This was reported by Kalush Mayor Andrii Naida in Telegram According to him, there is also no heat supply in the city, and there are power outages social institutions and hospitals had to switch to generators As the agency reported earlier, Russians attacked DTEK's thermal power plants in the morning, seriously damaging the equipment. Part of Prykarpattia is without power as a result of the Russian attack While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 The Eurovision 2025 season is beginning to heat up we will all fall in and out of love with scores of new national final and Eurovision entries But that doesn’t mean we forget about the artists from past contests Contrary to the commonly perpetuated myth about the song contest killing careers we’re always thrilled to report that singers associated with Eurovision are thriving Here is our latest weekly roundup with a selection of the songs released recently by Eurovision stars With so many new songs this week, we’ve split the roundup into two smaller articles. You can find part 1 here “Someday we will be grey / Standing together above the slopes / I am still in love / You are still beautiful.” Everlasting love may sometimes sound like the stuff of fairy tales, but there are many examples across the globe where people find that special someone to spend their entire life with. It’s this sentiment that Kalush Orchestra tap into for their latest single, “Коли” (“When”). Writing about it on social media Ukraine’s Eurovision 2022 champions state: “Imagine yourselves years from now — grey-haired This song is about lasting love that endures every trial and becomes a true haven for two people Even after long separations and everyday worries It’s a story of a love that unites and gives light Three years after achieving a left-hand-side result at Eurovision 2021 in the Netherlands The Black Mamba are finally saying goodbye to the country with their Last Night in Amsterdam The LP drop comes somewhat out of the blue as we haven’t heard any new music from the Portuguese band since the last single arrived in 2022 fans of the group now have seven new songs to dive into in addition to a new version of their Eurovision hit “Love Is On My Side.” Hungary’s two-time Eurovision representative has found “the most beautiful girl” and is hoping to steal her away so that they can be together — “Szökjünk el!” (“Let’s run away!) there are other points in the lyrics where it appears that the woman in question is the one with the real goal of seduction: “The veil of perfume poisons me / She comes there’s no stopping […] Everything catches fire / Every desire explodes / Let’s run away from here / Let’s save each other now.” Estonia’s STEFAN has shared the new song “Purjetuul” (“Sailing wind”) the Eurovision 2022 star sings about weathering the storm and remembering the power within you even in the hardest of times: “Never doubt your own strength / And if you still doubt a little / The sailing wind will find you / And it may seem a little hard / The sailing wind will find you.” The track includes an additional verse from rapper Reket PIA MARIA is delving into a blend of hyper pop and drum & bass for her new single titled “Locked Feelings.” The title sums up the lyrics to a tee with Austria’s Eurovision 2022 singer struggling to express how she truly feels: “Words stuck deep in myself / I’m not able to let them go / I don’t want to talk about myself all the time / I just want to feel that you care / But I’m fine […] When I unlock it all the way / And pretend that I’m OK / Is it my fault my fault / That I locked all my feelings?” Andreas Lundstedt is taking part in the latest season of Så Mycket Bättre — the Swedish TV show where artists come together to perform covers of each other’s songs. For episode seven, the star, who performed for Switzerland at Eurovision 2006, performed a rendition of “Just Like That (I Like It),” which was first performed by Dregen Lundstedt called in some extra special supporting singers for this latest cover — the fellow members of nu-disco group Alcazar Elena Tsagrinou has regularly collaborated with DJ Stephen and Nore Pierre over recent years the music producers have helped the Eurovision 2021 star craft a full-length album the LP contains 14 tracks that span elements of pop An accompanying music video for “Skyli” arrives on Monday Gianni Morandi demonstrates that he’s still got a lot of music to share “L’attrazione” (“The attraction”) is an uplifting and cheery pop song with orchestral backing Italy’s Eurovision 1970 star sings about living life to the fullest with the people you love and that from every ending always comes a new beginning: “The seed dies in the earth / And a great love is born / Bigger than the ocean sea / Smaller than an electron / However we’ll be together / Because the distance / It’s just an illusion.” Spanish superstar Pastora Soler is celebrating a career that now spans three decades the acclaimed artist has released a three-disk album 30 contains precisely that number of songs counting many of her greatest hits — which of course includes her Eurovision 2012 entry “Quédate conmigo.” The LP also features the new single “30 Veces,” as well as updated renditions of Pastora’s previous songs musical duo Camela join her for a new version of “Corazón Congelado.” “If I had the moon