Zlata Ognievych represented Ukraine in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with her song Gravity, which placed third.
Zlata Ognevich made her first attempt to enter the Eurovision Song Contest for Ukraine in 2010 with a song called "Tiny Island" which placed fifth in the run-up. That year Alyosha represented Ukraine with a song called Sweet People, and placed 10th.
In 2011 Zlata made her second unsuccessful attempt to represent Ukraine, this time with a song in the Ukrainian language, called "The Kukushka." She placed second in the run-up, losing out to Mika Newton who represented Ukraine with a song called Angel, which took 4th place in Eurovision 2011.
Ognevich was born in 1986 in Murmansk to Ukrainian parents. She grew up in the Crimean city of Sudak, in the south of Ukraine. Five months after the March 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, Ognevich called the annexation "a very painful tragedy" and stated that her parents, who continue to live in Crimea, would not obtain Russian citizenship.
Ognevich currently resides in Kyiv, where she has lived since age 18. She moved there to pursue a higher music education, and graduated from the Rheingold M. Glière Music College.
During her third year at Rheingold she began working with live bands and did her own promotional work.
She’s since been quite productive as well as patriotic. Her many musical recordings include her own version of Ukraine's national anthem "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina" released in 2014.
That fall, she took a run at politics. In October 2014 she was elected to the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine), where she focused on cultural issues and intellectual property. A year later, she resigned, thoroughly disillusioned with politics.
In 2013, Zlata Ognevich co-hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest with Ukrainian national broadcaster Timur Miroshnychenko. Timur will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv on May 13th.
Here is Zlata Ognevich with her 2013 Eurovision entry, Gravity.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Countdown to Eurovision 2017 - Ukraine's entry for 2011
Mika Newton represented Ukraine at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest, winning fourth place with her song Angel.
She was born Oksana Stefanivna Grytsay (Оксана Стефанівна Грицай) on March 5, 1986, in Burshtyn, western part of Ukraine. She grew up in Ukraine, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where she is pursuing an acting as well as a singing career.
Her first name, Mika, is a derivative from Mick Jagger's first name. Newton stands for a new tone.
As a young child, she taught herself to sing by imitating famous artists she heard on the radio. A natural-born performer, she would beg her mother to invite friends over so she could have an audience to perform for.
By age nine, she was entering regional voice competitions.
Inspired by a video she saw of Michael Jackson, she decided to enrol in performing arts school. At the age of 16, Mika moved to Kyiv, where she studied vocals at the College of Circus and Variety Arts.
She continued to compete in local and international talent contests, more often than not taking first place and eventually attracting the attention of music industry talent scouts. At 16, she was signed with the record label Falyosa Family Factory.
Before the Eurovision Song Contest, Mika released two albums. She also provided theme songs to a number of popular Ukrainian and Russian films and television shows, earning herself the nickname, the “Queen of Soundtracks.”
Soon JK Music Group invited Mika to Los Angeles for a two-week recording session, where she also had the opportunity to perform in front of Grammy Award-winning producer Randy Jackson.
After winning 4th-place in Eurovision Song Contest 2011, Mika Newton signed a contract with JK Music Group and Randy Jackson's Friendship Collective. In June 2011 she moved to Los Angeles, where she started developing her music career as a pop-rock singer in the USA.
In the Eurovision finals on May14, 2011 Newton was accompanied in her performance by sand-artist Kseniya Simonova,who was the 2009 winner of Ukraine's Got Talent.
Here is Mika Newton and her 4th place finish for Eurovision 2011, Angel.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
She was born Oksana Stefanivna Grytsay (Оксана Стефанівна Грицай) on March 5, 1986, in Burshtyn, western part of Ukraine. She grew up in Ukraine, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California, where she is pursuing an acting as well as a singing career.
Her first name, Mika, is a derivative from Mick Jagger's first name. Newton stands for a new tone.
As a young child, she taught herself to sing by imitating famous artists she heard on the radio. A natural-born performer, she would beg her mother to invite friends over so she could have an audience to perform for.
By age nine, she was entering regional voice competitions.
Inspired by a video she saw of Michael Jackson, she decided to enrol in performing arts school. At the age of 16, Mika moved to Kyiv, where she studied vocals at the College of Circus and Variety Arts.
She continued to compete in local and international talent contests, more often than not taking first place and eventually attracting the attention of music industry talent scouts. At 16, she was signed with the record label Falyosa Family Factory.
Before the Eurovision Song Contest, Mika released two albums. She also provided theme songs to a number of popular Ukrainian and Russian films and television shows, earning herself the nickname, the “Queen of Soundtracks.”
