video is so funny. She pushes the presenter off the stage, haha! 🙂
@Never forget actually tywm for showing to the world your real Russian mentality. nothing would help your sergay lazarev more that your promotion 🙂 keep it up, let’s see if he can get to the final.
@Never forget take your meds
In WW II, we had that in Soviet Union, Ukraine suport nazis in many large number of people of that state. In ocupaed 1941 Kingdom Yugoslavia , Croatia and their people suport Nazis and many albanian from Kosovo, bosniak from Bosnia and we have Independent state of Croatia from 1941 to 1945 who are consist by suport of Nazis Germany, in ocupaed czehoslovaika we have that slovak suprort Nazis and they have also independent state like NDH in Croatia that state lived like NDH to 1945 .
EBU send not good message with this news. This is the victory for maybe people who suport Nazis during WW II and many Tatars did that during 1941 to 1945 .
oxyk
Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Finlad get independence from Russia in 1917 and how they returt that to suport Nazis from Germany to ocupated Russia and kill milions of russian people. Tatars and ukraine did same in Ukraine .
ok, back to Jamala. here’s her official music video that shows how Jamala will win #1 ar ESC 🙂 beware 🙂
Jamala – It’s Me, Jamala
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvYrAm4SVxM
oxyk
Russia does not sing a song in 2016, about the tragedy of collobrationist as ukraine song this year. Tatars will stay in Ukraine if many of them not join Nazis and kill russian and ukraine people across Ukraine and Soviet Union, who don t follow and suports Nazis from Germany and Nazis from Ukraine.
We alll know that people from Ukraine, Estonia, Letonia, Lithuania support Nazis during WWII in high % of their population.
On this bloggs many from western and Ukraine hate Russia also and EBU reference group . It s all clear. I hope Russia wili send in future song about tragedy of people who killed by nazis from Germany and nazis from Ukraine (many nazis troups in UKraine was full of tatars and ukrainen people) , and we wili see how EBU wili react then.
Phew! That was heavy 😮
im waiting for her perfomance )
*relieved*
Why do people and (especially) media like to exaggerrate things?
Jamala has a marvellous voice but the song just sucks. The theme of peace is a good one and the reference to such horrible historical event (which cointains some political themes) was a perfect example for expressing the need of peace among countries (exactly the same purpose of Eurovision). However I wished this would have been rejected and Jamala chose another song, maybe with the same theme, because I just don’t like it… but, hey, it’s Ukraine, it’ll qualify anyway
Great news! This song is amazing and jamala performs it with all her soul.
There are no “official justification” for this tragedy. It was illegal and criminal according to Russia and Ukraine present point of view. So no politics, just history.
Great that they allowed it! It’s a magical song.
It’s good that she is staying because she has a great song and a world class voice.
@Never forget, nice try.
It is estimated that anywhere between 600,000 and 1,400,000 Soviets (Russians and non-Russians) joined the Wehrmacht forces as Hiwis (or Hilfswillige) in the initial stages of the German Operation Barbarossa, ahead of the subsequent implementation of the more oppressive administrative methods by the SS. As much as 20% of the German manpower in Soviet Russia was composed of the former Soviet citizens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_collaborationism_with_the_Axis_powers
15 000 of Tatars? really? 🙂
@Never Forget, if you feel that every year Russia is getting provoked and misjudged, why don’t it quit? it will be a great relief for the half of participants. how do you think, if Nadya Savchenko, girl whom Russians kidnapped and held for 600 days will die before ESC (because she’s in dry strike now and can die any day now), will Russia be allowed to sing and dance without a risk of provocation? or will Russia consider any booing and thrown objects as a rusophobia?