and stars / I would give them to you yeah / If I could sing and stop the war / I would do it for you yeah […] This world may crumble but I’m by your side / With a Big Love Eurovision 2018 winner Netta is aiming to spread some “Big Love” across the world. After a devastating year for so many in the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, she hopes to shine a little bit of light amongst all the darkness. Speaking to Billboard magazine the Israeli singer notes that the love emanating from this song is not aimed towards people on only one side of the conflict but it’s for everybody who feels they need support at this time: In my song I say if I had the moon and stars I would get them for you but I really believe that making music is a calling and I don’t think you have control over who finds power in it and who finds comfort in it I hope whoever needs comfort anywhere finds comfort and light in this […] War and conflict have always been part of human nature…and it’s soul-crushing And in order for us to fight it we have to create light.” has teamed up with Polish influencer and singer The pair deliver a steady ballad with a slightly ominous title — “Piosenka o końcu świata” translates as “A song about the end of the world.” However with Andrzej and Julia singing: “If the world were to end please / Hug me and give me back my fear / Since everything is fleeting / I want to be here with you / To look into your eyes one last time / Everything I have is worthless without you / Like the night sky without stars.” Only one more week until Ochman’s new studio album arrives and the Polish star is keeping up the teasers The final pre-release track is “Gdy nikt nie widzi” (“When nobody’s watching”) this time starting off with piano accompaniment and then gradually building as the orchestra becomes increasingly prominent the Eurovision 2022 alumnus questions why anyone would admit defeat rather than fighting for love: “But what’s the point in that / To give up again / When nobody’s watching – and no one hears you / When with your last breath / You want to say / I love you.” Estonian singer and multi-instrumentalist Maris Pihlap dropped an EP this week “Armastad / Ei armasta,” you’ll hear additional vocals from Eurovision 2016 star Jüri Pootsmann The indie pop offering sees the pair asking an important question: “Do you love / Do you not love?”  ZOË has been releasing a steady stream of French-language singles over the course of 2024 This journey has now culminated in the Austrian star’s new studio album including a mixture of cheery pop tunes and sweet ballads The connecting theme between all of them is an acoustic quality with the Eurovision 2016 alumna primarily accompanied by acoustic guitar ‘Fear’ is not a word in Vincent Bueno’s vocabulary The Eurovision 2021 alum is “UNAFRAID” of everything that lies ahead because his loved one will always be there to support him: “The end is near they cry so loud / But here with you I stand my ground / No storm can break this bond we make / In your arms I feel unafraid.” To add a little extra touch to the song the Austrian singer has invited saxophonist Angela Walter to feature Many people sing songs about love or past relationships. But, Jacques Houdek is thinking bigger — the entirety of life and creation. “Pjesma života” translates to English as “The song of life.” It’s a classic chanson with orchestral accompaniment. Writing about the song Croatia’s Eurovision 2017 act noted: “The Song of Life has an ambitious title and whether it will truly become my song of life… we’ll just have to see chanson-like style […] What I especially like about the song is precisely this textual comparison of the song of life and the love of life and that’s a characteristic of all great songs so I believe that this song will last and find its place.” Jendrik gave us a Halloween treat with his most recent single “Interview with a Ghost” is a funky tune that features trumpets underlying the production Germany’s Eurovision 2021 representative sings about the bad memories and experiences that begin re-emerging when he speaks to a former partner: “Conversation is dying / We’re on this weird cemetery / Givin’ oh givin’ nothin’ on this talk show / With every word you say you slowly disappear / It’s an interview with a ghost.” Which of these new songs is your favourite Do you have any artists you want to shout out to Jonathan is a Eurovision fan from the United Kingdom and first watched the contest in 2005 After coming across the national selections and junior contest ten years later he's now fully immersed himself into the Eurovision lifestyle You can follow Jonathan on Twitter: @JonathanVautrey and Instagram: @jonathanvautrey Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" wonder if he’ll perform this at the upcoming sanremo festival i feel like this song is made to be performed with that live orchestra Disappointed Zoe doesn’t have a YouTube channel Overview Meet the team Press Write for us Input your search keywords and press Enter The roots of Russia's invasion of Ukraine go back decades and run deep The current conflict is more than one country fighting to take over another; it is — in the words of one U.S official — a shift in "the world order."Here are some helpful stories to make sense of it all Members of the band Kalush Orchestra