Soon JK Music Group invited Mika to Los Angeles for a two-week recording session, where she also had the opportunity to perform in front of Grammy Award-winning producer Randy Jackson.
After winning 4th-place in Eurovision Song Contest 2011, Mika Newton signed a contract with JK Music Group and Randy Jackson's Friendship Collective. In June 2011 she moved to Los Angeles, where she started developing her music career as a pop-rock singer in the USA.
In the Eurovision finals on May14, 2011 Newton was accompanied in her performance by sand-artist Kseniya Simonova,who was the 2009 winner of Ukraine's Got Talent.
Here is Mika Newton and her 4th place finish for Eurovision 2011, Angel.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
Countdown to Eurovision 2017 - Ukraine's entry for 2010 delivers environmentally-charged message
Alyosha represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2010 with her song "Sweet People", which came in 10th.
Alyosha was born Olena Kucher on 14 May 1986 in Zaporizhia) ... two weeks after the Chornobyl disaster. Her song Sweet People reflects concern both for the effects of this disaster and for the world environment. She said at the time that she hoped her song and the music video would reach out to policy and decision makers, and "prompt them to take action on global environment."
The music video was shot in the abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine from April 19 to April 21, 2010.
The director, Victor Skuratovsky, insisted on having no special effects and no artificial set in the video, in order to better reflect the raw reality of the consequences of this disaster.
Parts of the video were shot in an abandoned high school. Aloysha described it as looking as though the kids had left the classrooms in such a hurry that they turned over their desks as they ran out of the room.
On the week ending June 13, 2010, "Sweet People" debuted at number 73 on the Swiss Singles Chart and stayed there for one week. Earlier, it made number 15 on the Ukrainian–Russian chart on March 28, 2010.
Alyosha started a program called Ecovision, which she hoped would bring the environment to the attention of world leaders and galvanize them into action. Her current website does not indicate that her environmental concerns at the time turned into long-term activism; however, she certainly cannot be faulted for raising public awareness about Chornobyl, nor for bringing in another top-ten win for Ukraine at Eurovision.
Here is Alyosha and her 2010 Eurovision entry, Sweet People.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
Alyosha was born Olena Kucher on 14 May 1986 in Zaporizhia) ... two weeks after the Chornobyl disaster. Her song Sweet People reflects concern both for the effects of this disaster and for the world environment. She said at the time that she hoped her song and the music video would reach out to policy and decision makers, and "prompt them to take action on global environment."
The music video was shot in the abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine from April 19 to April 21, 2010.
The director, Victor Skuratovsky, insisted on having no special effects and no artificial set in the video, in order to better reflect the raw reality of the consequences of this disaster.
Parts of the video were shot in an abandoned high school. Aloysha described it as looking as though the kids had left the classrooms in such a hurry that they turned over their desks as they ran out of the room.
On the week ending June 13, 2010, "Sweet People" debuted at number 73 on the Swiss Singles Chart and stayed there for one week. Earlier, it made number 15 on the Ukrainian–Russian chart on March 28, 2010.
Alyosha started a program called Ecovision, which she hoped would bring the environment to the attention of world leaders and galvanize them into action. Her current website does not indicate that her environmental concerns at the time turned into long-term activism; however, she certainly cannot be faulted for raising public awareness about Chornobyl, nor for bringing in another top-ten win for Ukraine at Eurovision.
Here is Alyosha and her 2010 Eurovision entry, Sweet People.
Countdown to Eurovision 2017 - Ukraine's entry for 2008
Ani Lorak represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 with her song, Shady Lady, coming in 2nd to Russia.
She was born Karolina Myroslavivna Kuiek in 1978 in Kitsman, a city located in Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine.
Karolina had a rough childhood. She was raised by a single mother and then in foster care, and later lost a brother to the war in Afghanistan.
As early as age four she wanted to become a singer, and went on to perform at school concerts and music contests.
In 1995 she participated in a contest in Moscow where oddly enough another contestant had entered with the stage name. So she invented her stage name Ani Lorak, which is her first name, Karolina, spelled backwards.
She went on to record internationally and undertake many successful business ventures. In 2011 she was the fifth richest singer in Ukraine, with her team's revenues amounting to $2.35 million that year. Her typical fee is $25,000-$40,000 per concert.
Ani Lorak disappointed many when she came out in support of pro-Russian views regarding the Crimean conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
In 2014 she came under harsh criticism in Ukraine for having accepted awards in Russia while Ukraine was being invaded by Russia.
In August 2014 her concert in Odessa, Ukraine was cancelled after it was disrupted by pro-Ukraine protesters. Lorak then told reporters that she was a true Ukrainian patriot and loved her country dearly, advising her critics to “go and join [the] Anti-Terror Operation” which is what the war in Donbas is officially referred to.
