Jamala, the singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016 on behalf of Ukraine, has been able to leave her country safely. She ended up in Turkey with her children, she says in conversation with the Israeli broadcaster KAN.
Jamala fled on Thursday when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began after hearing explosions near her home. She traveled out of the country via western Ukraine, leaving behind her husband and father. Jamala doesn’t know yet whether she feels safe. ,,Perhaps. I saw there were lists or rumors that I might be a target.”
The singer is happy that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has decided that Russia is no longer welcome in the Eurovision Song Contest. “I think it’s the right decision. In general, any protest is good. In this case, the Eurovision Song Contest is a major international competition and exclusion will certainly mean something. I am grateful to Eurovision for this decision.”
In 2016, Jamala unintentionally caused tensions between Ukraine and Russia. She won at the time with a song that was about the deportation of the approximately 200,000 Crimean Tatars in 1944 by the reign of terror of the then dictator of the Soviet Union, Josef Stalin.
Also listen to the AD Media Podcast:
Watch our Show & Entertainment videos below:
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.