The song “1944,” by singer-songwriter Susana Jamaladynova who performs as Jamala, has won the 2016 Eurovision song contest for Ukraine. This victory makes the annual event something more than a musical competition.
“1944” recalls Stalin’s mass deportation of Crimean Tatars. As the Guardian explained, Stalin accused the Tatars of collaborating with Nazi forces who occupied the Crimean peninsula and in 1944 forcibly moved them to central Asia and other remote areas. Between 20 and 50 percent of the deportees died within the first two years of exile.
For Jamala, it’s more than a historical reference. The deportees included her great-grandmother, …read more
Source: FrontPage Mag