Before 2014, Ani Lorak was one of the most famous and popular female singers in the country. She was also a judge in Ukraine’s version of The Voice. But she fell off her pedestal because she continued to tour Russia and accept awards there, even after the occupation of Crimea and the war in Donbas.
She is not officially banned in Ukraine but, according to an article published by Euromaidan Press, she is "not welcome anymore." In 2015 a bill was put forward to strip Ani Lorak and other pro-Russia singers of the honorary title of “People’s Artist of Ukraine.” That didn't happen, however, due perhaps to the public support of her Ukrainian fans, and she continues to enjoy a successful career as a professional musician.
In 2009 Ani Lorak married her longtime Turkish fiancé and manager, with whom she had a daughter in 2011. They live on the outskirts of Kyiv and travel often to Turkey.
Here is Ani Lorak’s 2008 Eurovision Entry, Shady Lady.
She was born Karolina Myroslavivna Kuiek in 1978 in Kitsman, a city located in Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine.
Karolina had a rough childhood. She was raised by a single mother and then in foster care, and later lost a brother to the war in Afghanistan.
As early as age four she wanted to become a singer, and went on to perform at school concerts and music contests.
In 1995 she participated in a contest in Moscow where oddly enough another contestant had entered with the stage name. So she invented her stage name Ani Lorak, which is her first name, Karolina, spelled backwards.
She went on to record internationally and undertake many successful business ventures. In 2011 she was the fifth richest singer in Ukraine, with her team's revenues amounting to $2.35 million that year. Her typical fee is $25,000-$40,000 per concert.
Ani Lorak disappointed many when she came out in support of pro-Russian views regarding the Crimean conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
In 2014 she came under harsh criticism in Ukraine for having accepted awards in Russia while Ukraine was being invaded by Russia.
In August 2014 her concert in Odessa, Ukraine was cancelled after it was disrupted by pro-Ukraine protesters. Lorak then told reporters that she was a true Ukrainian patriot and loved her country dearly, advising her critics to “go and join [the] Anti-Terror Operation” which is what the war in Donbas is officially referred to.
Before 2014, Ani Lorak was one of the most famous and popular female singers in the country. She was also a judge in Ukraine’s version of The Voice. But she fell off her pedestal because she continued to tour Russia and accept awards there, even after the occupation of Crimea and the war in Donbas.
She is not officially banned in Ukraine but, according to an article published by Euromaidan Press, she is "not welcome anymore." In 2015 a bill was put forward to strip Ani Lorak and other pro-Russia singers of the honorary title of “People’s Artist of Ukraine.” That didn't happen, however, due perhaps to the public support of her Ukrainian fans, and she continues to enjoy a successful career as a professional musician.
In 2009 Ani Lorak married her longtime Turkish fiancé and manager, with whom she had a daughter in 2011. They live on the outskirts of Kyiv and travel often to Turkey.
Here is Ani Lorak’s 2008 Eurovision Entry, Shady Lady.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
Tuesday, May 09, 2017
Countdown to Eurovision 2017 - Ukraine's controversial entry in 2007
"Danzing Lasha Tumbai" was Ukraine’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007. It placed second, losing out to Serbia's "Molitva."
The song includes lyrics in four languages: German, English, Russian and Ukrainian. It was performed by Verka Serduchka amid much controversy ... before, during, and since Eurovision 2007.
Verka Serduchka is actually Andriy Danylko, a drag performer of considerable repute in Ukraine and Russia. His selection as Ukraine's representative at Eurovision was fiercely criticized by several media and politicians of different parties.
One of Ukraine's nationwide FM radio stations organized a protest action in February 2007 to express their disapproval of the selection. Some prominent Ukrainians and even members of the Ukrainian Parliament also expressed their disapproval, viewing the character of Serduchka as "grotesque and vulgar" and a national embarrassment.
Another subject of controversy was song's title and lyrics. In early publicity appearances, Serduchka explained that "lasha tumbai" was a Mongolian expression for "whipped cream." His statement was denied by several Mongols, and The Mongolian Embassy in Moscow said that "lasha tumbai" was total gibberish.
There were also allegations that the words were chosen due to their phonetic resemblance in English to "Russia Goodbye,"supposedly a reference to the 2004-2005 Orange Revolution in Ukraine.
Despite the controversy, Serduchka had the full support of the National Television Company of Ukraine. As well as finishing second in a field of 24, Danzing Lasha Tumbai went on to become a major chart hit not only in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, but throughout Europe.
The song performed well on download charts in Ireland and the UK.