pose onstage with the winner's trophy and Ukraine's flags after winning on behalf of Ukraine Ukraine is the winner of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest one of the most visually stimulating spectacles on European television Much of the world's attention had already been focused on Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in late February But the country took the spotlight on a different kind of world stage on Saturday, when folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra competed and prevailed in Eurovision's grand final "This victory is for every Ukrainian!" lead singer Oleh Psiuk shouted Support for Ukraine could be seen and heard from the first moments of the finals on Saturday Contestants and audience members alike sang is give peace a chance," during the opening ceremony When the cameras cut to shots of the audience in Turin people could be seen dressed in yellow and blue Psiuk called out to audience members across the world Ukraine ended the evening with a whopping 631 points Frontman Oleh Psiuk told NPR in a Zoom interview before the final that it's a huge responsibility to represent Ukraine and its culture to the world especially as Russia is actively trying to destroy it "We need support to show everybody that our culture is really interesting and has a nice signature of its own," he said and we have to fight now at all of the front lines." The members of Kalush Orchestra were granted special permission to leave Ukraine and are returning immediately after Eurovision ends Kalush Orchestra became a recognizable fixture of this year's competition, thanks in large part to its members' distinctive outfits, dance moves and wind instrument skills "Stefania," combines rapped verses and a folk chorus Psiuk wrote it about his mother before the war "Many people began to perceive it like Ukraine is my mother," he explains "And this way the song has been very close to Ukrainian people." Psiuk explains that the group's unique style is present not only in its music The six-person band mixes modern streetwear with traditional clothing from embroidered vests to Psiuk's signature pink bucket hat and incorporates Ukrainian woodwind instruments like the sopilka and telenka While the current iteration of the band has only been around since last year it has its roots in a three-person rap group called Kalush It's named after his hometown in the western region of Ivano-Frankivsk In his few spare moments between rehearsals and interviews they tell him about the missiles flying overhead Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine singing "Stefania" performs during rehearsals at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin The band's members are all men of fighting age and had to get temporary permits in order to leave Ukraine for the competition in Turin or MC KylymMen (which translates to CarpetMan) chose to stay in Ukraine The other musicians were planning to return home immediately after Eurovision ended He plans to return to the volunteer organization he started called "De Ty" (which translates to "Where are you") Its roughly 35 volunteers coordinate things like transportation medicine and accommodations for people across Ukraine who submit requests via a Telegram channel And Psiuk said while the band isn't able to focus on creating new music at the moment Psiuk had hoped that the band would return to Ukraine as Eurovision champions adding that any sort of win would help boost the country's morale "I would like to bring some good news to Ukraine because good news [hasn't] been in our country for a long time," he said He hoped fans' support for Ukraine won't end now that the songwriting contest has Psiuk said it's important for people to attend peaceful rallies post on social media and keep raising awareness in other ways the quicker the war will be over and it will not start in other countries," he said adding that he is grateful for the support his country has received so far It's customary for the country that wins Eurovision to host the following year's competition "I'm sure that Ukraine will host Eurovision Become an NPR sponsor The Kalush Orchestra is coming to the Rockhal on 29 September 2024 “Their Eurovision victory with the song ‘Stefania’--originally dedicated to Oleh Psiuk's mother--propelled their music onto the international stage making it an anthem of resilience for Ukraine,” says Cineast is welcoming the Ukrainian group Kalush Orchestra Part of the proceeds from the concert will be donated to the ‘CinEast4Ukraine’ initiative which aims to support the victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine features a unique fusion of rap and Ukrainian folk music,” says Cineast such as melodies and Ukrainian folk instruments like the bandura and trumpet expanded with the arrival of multi-instrumentalists Tymofii Muzychuk and Vitalik Duzhyk they have developed a style characterised by danceable rhythms committed lyrics and sophisticated musical arrangements that capture the spirit of their hometown Their performances incorporate authentic elements of traditional music while exploring contemporary sounds creating a bridge between past and present.” For each ticket sold on the Eventive platform €5 will be donated to the CinEast4Ukraine project to help the victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine