1944 (song)

"1944"
Single by Jamala
Released 12 February 2016
Format Digital download
Recorded 2015
Genre
Length 3:00
Label Enjoy Records
Writer(s)
  • Jamala

Art Antonyan

Jamala singles chronology
"Zlyva"
(2014)		 "1944"
(2016)
Ukraine "1944"
Eurovision Song Contest 2016 entry
Country
Artist(s)
Languages
Composer(s)
Jamala
Lyricist(s)
Art Antonyan Jamala
Appearance chronology
◄ "Tick-Tock" (2014)   

"1944" is a song performed by Ukrainian singer Jamala (Ukrainian: Джамала). The song will represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016.[1]

Background and lyrics

"1944" lyrically speaks about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in the 1940s by the Soviet Union at the hands of Joseph Stalin.[2] Particularly Jamala was inspired by the story of her great-grandmother Nazylkhan, who was in her mid-20s when she, her four sons and daughters were deported to barren Central Asia. One of the daughters didn't survive the trip.[3][4][5][6] Meanwhile Jamala's great-grandfather was fighting in World War II in the Red Army, and thus couldn't protect his family.[5]

The song's chorus in the Crimean Tatar language are words that Jamala has heard from her great-grandmother, reflecting the inability to spend her youth in her homeland.[7]

National Selection and Eurovision Song Contest

Ukraine withdrew from the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, citing costs[8]. After deciding to return to the contest in 2016, a selection process to determine the representative of Ukraine was opened, combining resources from the state broadcaster NTU and private STB[9]. Jamala was announced as one of the eighteen competing acts in the Ukrainian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. She performed in the first semi-final on 6 February 2016, where she won both the jury and televote, advancing to the final.[10] In the final, she placed second with the jury and first with the televote, resulting in a tie with The Hardkiss and their song "Helpless". However, Jamala was announced the winner due to televoting being the tiebreaker.[1] She received 37,77% of more than 382 thousand televotes.[11]

Jamala will now represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, performing in the second half of the second semi-final.[12] "1944" is the first Eurovision song to contain lyrics in the Crimean Tatar language.

Accusations of political load

Jamala has said in an interview that the song also reminds her of her own family living in Crimea nowadays, claiming that since the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea "the Crimean Tatars are on occupied territory".[2][nb 1] But the song lyrics do not address this annexation.[14] Eurovision rules prohibit songs with lyrics that could be interpreted as having "political content".[14]

Immediately after the selection of this song, some Russian politicians, as well as authorities in Crimea, accused the Ukrainian authorities of using the song "to offend Russia" and "capitalising on the tragedy of the Tatars to impose on European viewers a false picture of alleged harassment of the Tatars in the Russian Crimea".[6][nb 2]

On 9 March 2016, a tweet from the European Broadcasting Union confirmed that neither the title nor the lyrics of the song contained "political speech" and therefore it didn't breach any Eurovision rule, therefore allowing it to participate in the competition.[16]

Critical reception

Prior to Ukrainian national selection finals, "1944" received 8.33 out of 10 points from a jury of Eurovision blog Wiwibloggs,[17] the highest score among the six finalists in Ukraine.[18]

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Ukraine (FDR)[19] 6

Track listing

Digital download[20]
No. Title Length
1. "1944"   3:00

Release history

Region Date Format Label
Worldwide 12 February 2016[20] Digital download Enjoy Records

Notes

  1. ↑ Crimea is currently under dispute by Russia and Ukraine.[13]
  2. ↑ Russian MP Vadim Dengin of the far-right LDPR believed the song's victory was fixed because "Most of the citizens of Ukraine who do not receive any salary or pensions have nothing to pay for electricity, and secondly, they do not care about this Eurovision".[15] He also expressed hope that the song would be banned from participation by Eurovision.[15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Omelyanchuk, Olena (21 February 2016). "Jamala will represent Ukraine in Stockholm!". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  2. 1 2 Veselova, Viktoria; Melnykova, Oleksandra (11 February 2016). "Crimean singer in line to represent Ukraine at Eurovision". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Savage, Mark (22 February 2016). "Eurovision: Ukraine's entry aimed at Russia". BBC News. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Jamala entered Eurovision-2016 national selection". QHA.com.ua. 26 January 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Jamala leads after the first semifinal of the National Selection to the Eurovision 2016". The Day. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  6. 1 2 Russia MPs slam Ukraine's choice of Crimean Tatar for Eurovision, Yahoo News (23 February 2016)
  7. ↑ Halpin, Chris (8 February 2016). "1994 Lyrics - Jamala (Ukraine, Eurovision 2016)". Wiwibloggs. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  8. ↑ Jiandani, Sanjay (Sergio) (19 September 2014). "Ukraine: NTU will not participate in Eurovision 2015". esctoday. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  9. ↑ Gallagher, Robyn (19 November 2015). Wiwibloggs http://wiwibloggs.com/2015/11/19/ukraine-details-national-selection-process-revealed/107700/. Retrieved 6 May 2016. Text "UKRAINE: STATE BROADCASTER TO COLLABORATE WITH STB FOR NATIONAL SELECTION 2016" ignored (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ Omelyanchuk, Olena (6 February 2016). "Ukraine: Results of the first semi-final". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "Детальні результати глядацького голосування «Євробачення-2016» (фiнал)" (in Ukrainian). STB. 21 February 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  12. ↑ Jordan, Paul (25 January 2016). "Allocation Draw: The results!". eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  13. ↑ Gutterman, Steve. "Putin signs Crimea treaty, will not seize other Ukraine regions". Reuters.com. Retrieved 2014-03-26.
  14. 1 2 Ukraine picks Crimean Tatar for Eurovision, Times Union (21 February 2014)
    Eurovision: Ukraine's entry aimed at Russia, BBC News (22 February 2016)
  15. 1 2 (Ukrainian) In State Duma they want Jamal not to be allowed in Eurovision, Ukrayinska Pravda (22 February 2016)
  16. ↑ "The Ref. Group concluded that the title & lyrics of the song don't contain political speech and don't breach @Eurovision Rules.". European Broadcasting Union. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  17. ↑ "Wiwi Jury: Ukraine’s Jamala with "1944"". Wiwibloggs. February 14, 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  18. ↑ "Wiwi Jury Results: Jamala is our favorite to win in Ukraine". Wiwibloggs. February 21, 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  19. ↑ FDR Ukraine Airplay Chart (14 March 2016)
  20. 1 2 "1944 - Single". itunes.com. Apple.
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