On the Irish iTunes Download chart, it had outsold any other entry by more than double – including the winning entry.
On the French charts the "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" single reached #6 and went on to be #28 on The Official UK Singles Chart on 20 May 2007. This was the first time a non-UK non-winning Eurovision entry had made UK charts since 1974.
The song also made it to the movies. It was used in the movie Spy (2015), twice.
And between Eurovision’s two official Youtube videos Danzing…Lasha Tumbai has over 12 million views. Here is one of them.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
The song includes lyrics in four languages: German, English, Russian and Ukrainian. It was performed by Verka Serduchka amid much controversy ... before, during, and since Eurovision 2007.
Verka Serduchka is actually Andriy Danylko, a drag performer of considerable repute in Ukraine and Russia. His selection as Ukraine's representative at Eurovision was fiercely criticized by several media and politicians of different parties.
One of Ukraine's nationwide FM radio stations organized a protest action in February 2007 to express their disapproval of the selection. Some prominent Ukrainians and even members of the Ukrainian Parliament also expressed their disapproval, viewing the character of Serduchka as "grotesque and vulgar" and a national embarrassment.
Another subject of controversy was song's title and lyrics. In early publicity appearances, Serduchka explained that "lasha tumbai" was a Mongolian expression for "whipped cream." His statement was denied by several Mongols, and The Mongolian Embassy in Moscow said that "lasha tumbai" was total gibberish.
There were also allegations that the words were chosen due to their phonetic resemblance in English to "Russia Goodbye,"supposedly a reference to the 2004-2005 Orange Revolution in Ukraine.
Despite the controversy, Serduchka had the full support of the National Television Company of Ukraine. As well as finishing second in a field of 24, Danzing Lasha Tumbai went on to become a major chart hit not only in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, but throughout Europe.
The song performed well on download charts in Ireland and the UK.
On the Irish iTunes Download chart, it had outsold any other entry by more than double – including the winning entry.
On the French charts the "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" single reached #6 and went on to be #28 on The Official UK Singles Chart on 20 May 2007. This was the first time a non-UK non-winning Eurovision entry had made UK charts since 1974.
The song also made it to the movies. It was used in the movie Spy (2015), twice.
And between Eurovision’s two official Youtube videos Danzing…Lasha Tumbai has over 12 million views. Here is one of them.
Countdown to Eurovision 2017: Ukraine's entry for 2006
In 2006 Tina Karol represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest with her song Show Me Your Love.
Tina Karol was born Tetyana Hryhorivna Liberman on 25 January 1985 to a Ukrainian mother and Jewish father in Orotukan, in the Russian Far East.
At the age of 6, her family moved to Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine. Her father, Grigoriy Liberman was from Vashkivtsi, Ukraine.
Tina Karol graduated from a music school, and later from the Gliere Music College in Kiev, where she studied pop vocal in the Faculty of Singing.
She has participated in numerous youth, regional, international and Jewish singing contests as well as musicals and theatrical shows. As well Tina Karol became the soloist of the Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as well as a television personality.
As a teenager Tina performed with a Jewish dancing ensemble under her real name Tetyana Liberman. Her repertoire included songs in Hebrew and Yiddish. In 2000 she traveled with this ensemble on a fundraising tour to the United States on behalf of Jewish Agency for Israel programs in Ukraine.
In 2005 she was advised to take a stage name that was less Jewish. Shortly afterwards she said publicly that it was a decision she did not regret, as her name no longer hindered her career advancement.
In 2006 Tina Karol was selected to represent Ukraine at Eurovision with the song "Show Me Your Love". The song placed 7th.
2006 was a busy year for Tina Karol. In addition to entering Eurovision, that year she released two albums: her debut album of the same name as the Eurovision song title … Show Me Your Love, and another album entitled Nochenka, with some of songs of the first album in Russian and Ukrainian.
She also participated in the United Nations's Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS campaign to raise awareness and fight HIV/AIDS in Ukraine. In addition, she began studying with the National Aviation University in Kiev … by correspondence.
In 2007, she released another album and wrote a fairy tale, Pautinka, portraying show business as Tina experienced it. Among others, her fellow Eurovision contestant Verka Serduchka are featured in the story.
2009 was another momentous year for Tina Karol. President Viktor Yushchenko awarded her the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine. She was named to a list of the top 100 of "most influential women in Ukraine." As well she was recognized for her beauty with two awards: "The Most Beautiful Singer of Ukraine” by organizers of the beauty contest Miss Ukraine Universe-2009, and was named for the second time "The Most Beautiful Woman of Ukraine" by readers of the glossy magazine "VIVA!"
