# Life echoes art for Ukraine’s Eurovision refugee Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-03-18 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Ukrainian singer Jamala's harrowing escape from Russian Meta Description: Follow Ukrainian singer Jamala's harrowing journey from Eurovision victory to fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, urging unity and support for her URL: https://financedigest.com/life-echoes-art-for-ukraines-eurovision-refugeehtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-03-18t075807z1lynxnpei2h0a7rtroptp4ukraine-crisis-turkey-jamala-1736815955625-compressed.jpg) By Yesim Dikmen ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Six years ago Ukrainian singer Jamala conquered Europe with a song about Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s deportation of hundreds of thousands of people from her Black Sea homeland of Crimea in World War Two. “When strangers are coming, they come to your house. They [kill you all and say](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-says-first-civilians-killed-in-lviv-fighters-cling-on-in-mariupol.html "Ukraine says first civilians killed in Lviv, fighters cling on in Mariupol") ‘We’re not guilty’,” she sang in a sombre anthem that was the surprise 2016 winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, usually a feast of light-hearted camp. Now Jamala is a refugee herself after fleeing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, which drove her and her children to [seek shelter outside Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-seeks-debt-payment-freeze-as-war-ravages-economy.html "Ukraine seeks debt payment freeze as war ravages economy"). On February 24 my husband woke me up and told me that the [war had started and that Russia](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-sharply-scales-back-far-east-war-games-with-china.html "Russia sharply scales back Far East war games with China") had attacked us. At that moment, I was shocked. It felt like a nightmare,” she told Reuters in an interview in Istanbul. The 38-year-old, whose real name is Susana Jamaladinova, sheltered in a Kyiv bomb shelter before escaping to [Turkey with her two children – leaving](https://www.financedigest.com/turkey-says-five-more-grain-ships-leave-ukrainian-ports.html "Turkey says five more grain ships leave Ukrainian ports") her husband to fight the approaching Russian army. The journey to safety was not easy, and she sang to her children to distract them from the danger. “We were in the car and we heard this bzzzz noise. We saw (a rocket) in front of us,” she said, describing her confusion about whether to press on or [turn back](https://www.financedigest.com/back-to-the-land-lebanese-family-turns-to-farming-to-survive-crises.html "Back to the land: Lebanese family turns to farming to survive crises"). “I was lost, but I had to go forward. It was scary.” Jamala, a Crimean Tatar whose relatives were victims of the 1944 deportations, [urged Europeans to unite behind her country](https://www.financedigest.com/switzerlands-engineering-sector-urges-country-to-start-energy-saving-now.html "Switzerland’s engineering sector urges country to start energy saving now"). It is not only a Ukrainian war, it is war against [European values,”](https://www.financedigest.com/procurementin-european-private-equity-investment-adding-value-to-the-boardroom.html "Procurement in European private equity investment – adding value to the boardroom.") she said. “I think we are all in the same boat.” She took that message earlier this month to Berlin, where she performed her 2016 song again at a preliminary round of this year’s Eurovision – this time to promote [support for Ukraine’s](https://www.financedigest.com/natos-support-for-ukraine-is-unbreakable-spains-pm-sanchez-says.html "NATO’s support for Ukraine is unbreakable, Spain’s PM Sanchez says") army. Russia, which describes its offensive in Ukraine as a [“special military operation” is barred this year](https://www.financedigest.com/scam-special-how-to-avoid-christmas-shopping-fraud-this-year.html "Scam Special: How to Avoid Christmas Shopping Fraud this Year"). One of the favourites for the Eurovision final, which has a [huge global](https://www.financedigest.com/impact-com-announces-huge-investment-in-workforce-with-raft-of-new-hires-globally.html "impact.com announces huge investment in workforce with raft of new hires globally") television audience, is Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra. Even though it operates out of the west of the country, which is less affected by the three-week conflict, band members have had to rehearse separately while they take on wartime duties. Lead singer Oleh Psiuk is running a 20-strong volunteer group, supplying medicines and helping people [flee the war](https://www.financedigest.com/after-fleeing-war-ukrainians-struggle-to-settle-around-europe.html "After fleeing war, Ukrainians struggle to settle around Europe"). His girlfriend has been making Molotov cocktails, and another band [member is serving in the territorial defence unit](https://www.financedigest.com/simalliance-members-report-shipments-of-4-9-billion-sims-in-2017-while-estimated-total-available-sim-market-in-2017-increases-2-75-to-5-6-billion-units.html "SIMalliance Members Report Shipments of 4.9 Billion SIMs in 2017, while Estimated Total Available SIM Market in 2017 Increases 2.75% to 5.6 Billion Units   "). For Jamala, initially hesitant about performing while her country was under fire, doubts vanished when she started to sing: “It seems to me that now this is what I can do. If I can sing and raise money to help Ukraine, I will continue to do it.” (Reporting by Yesim Dikmen; Additional reporting by Margaryta Chornokondratenko; Editing by Dominic Evans and Tom Hogue) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---