Ukrainian singer Jamala’s melancholic tune about Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars was crowned the victor of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest early Sunday, an unusual choice for the kitschy pop fest.
Advertisement
People celebrate while watching TV as Jamala of Ukraine wins the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, in a restaurant in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, May 15, 2016.
Ukrainian singer Jamala snatched victory from arch-rival Russian Federation to win the Eurovision song contest, adding a touch of political drama to the annual kitsch extravaganza.
The latter were the televoting favourite as Sergey Lazarev won the public vote – but he lost in the jury vote and could only come in third place.
Justin Timberlake provided the half-time entertainment, opening his performance with his hit Dance With Me before moving on to his new single, Can’t Stop the Feeling.
Several Russian politicians and commentators blamed the result on hostility towards their country.
Accepting her Eurovision trophy, she said: “I know that you sing a song about peace and love, but actually, I really want peace and love to everyone”.
At a news conference, Jamala said the experiences of her great-grandmother had inspired song. “I would prefer the song did not exist at all”.
With Ukraine’s win, the Eurovision crown remains safely within Europe.
At the half-way point after the juries’ votes had been counted, Australia – which had been invited back to perform after last year’s 60th anniversary celebrations – topped the scoreboard with 320 points and a firm lead over Ukraine’s 211 points. It provided a vast dollop of suspense, as the organisers had hoped – as well as some interesting insights as to how violently differently televisions audiences voted compared with their supposed “expert” national juries.
“The song refers to a historical fact and Jamala makes reference to a story that happened in her family”, EBU director general Ingrid Deltenre said after the show.
A statement said: “We’ve had the experience of a lifetime performing on such a massive stage in front of so many people, we will cherish the moment forever”.
Eurovision 2016 gave us exciting performance to behold and wonder.
Despite finishing so close to the bottom of the table, many voiced their support for the pair.
Phillip Schofield tweeted in consolation that, despite them doing a great job, “you’ll never beat the politics”.
Zelmerlow said: “Once again, Europe is facing darker times”.
Mede added: “Now we set aside any differences we have”.
Sweden, which won in 2015 and hosted this year’s competition, came in fifth.
Advertisement
Eurovision, which was started in the 1950s with the aim of uniting Europe after World War II, has expanded ever further outside the continent in recent years due to its popularity. Norton paid tribute to Sir Terry who died in January, declaring that this year the contest was “bittersweet” for him.