Tina Karol is a familiar face to Ukrainians at home and in the diaspora. For several years now she has played a prominent role in Голос країни (Holos Krainy, meaning Voice of the Country), a Ukrainian reality talent show that premiered on Ukrainian TV in May 2011.
Holos Krainy is part of the international syndication The Voice based on the reality singing competition launched in the Netherlands as The Voice of Holland. Ukraine’s was the second international adaptation of the program, after the American version.
Tina Karol has continued to win awards for her singing, most recently "People's Artist of Ukraine awarded in January this year by President Petro Poroshenko. She is also carrying on her charitable works, including, notably personally funding her own private foundation to help children with cancer.
Here is Tina Karol performing Ukraine’s 2006 Eurovision entry, 2006, Show Me Your Love.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
Tina Karol was born Tetyana Hryhorivna Liberman on 25 January 1985 to a Ukrainian mother and Jewish father in Orotukan, in the Russian Far East.
At the age of 6, her family moved to Ivano-Frankivsk, in western Ukraine. Her father, Grigoriy Liberman was from Vashkivtsi, Ukraine.
Tina Karol graduated from a music school, and later from the Gliere Music College in Kiev, where she studied pop vocal in the Faculty of Singing.
She has participated in numerous youth, regional, international and Jewish singing contests as well as musicals and theatrical shows. As well Tina Karol became the soloist of the Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces as well as a television personality.
As a teenager Tina performed with a Jewish dancing ensemble under her real name Tetyana Liberman. Her repertoire included songs in Hebrew and Yiddish. In 2000 she traveled with this ensemble on a fundraising tour to the United States on behalf of Jewish Agency for Israel programs in Ukraine.
In 2005 she was advised to take a stage name that was less Jewish. Shortly afterwards she said publicly that it was a decision she did not regret, as her name no longer hindered her career advancement.
In 2006 Tina Karol was selected to represent Ukraine at Eurovision with the song "Show Me Your Love". The song placed 7th.
2006 was a busy year for Tina Karol. In addition to entering Eurovision, that year she released two albums: her debut album of the same name as the Eurovision song title … Show Me Your Love, and another album entitled Nochenka, with some of songs of the first album in Russian and Ukrainian.
She also participated in the United Nations's Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS campaign to raise awareness and fight HIV/AIDS in Ukraine. In addition, she began studying with the National Aviation University in Kiev … by correspondence.
In 2007, she released another album and wrote a fairy tale, Pautinka, portraying show business as Tina experienced it. Among others, her fellow Eurovision contestant Verka Serduchka are featured in the story.
2009 was another momentous year for Tina Karol. President Viktor Yushchenko awarded her the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine. She was named to a list of the top 100 of "most influential women in Ukraine." As well she was recognized for her beauty with two awards: "The Most Beautiful Singer of Ukraine” by organizers of the beauty contest Miss Ukraine Universe-2009, and was named for the second time "The Most Beautiful Woman of Ukraine" by readers of the glossy magazine "VIVA!"
Tina Karol is a familiar face to Ukrainians at home and in the diaspora. For several years now she has played a prominent role in Голос країни (Holos Krainy, meaning Voice of the Country), a Ukrainian reality talent show that premiered on Ukrainian TV in May 2011.
Holos Krainy is part of the international syndication The Voice based on the reality singing competition launched in the Netherlands as The Voice of Holland. Ukraine’s was the second international adaptation of the program, after the American version.
Tina Karol has continued to win awards for her singing, most recently "People's Artist of Ukraine awarded in January this year by President Petro Poroshenko. She is also carrying on her charitable works, including, notably personally funding her own private foundation to help children with cancer.
Here is Tina Karol performing Ukraine’s 2006 Eurovision entry, 2006, Show Me Your Love.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
Countdown to Eurovision 2017 - Ukraine's first time hosting Eurovision 2005
Ukraine’s entry for 2005, the year they first hosted Eurovision, was Razom nas Bahato by GreenJolly.
Razom nas bahato, nas ne podolaty (Разонм нас багато, нас не подолати) was the unofficial anthem of the Orange Revolution, which in late 2004 swept out (temporarily as it turned out) the corrupt election-rigging regime of Victor Yanukhovych, and swept into power the infamously poisoned Victor Yushchenko along with his soon-to-be nemesis, the glamorous and aggressive Yulia Tymoshenko.
Tensions ran high on May 21st, 2005, when Kyiv hosted the event on the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Ukrainian TV had decided that the motto for the 2005 contest would be Awakening, reflecting on the country's dramatic political shifts the year before.
Eurovision organizers insisted that the performer, the Ukrainian hip-hop band Greenjolly, remove political elements from the lyrics, in particular Yushchenko’s name.