Maybe Ukraine song is in memory for Waffen SS soldiers from Crimea Tatars who killed at least 15.000 civilians near “Krasny” village. SS-Waffengruppe Krim of Osttürkischer Waffenverband der SS killed many Poland people during Warsaw Uprising
Official justification related with involvement about 20.000 Crimea Tatars in SS criminal actions of Waffen-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment der SS (tatarische), Waffen-Verbände der SS and “Schuma”. Waffen SS soldiers from Crimea Tatars killed at least 15.000 civilians near “Krasny” village. SS-Waffengruppe Krim of Osttürkischer Waffenverband der SS killed many Poland people during Warsaw Uprising
Andrew
For you Abba song Waterloo, is like Jamala political song. In ABBA song we didnt had 0,01 % of politics, in Jamala song we had 100 % politics. We all know that EBU reference group want to provocate Russia, they don t want Russia at contest, they want Australia , maybe from next year China, Canada…..
@jj, to refresh your memory – Ukrainian borders in 1930. notice the native population borders. do you still think that Lenin “gave us” something? when this Russian propaganda will stop? When people will start to research something except it? doh
http://www.faminegenocide.com/kuryliw/map.jpg
Nothing surprise, EBU and reference group from almost western nordic countries, don t want Russia in contest. We had provocation in 2007, in 2009 ( we would heard We don t wanna put in , if the contest was in some western countries that year), we had provocation in Sweden (this year host) with Finland 2013 (girls kiss), man kiss in final in interval act with host who is host and this year , remember when EBU said to Russia , that they would t allow lesbian kiss in 2003, and T.A.T.U. did that on stage, Russia will be disqualified… Read more »
@jj “gave away Russian lands to Ukraine” – which ones? why not to mention that Soviets took these lands from us earlier by killing us in a war? and Russian Pederation still owe us Kuban region. I would say that Lenin took more from us than we actually got back after USSR collapse.
Any Russians here? Give back our Kuban, it’s our land polulated with native Ukrainians! 🙂
The thing is is that Stalin was a Georgian and not a Russian, and that Stalin and Lenin were put into power in a western financed coup. Germany sent one of them, I think Lenin, who was being harbored in Switzerland, in an armored guarded train to sponsor the coup in Russia.
Russians were the victims of these non-Soviet leaders who also gave away Russian lands to Ukraine and expanded Chechnya.
@irish esc we’ll see to it. I believe that Russia won’t qualify semi-finals, hahaha
Excellent <3
she will never make it out of semi final 2 as causal esc fans will think that the song is political anyway and most esc fans don’t vote for those types of songs hahahaha.
in you’ face haters!
Max: You mean a goddess according to some Russians that can smell who Sergey truly is?
Yeah. This is just like a throwback. It is only offensive among people affected if all of them are still living during that harsh times.
Jamala, just like her fellow Turk Safura, may go in as a pre contest fave, but ultimately, will flip flop flip flop woah woah
jamala will flop they should have sent the hardkiss imo
one of my favourites so keep on singing Jamala
Good. I look forward to seeing and hearing Jamala’s performances in the ESC. 🙂
@Max H, careful with that “god” attitude, there’s only one god in Russia 🙂 beware of his worshipers
as expected, the song is valid, as been told by Jamala earlier. sad day for Russian propagandons. go Jamala! 🙂
hey dami im’s released a snippet on her facebook page 🙂
@mocosuburbian
its lit fam!
Sorry Jamala, Sergey doesn’t “think” he is a god, HE IS A GOD!
I love Ukraine normally, but Russia will destroy them this year. Sochi 2017!
YESSSS. Now Ukraine should be extremely likely to win (although it wouldn’t be the only such country)
Fantastic!! I’ve been holding my breath over this for a while but now she can remain my no1.
ITS LIT
Yay
it is right decision cause it`s historic event and not political. Russia and Ukraine have the same point of view on nature of this tragedy, so no political conflict there. Everyone who against about historical references in EU songs – ban Abba`s Waterloo.
Go girl! This is right decision!
There’s no words like “Russia”, “Stalin” or “Putin” in the song
it is a political song and should be disqualified from this years Eurovision imo >: c