Check out the event page on Facebook  or see videos on Youtube frontman of Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra talks during an interview in Turin melodic entry to this month’s Eurovision Song Contest was written as a tribute to the frontman’s mother the song called “Stefania” has become an anthem to the country’s war-ravaged motherland frontman of Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra waits before an interview in Turin frontman of Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra during an interview with The Associated Press in Turin frontman of Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra leaves after an interview with The Associated Press in Turin frontman of Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra after an interview with The Associated Press in Turin it has become an anthem to the war-ravaged motherland “Stefania” is the most-watched song on YouTube among the 35 national entries that are slated to compete when the Eurovision contest takes place next week in Turin While some oddsmakers and data analysts have predicted other contestants will win the song by Kalush Orchestra is quickly becoming a sentimental favorite even if all roads are destroyed,’’ Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk wrote in the lyrics for “Stefania.” some stuff in here was written long before the war and it was dedicated to my mother,’’ Psiuk told The Associated Press at his hotel in Turin “After it all started with the war and the hostilities and many people started seeing it as their mother It has become really close to the hearts of so many people in Ukraine,” said the songwriter who wore a bright bucket hat that would make him instantly recognizable to anyone who has streamed “Stefania.” Kalush Orchestra’s Eurovision performance will have an added political message representing the uniqueness of Ukrainian culture against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bellicose claim that the former Soviet republic was always part of Russia “Stefania” incorporates old Ukrainian melodies and unique musical pitches from a primitive difficult-to-play woodwind called a telenka The band members mix break dancing with Hopak in an energetic performance punctuated by Psiuk’s rap interludes Costumes feature embroidered Cossack shirts and vests mixed with contemporary streetwear “We ourselves show that Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian ethnic code exists,’’ Psuik said “Our purpose is to make Ukrainian music popular And Eurovision is the best platform for that.” received special permission from Ukrainian authorities to travel to Turin to participate in Eurovision traveling by land to Poland and then flying to Italy One original band member stayed behind to fight left behind a network of volunteers he organized two days into the war to help mete out logistical help to people across Ukraine seeking shelter or transport All will return to Ukraine when the song contest finishes “We feel a big responsibility,’’ Psiuk said “It’s very important for us to be as useful to the country as possible We want to represent our country decently.” Kalush Orchestra is more than just a musical group It is a cultural project that includes folklore scholars and purposefully combines hip hop with traditional Ukrainian music The 6-month-old project takes its name from Psiuk’s hometown of Kalush which is tucked in the Carpathian Mountains It’s an evolution from the original Kalush hip hop group that Psiuk also fronted Russia’s entry to the Eurovision was kicked out of the contest in a move organizers said aimed to keep politics out of the hugely popular event which was viewed last year by 183 million people Psiuk said Russia’s exclusion from Eurovision along with other cultural and sporting events could send a message to Russians “who may say they do not understand the situation in full .. that there is a reason that the whole world Ukraine first joined the Eurovision Song Contest 19 years ago both times with songs performed primarily in Ukrainian: by Ruslana in 2004 and Jamala in 2016 Psuik attributes Ukraine’s success to “the peculiar character that our music has.” “I really hope that after we perform it at the Eurovision Song Contest Ukrainian music will be even more popular and heard,’’ Psiuk said Canada during the band's North American tour in late 2022 The 28-year-old from the small western Ukrainian town of Kalush was about to do something he had never experienced before were set to perform on the Eurovision stage in Turin in the midst of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine Even though the band was the oddsmakers’ favorite to win the contest with a huge lead on the so-called Big Five competitors – France – they still weren’t quite sure of their chances when you know there are 200 million people watching there is a feeling of fear… Because when you go on stage and perform in front of 20,000 people — it's just a stadium and when 200 million are there and we need to represent our country during the war we understand that there is no way that something could go wrong It was such a responsibility,” Psiuk told the Kyiv Independent in Edmonton After performing their triumphant song “Stefania,” an ode to a mother Psiuk made a passionate appeal to the audience