Greenjolly complied, garnering Ukraine its lowest ranking to date, but still a reasonably respectable #19. It was Ukraine’s lowest score for any Eurovision entry.
Here is Greenjolly with Razom Nas Bahato ... the Eurovision version, and the original version.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
Razom nas bahato, nas ne podolaty (Разонм нас багато, нас не подолати) was the unofficial anthem of the Orange Revolution, which in late 2004 swept out (temporarily as it turned out) the corrupt election-rigging regime of Victor Yanukhovych, and swept into power the infamously poisoned Victor Yushchenko along with his soon-to-be nemesis, the glamorous and aggressive Yulia Tymoshenko.
Tensions ran high on May 21st, 2005, when Kyiv hosted the event on the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Ukrainian TV had decided that the motto for the 2005 contest would be Awakening, reflecting on the country's dramatic political shifts the year before.
Eurovision organizers insisted that the performer, the Ukrainian hip-hop band Greenjolly, remove political elements from the lyrics, in particular Yushchenko’s name.
Greenjolly complied, garnering Ukraine its lowest ranking to date, but still a reasonably respectable #19. It was Ukraine’s lowest score for any Eurovision entry.
Here is Greenjolly with Razom Nas Bahato ... the Eurovision version, and the original version.
To hear about all of Ukraine's top ten place finishes in Eurovision, check out the podcast of the April 29th, 2017 Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio here.
Monday, May 08, 2017
Countdown to Eurovision 2017 - Ukraine's first win in 2004
May is the month in which the famous Eurovision Song Contest takes place.
Since its debut broadcast in 1956, Eurovision has become one of the longest running televised spectacles in the world. Every year an estimated 100-600 million viewers watch the music competition featuring artists performing their original compositions from countries throughout Europe.
Many famous international musical acts took part in, and owe their fame to, the Eurovision Song Contest—ABBA, Celine Dion, Cliff Richard, Julio Iglesias, the Irish dance act Riverdance, and many others.
It’s a brilliant—and highly entertaining—formula. Participating countries each submit an original song to be performed on live television and radio, which is broadcast simultaneously to all countries. After the last performance, viewers cast votes for the other countries' songs (they are not allowed to vote for their own country’s song). The winning country then hosts the event the following year.
Ukraine has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 13 times, and has finished in the top ten a total of nine times.
Ukraine’s debut was in 2003 with a 14th-place finish for Oleksandr Ponomariov and his entry Hasta La Vista. The very next year, their second time at Eurovision, Ruslana won first place for Ukraine with the Wild Dances.
This year, it’s déjà vu all over again. After taking 2015 off from Eurovision, Ukraine came back last year to win the competition.
Crimean singer Jamala won the top prize for Ukraine with her story of Stalin’s deportation of the Crimean Tatars during WWII.
And once again, Ukraine is hosting Eurovision in Kyiv, on May 13, 2017.
At the end of April, the Vancouver and international editions of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio featured 11 of Ukraine's Eurovision songs … the nine that placed in the top ten, and the two entries in the hosting years.
So this week, we’re going to count down the days here on the Nash Holos blog. We'll review those tunes and the show notes again.
If you’re impatient and want to hear the whole thing in one sitting, check out the podcast for the April 29th Vancouver edition of the show here.
The show opened with Ukraine’s first winning entry, in 2004, Ruslana’s song, Wild Dances, with lyrics in English and Ukrainian. Here is the video.
Since its debut broadcast in 1956, Eurovision has become one of the longest running televised spectacles in the world. Every year an estimated 100-600 million viewers watch the music competition featuring artists performing their original compositions from countries throughout Europe.
Many famous international musical acts took part in, and owe their fame to, the Eurovision Song Contest—ABBA, Celine Dion, Cliff Richard, Julio Iglesias, the Irish dance act Riverdance, and many others.
It’s a brilliant—and highly entertaining—formula. Participating countries each submit an original song to be performed on live television and radio, which is broadcast simultaneously to all countries. After the last performance, viewers cast votes for the other countries' songs (they are not allowed to vote for their own country’s song). The winning country then hosts the event the following year.
Ukraine has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 13 times, and has finished in the top ten a total of nine times.
Ukraine’s debut was in 2003 with a 14th-place finish for Oleksandr Ponomariov and his entry Hasta La Vista. The very next year, their second time at Eurovision, Ruslana won first place for Ukraine with the Wild Dances.
This year, it’s déjà vu all over again. After taking 2015 off from Eurovision, Ukraine came back last year to win the competition.
Crimean singer Jamala won the top prize for Ukraine with her story of Stalin’s deportation of the Crimean Tatars during WWII.
