“I gave interviews to more than a hundred journalists and every one of them thanked me for the participation in this year’s contest. They did not know why the song was called ‘1944,’ what was it about and what did I sing in the chorus. They were thankful for the music,” admitted the singer. “All the songs were of equal level, mine was just different in content and in sound...”
“I’m not going to enter politics, and I haven’t thought of peacekeeping activity yet... I am concerned about the issue of Crimean Tatars, but do not know at the moment what can I do in this regard. I’m just a musician!”
Incidentally, on May 25, she will perform at a solo concert in the Ukraina Palace.
“Jamala won and showed what the image of a country can look like,” said Larysa Ivshyna, editor-in-chief of Den/The Day, in an interview with 112 television channel. “Now we have to learn the skills of policy-making according to equally high standards. Then the Kremlin will have no chances to prevail. I always say that our national idea is identity and modernization. Jamala is the personification of these two wonderful features. She has not rejected her people in a difficult time when it is facing the drama and tragedy for the second time in its history, and she presented a story about it on a high aesthetic level...”
Since her baby steps in professional music, our newspaper has supported the talented singer, having seen in her not only the talent, but also originality, diligence, education, and the courage to neglect the routes of the glamorous show business. And it yielded excellent results. Yaroslava Yatchenko, The Day’s director for marketing, presented Jamala with gifts from our editor-in-chief: a branded kerchief, which she immediately donned on her shoulders, the book Return to Tsarhorod, photographs that show her arrival from Stockholm, and the latest issues of Den and The Day in Ukrainian and English, which highlighted her victory at the Eurovision Song Contest.
At Den, we are pleased to have many things in common with Jamala. First, Jamala demonstrates a high level of identity and modernization – and these are the motto of our newspaper. The second thing is... the tree! Yes, we have a real project called “The Tree of Knowledge,” the focus of which is to grow from something small to something big and valuable. Third, it is a unique way the singer treads her path. Den celebrates 20th anniversary this year, and through all these years we have tried to provide a quality alternative to the readers. And the fourth thing is almost a family story told by Yaroslava Yatchenko.
By Tetiana POLISHCHUK, The Day
* * *
She sang no matter when and where
I was 12 years old when fate has got us into the village of Malorechenske (Crimea). We came across a small hotel, owned by Susana Jamaladinova’s family. It was dark already, as my family: I, father, mother, uncle, aunt, sister, and our friends were looking for accommodation. We saw a small hotel, and I still remember the cordiality of the owners. It was a colorful family, all of them musical and very hospitable... there were nights when they staged mini-concerts in which the whole family performed.
Jamala’s mother cooked a wonderful lagman for us. At his cafe on the beach, her dad roasted an incredible shashlik in the evenings (my dad says that it was he who taught him how to prepare a marinade for meat)...
That trip to Crimea had been quite difficult for me, as I fell very ill in a few days. I remember how we traveled every hospital we could reach, and nothing had helped except for injections three times a day. Susana then was a schoolgirl, and she was a person to share those experiences with me. Every night she came to my room, we talked, and most importantly – she sang, and you know – her singing healed me (sometimes, when she had a lot of work, her mother used to come to me). These are life’s emotions that stay with you forever, and not because the girl became famous or something... but because Susana is so humane, kind, hardworking, and simply great... These were the words with which we could describe future Jamala. Even then her potential not just as a singer, but as a great musician, was apparent. She has recorded a few songs on a tape (as I returned home, I used to listen to the tape often; the songs are bright and very positive).
YAROSLAVA YATCHENKO AND JAMALA / Photo by Artem SLIPACHUK, The Day
Then there was another summer... And another one...
Sometimes we managed to “steal” Susana (her entire family worked in the family business, the hotel and the cafe, and she was always busy) and just take her for a walk along the sea, through the line of beach cafes and bars... And once, as we visited a place with live music, we wanted our girl to sing there... afterwards, the musicians who worked at that place were unable to continue, as the public demanded to bring Susana back.
She sang no matter when and where, no matter whether she was sad or funny, inspiring or tired, at any moment, doing any work! You just go outside in the morning and see her taking care of plants and singing...
When I learned that Susana began a career in Kyiv, I was incredibly excited, together with my entire family.
I think that she manifested herself as a singer of high level at “New Wave” in Jurmala. Her performance of “Oh My Green Mountain…” touched the soul of everyone.
Of course, we were rooting for her back when Jamala wanted to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. But she ultimately went on to perform at that contest this year, with the song “1944”... and not then. It was the right choice.
It is her talent, sincerity, hard work, and open soul (a limitless soul, such people are not so many) showed everyone what Crimean Tatar people are capable of, despite all the challenges they are constantly facing. For me personally, she brought faith and hope, like a sun’s ray among the clouds...
I’m a fan of her work; I try to attend all her concerts. Some songs of hers, as well as her voice, are a great remedy for my illnesses, these time the emotional ones.
Thank you, my dear Susana, for being with us, with our people, for being such a strong and talented person, so sincere and heartfelt, so warm and bright! You are the future of Ukraine! I am sure that very soon you will become a singer of worldwide prominence, not only of Eurovision fame. You deserve it like no one else!
I asked my family what they remember about Jamala, and all of them said as one: she always sang!
The soul – that’s how I can describe it. She is the soul of Ukrainian people.
I can tell infinitely long stories about her when I remember the tears of joy and pride. Today I visited her press conference... It is certain that Jamala keeps away from politics and the song “1944” should be regarded in the context of not only Ukraine-Russia relations, but as a problem of global scale... I think we have a great future with her.
By Yaroslava YATCHENKO, The Day