in halting English: “Save Mariupol save Azovstal now!” The contest took place at the same time as Russian troops were besieging Azovstal a steel mill that was the last Ukrainian-held part of the city of Mariupol in south-eastern Ukraine Psiuk’s mother wrote him a short text: “Ty molodets!” – Ukrainian for “You did great!” The frontman knew he had to say those words despite the nerve-racking possibility of being disqualified: The European Broadcasting Union has long mandated that politics should be kept out of the Eurovision Song Contest – and even a direct reference to the war could count as such It was deemed that Psiuk and other artists expressing support for the Ukrainian people was a humanitarian rather than political appeal in nature Kalush’s song eventually became the first Eurovision-winning song to feature a rap A staggering 161 million viewers watched the Eurovision Song Contest on television that year and Oleh Psiuk and his band are now international spokespeople for the Ukrainian cause "We not only make music and show our culture but our goal is also to make sure that information about the war in Ukraine does not leave the front pages,” Psiuk told the Kyiv Independent adding that they always find ways to raise funds for Ukraine and “call them to some action while also showing our music." with proceeds earmarked for the purchase of combat drones for Ukraine's military It raised over $1.4 million in the months leading to its fall North American tour The funds from tickets sold in Canada and the U.S including Help Heroes of Ukraine and Gate To Ukraine which were founded to allow anyone help Ukrainian families directly the team decided to sell a brand new double bass they just started using and donate the money to Save Ukrainian Culture a project of Ukraine’s Culture and Information Policy Ministry that helps with the reconstruction of destroyed cultural sites they later transferred $8,000 to restore the Ukrainian philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda Museum in Skovorodynivka after it was destroyed by a Russian artillery strike last May The attack appeared to have been a deliberate act of cultural vandalism as Skovoroda’s museum was in a tiny village not far from Kharkiv – nowhere near any obvious military targets Despite the moral burden of being Ukraine’s ambassadors in the midst of a war sometimes the band members get to just be “boys from the block.” In between its U.S Kalush Orchestra was able to film a clip in Los Angeles and drive through the streets they knew from the video game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.” And although they don't have much time for sightseeing when on tour The most popular question the band gets while abroad adding that he was once in a music video with a pink hat he decided he would always wear a pink bucket hat “Everyone thinks that there is some sort of legend behind it… Maybe we need to come up with a story!” he said But it wasn’t just the hat that drew people’s attention The combination of authentic Ukrainian and modern clothing elements made Kalush Orchestra instantly recognizable This is how millions of Eurovision viewers discovered “Hutsul cheres” (a wide traditional men’s belt) “Bukovynian keptar” (a vest made of sheepskin) and “Pokuttia serdak” (a thick piece of cloth outerwear decorated primarily with colored threads) Mixing authentic attributes with modern twists is applicable not just to their outfits: “We show our Ukrainian folklore; we just mixed it with a little bit of modern hip-hop and got something new and interesting I don't know if anybody is doing quite the same As Eurovision hopes and fears are all but the distant past for the team Psiuk and the Kalush Orchestra call on everybody to support this year’s contestant “We know that Tvorchi is currently in the top five picks Let’s see how it goes in the final and we wish the guys best of luck,” Psiuk told the Kyiv Independent in the days leading to the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest which has won top honors three times in 20 years of participating — in 2004 and 2022 — the contest has always been hugely popular and valued as a way to align itself culturally with Europe Now it is also seen as another — softer way — to keep Europe’s attention focused on the war Tvorchi’s song “Heart of Steel” was inspired by the Ukrainian soldiers who worked to defend the now-ruined city of Mariupol Pop culture and history have strange ways of intersecting The proverbial banner raised by Kalush a year ago will be taken up by Tvorchi reminding Europe and the world that Ukraine is still here Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018 Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Ukraine’s entry into the Eurovision Song Contest took top honours at the annual music competition and traditional woodwind offered some help along the way On Saturday Ukrainian folk-rap group, Kalush Orchestra, were awarded first place at the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with their song The song was written by Kalush Orchestra’s frontman the music has taken on a new meaning since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia began in late February 2022 Ukrainians and other listeners around the world have interpreted the lyrics as Psyuk writing about his mother With lyrics such as “I