And once again, Ukraine is hosting Eurovision in Kyiv, on May 13, 2017.
At the end of April, the Vancouver and international editions of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio featured 11 of Ukraine's Eurovision songs … the nine that placed in the top ten, and the two entries in the hosting years.
So this week, we’re going to count down the days here on the Nash Holos blog. We'll review those tunes and the show notes again.
If you’re impatient and want to hear the whole thing in one sitting, check out the podcast for the April 29th Vancouver edition of the show here.
The show opened with Ukraine’s first winning entry, in 2004, Ruslana’s song, Wild Dances, with lyrics in English and Ukrainian. Here is the video.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Ukrainian Christians celebrate Easter together in 2017
Whether they belong to the Ukrainian Catholic church, the Ukrainian Orthodox church, or a Protestant denomination, this spring festival celebrates the central event of the Christian faith—the resurrection of Christ three days after his death by crucifixion.
This year Ukrainian Christians celebrate Easter (also known as Pascha or Velykden) on the same day. That doesn't happen often, however.
That's because of the "calendar thing."
This issue of the two calendars has be-deviled Ukrainians and other Eastern Christians for over a century now.
So in 1582, Pope Gregory created a calendar that corrected the discrepancy and would be more accurate going forward. This new calendar was called the Gregorian calendar, named for its creator.
The western world quickly adopted the new calendar. But Eastern rite churches had been aligned with Constantinople, not Rome, since the Great Schism of 1054. They were having none of this "new" calendar created by who they considered merely a "Bishop of Rome."
Shortly afterward, matters got more complicated, with the creation of the Ukrainian Catholic (Eastern) Rite. In 1596 some Ukrainian clerics switched their allegiance to Rome while retaining the religious doctrines and practices of the Orthodox faith,
While this new schism created political tension amongst Ukrainian Christians, they were nonetheless united when it came to following the Julian calendar while the western world followed the Gregorian.
That wasn't a problem at first, as the two worlds didn't intersect much. But of course that wouldn't last.
On March 1, 1918, the Central Rada (parliament) of the then short-lived independent Ukrainian state introduced the Gregorian calendar into civil life. Attempts to introduce it into the church were met with fierce resistance from the people, however. So the Ukrainian Orthodox and Greek Rite Catholics churches continued to follow the Julian calendar for religious holidays.
A few weeks earlier, on January 24, 1918, the Bolsheviks officially decreed the change in Soviet Russia from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. Ironically, the change was initiated by the Russian Orthodox church, which later reverted to the Julian calendar. The Soviet state of course stuck with the Gregorian calendar.
In the mid- and late 20th century, the Ukrainian Catholic church in Canada and other diaspora communities started to make the switch to the Gregorian calendar. This happened at varying times starting from 1941, after the church received permission in 1936 to make the switch.
Today, a few Ukrainian Catholic churches in Canada still follow the Julian calendar, but there is growing pressure (particularly in Eastern Canada) by the church hierarchy to change.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Orthodox church has traditionally stayed with the Julian calendar, along with other Orthodox churches.
However, the Orthodox are also under pressure to change. In 1923 a revised calendar was introduced at an inter-Orthodox congress in Constantinople (now Istanbul). This revised calendar is virtually identical to the Gregorian calendar, with the exception of Easter. In Canada some Orthodox follow this while others observe the original Julian calendar.
As a result of the calendar chaos, Ukrainian Christians celebrate Easter from one to five weeks apart, depending on their church.
Occasionally, however, Easter falls on the same day on both calendars. That has happened quite often in recent years—2010, 2011, and 2014.
As well, it falls on the same day, this year, 2017. The calendars won’t coincide again on Easter until 2025.
Whatever year or calendar, Ukrainian Easter is spectacularly beautiful, as you can see in these videos of Easter services in both Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox churches.
Христос Воскрес! Воїстино Воскрес!
Monday, February 13, 2017
Armistice Film series on Canada's First Internment operations
Ryan Boyko of Armistice Films has created a brilliant series of video vignettes on Canada's first internment operations from 1914-1920.
There were 26 camps from coast to coast, including one in Nanaimo on Canada's west coast.
I don't really consider myself an internee descendant. I am only the great-niece of an internee, and don't recall ever meeting my great Uncle Harry (perhaps as a young child). I only recently met his son, Ed (my dad's cousin) and his wife Josie in person when they were here visiting Nanaimo this past fall.
Still, I think the experience had an impact on the entire family, if not succeeding generations of Ukrainian Canadians descended from that time.
Maybe it explains how such a large family as ours became so disconnected in just a generation or two. Dad loves to tell stories of how close everyone was in his youth. Yet of all the cousins I have, including those I was so close to during my own youth, I am in (infrequent) touch with just a handful.
Who can really know the full extent of the consequences resulting from the cruelty and indifference that human beings are capable of manifesting?
Last November Ryan and his film crew came to Nanaimo to document the camp that existed here, in which Uncle Harry may have briefly been.
What wasn't included in this film is the discussion we had at the site with someone who had witnessed vandalism of the plaque from his apartment across the street.
Just as well, perhaps. Ryan tells a powerful story without it.
There were 26 camps from coast to coast, including one in Nanaimo on Canada's west coast.
I don't really consider myself an internee descendant. I am only the great-niece of an internee, and don't recall ever meeting my great Uncle Harry (perhaps as a young child). I only recently met his son, Ed (my dad's cousin) and his wife Josie in person when they were here visiting Nanaimo this past fall.
Still, I think the experience had an impact on the entire family, if not succeeding generations of Ukrainian Canadians descended from that time.
Maybe it explains how such a large family as ours became so disconnected in just a generation or two. Dad loves to tell stories of how close everyone was in his youth. Yet of all the cousins I have, including those I was so close to during my own youth, I am in (infrequent) touch with just a handful.
Who can really know the full extent of the consequences resulting from the cruelty and indifference that human beings are capable of manifesting?
Last November Ryan and his film crew came to Nanaimo to document the camp that existed here, in which Uncle Harry may have briefly been.
What wasn't included in this film is the discussion we had at the site with someone who had witnessed vandalism of the plaque from his apartment across the street.
Just as well, perhaps. Ryan tells a powerful story without it.
Tuesday, February 07, 2017
"This is why we had a Maidan."
Photos and footage of my visit with a "Cyborg," one of the Ukrainian Heroes who defended the Donetsk airport and survived an ambush in Debaltseve.
My guide and translator, Nick Buderatsky, shows us a side of the war seldom shown by the western media to a world that still can't seem to grasp the reasons "why we had a Maidan."
My guide and translator, Nick Buderatsky, shows us a side of the war seldom shown by the western media to a world that still can't seem to grasp the reasons "why we had a Maidan."
Thursday, February 02, 2017
Canada must take concrete action and support Ukraine: Opposition
OTTAWA – On February 2, 2017 Peter Kent, the Official Opposition Critic for Foreign Affairs, and James Bezan, the Official Opposition Critic for National Defence, issued the following statement urging Canada’s new Foreign Minister, the Hon. Chrystia Freeland, and her colleagues to take concrete action and support Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression:
“Russian forces continue to illegally occupy Ukraine’s sovereign territory and indiscriminate rebel artillery barrages are driving thousands of civilians from their communities. As conditions deteriorate, Canada should not hesitate in offering additional support to our Ukrainian allies.
"While the previous Conservative government was proud to be a world leader in its support for Ukraine, many of our initiatives are set to expire. We are calling on the Trudeau government to immediately renew and expand Canada’s support for humanitarian and military assistance and reverse the Liberal policy of appeasing the Kremlin and immediately restore the sharing of RADARSAT satellite images with the Government of Ukraine.
“The Canadian Armed Forces’ training mission in Ukraine, Operation UNIFIER, is set to expire at the end of March. For nearly two years, Canadian troops have been providing training in explosive ordnance disposal, flight safety, logistics system modernization, military policing, and medical training. In addition, over the last six months Ukraine’s President, Petro Poroshenko, has repeatedly called on Prime Minister Trudeau to extend Canada’s mission beyond March 2017. He deserves a clear answer.
“The Liberals should also demonstrate their willingness to stand up to the illegal actions of the Putin regime by following through on their election promise to implement sanctions against corrupt foreign officials. The sanctions put in place by our previous Conservative government have been effective and until the illegal occupation and annexation ends, they should be maintained and strengthened.
“In addition, Conservatives have put forward ‘Magnitsky’ style legislation which, if passed, would hold Russia’s corrupt officials, murders and torturers to account. Prime Minister Trudeau’s first Foreign Affairs Minister refused to take a stand. We urge Minister Freeland to reverse the government’s position and support our Magnitsky Act.
“Canada has long been a steadfast ally and supporter of Ukraine. As their sovereignty continues to be threatened, now is not the time for Canada to hesitate. The Trudeau government must translate their verbal support into concrete action.”
-30-
For more information:
Office of James Bezan, MP
Phone: 613-992-2032
media@jamesbezan.com
Office of Peter Kent, MP
Phone: 613-992-0253
peter.kent@parl.gc.ca
Phone: 613-992-2032
media@jamesbezan.com
Office of Peter Kent, MP
Phone: 613-992-0253
peter.kent@parl.gc.ca
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