will always come to you on broken roads” and “If I do not appreciate the care of the peak of glory it’s easy to see why this emotive libretto has struck a chord Stefania is currently the most listened to track out of this year’s song contest entries and the upbeat track heavily features traditional Ukrainian woodwind instruments; the sopilka Read more: What is the Eurovision opening music and how long has ‘Te Deum’ featured in the song contest? Kalush Orchestra - Stefania - LIVE - Ukraine 🇺🇦 - Grand Final - Eurovision 2022 Psyuk enters after the short introduction with an upbeat rap verse A highlight of the tune are the ‘flute’-like melodies which feature heavily throughout the track joined to create the six-member group who are representing Ukraine at the competition which currently requires all males aged 18 to 60 to stay in the country the all-male group will be returning to Ukraine immediately after the competition to fight The group was granted a special temporary permit to leave Ukraine in order to compete in the competition “This victory is for every Ukrainian,” they said after their win Read more: Listen as Israel’s Eurovision singer produces a super-high B6 note, the highest ever in the competition When not playing the sopilka in the background of Psyuk’s rap Duzhyk also provides backing vocals during the chorus his shining moments come in the form of two solos where he plays the telenka with one hand while holding a microphone to his lips to exaggerate the sound of the small woodwind instrument The repetitive woodwind hook ends the entire track with a 40-second solo emphasising the traditional Ukrainian focus; a focus accented by the ensemble’s choice to wear modernised traditional outfits representing their culture Read more: Heart-wrenching tones of Kyiv children’s choir, silenced by Russian invasion, finally shared with the world Kalush Orchestra attend the turquoise carpet of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest in Turin Ukraine’s music industry is a smorgasbord of genres so the fusion of folk and rap in the Kalush orchestra entry appeals to many and has hit number one in the charts in Ukraine another Eurovision track which heavily featured an instrumental solo Fairytale by Alexander Rybak featured the singer playing a melodic violin solo which stole the hearts of millions of Eurovision viewers it was the telenka that has the same effect It helped capture hearts and give so many an uplifting unforgettable moment of musical – and Ukrainian – pride Discover Music Ravel Einaudi Events See more Best classical music See more Classic FM Live Playlists See more Latest news Paderewski Classic FM Hall of Fame Videos See more Latest videos Allegri Lesley Garrett your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian folk-rap group who won the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest recently released the music video for their track “Shchedryi vechir” ("Generous Evening") which features a rather unexpected cameo from an incredibly muscly Austrian-American A-lister we're talking about none other than the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger "That is a great message for all Ukrainian people that everyone can have a dream and you can make this dream become a reality," says the former Governor of California in a recorded voice snippet which plays at the start of the music video The video sees the Ukrainian band driving through the street of Los Angeles in a clear pastiche of the hugely popular 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas it then cuts to a shot of Arnold Schwarzenegger alongside the members of the Kalush Orchestra as he smiles and says the name of the song to the camera It was during Kalush Orchestra's tour of North America when they received a special invitation from the iconic actor "He invited us over to his house and came out to greet us with a pet donkey. We talked about the situation in Ukraine and thanked him for his support and shared how important it was to us. It was a pleasure to meet such a legend; I grew up on his movies," the band's frontman Oleh Psiuk told the Guardian.  View this post on InstagramA post shared by Arnold Schwarzenegger (@schwarzenegger) The cameo acts as another token of support from Schwarzenegger who has actively expressed his solidarity for the people of Ukraine and has denounced the actions of Vladimir Putin since the start of the war In a viral video posted online the film icon told Russians that they're being lied to about the war in Ukraine and accused President Vladimir Putin of sacrificing Russian soldiers' lives for his own ambitions “This is an illegal war,” Schwarzenegger said looking straight into the camera while seated at a desk in a study your futures are being sacrificed for a senseless war condemned by the entire world." Krystian Ochman released his new single on Friday Cry For You Featured on the track are Eurovision 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra The song was written and composed by Krystian Ochman himself along with Adam “Atutowy” Wiśniewski Ochman described the lyrics of his new song with the following words: a lot of us work on becoming the best version of ourselves In that process we learn to select appropriate moments to be assertive this means we have to make unpopular decisions that are right for us but upsetting to others The society we live in forces us to be more assertive otherwise I don’t want to ever be sorry for making those decisions and growing as a person It is not a huge surprise that this collaboration has happened Ochman and the boys from Kalush Orchestra were seen getting along on many occasions in the press centre in Turin and even performed together for fans in Piazza San Carlo during Eurovision week This is the second collaboration Kalush Orchestra has done with one of their fellow Eurovision 2022 artists, the first was with The Rasmus from Finland. Back in October, the bands remade The Rasmus’ 2003 hit In The Shadows into a new song entitled In The Shadows of Ukraine This is also Kalush Orchestra’s second song release this month as they recently published their single Shchedryi Vechir The video for that single was shot in and around the Los Angeles area and includes their meeting with former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Do you like this new Kalush collaboration? Have a listen below and let us know in the comments or on our socials @escbubble and website in this browser for the next time I comment Open in Spotify to get all the Eurovision news as they happen Tuesday World Subscribers only Trump-Carney meeting: Canada seeks reconciliation World Subscribers only Friedrich Merz bets on two private sector converts to revive the German economy and reform the state World Subscribers only 'A Pope in the tradition of Francis': From New York to Ghana Catholics hope for continuity at the Vatican World Subscribers only Chancellor Merz's diplomatic first week World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 'Russian gas and Europe is an old story that ended badly Economy Subscribers only Europe's steel industry flattened by crisis World Subscribers only How European countries plan to fund defense efforts France Subscribers only Macron announces citizens' convention on school schedules France Subscribers only 21 charged over French prison attacks as investigation narrows in on drug traffickers France Subscribers only French mosque stabber was driven by 'morbid fascination,' prosecutor says France Subscribers only At the trial of Kim Kardashian's robbers Videos World expos: From Paris 1855 to Osaka 2025 Videos How the Trump administration is attacking scientific research in the US Videos Tesla cars set on fire in Las Vegas as calls to boycott Musk's company grow worldwide Videos Can France's nuclear deterrent protect Europe Opinion Subscribers only 'The American dream is dying' Opinion Subscribers only 'It is pointless to imagine a significant wave of American academics leaving' Opinion Subscribers only 'The trade war creates new opportunities for Europeans and France' Magazine Subscribers only Tracking down the pianos taken from French Jews during the Nazi Occupation Magazine Subscribers only Eve Rodsky the American helping couples balance the mental load Magazine Subscribers only Desecration or more glory Joan Didion's private diaries are revealed Magazine Subscribers only For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris Ukraine won the Song Contest on Sunday riding a wave of public support across Europe for the embattled nation Ukrainian President Zelensky wrote on Facebook Members of the band "Kalush Orchestra" celebrate on stage with Ukraine's flags after winning on behalf of Ukraine the Eurovision Song contest 2022 on May 14 MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest in the early hours of Sunday in a clear show of support for the war-ravaged nation The six-man band that mixes traditional folk melodies and contemporary hip hop in a purposeful defense of Ukrainian culture was the sentimental and bookmakers’ favorite among the 25 bands and performers competing in the grand finale The public vote from home was decisive in securing their victory took advantage of the enormous global audience to make impassioned plea to free fighters still trapped beneath a sprawling steel plant in the southern port city of Mariupol following the six-man band’s performance and global television audience of millions Kalush Orchestra was among 25 bands performing in the Eurovision Song Contest final front of a live audience in the industrial northern city of Turin while millions more watched on television or via streaming around the world Britain and elsewhere entering the PalaOlimpico venue from throughout Europe were rooting for their own country to win Ukrainian music fan Iryna Lasiy said she felt global support for her country in the war and “not only for the music.” Russia was excluded this year after its Feb a move organizers said was meant to keep politics out of the contest that promotes diversity and friendship among nations “Stefania,’’ was written as a tribute to the frontman’s mother but has transformed since the war into an anthem to the beleaguered nation even if all roads are destroyed," Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk wrote all-male band received special permission to leave the country to represent Ukraine and Ukrainian culture at the music contest One of the original members stayed to fight and the others plan to return as soon as the contest is over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked a hip-hop group from his country as they took home the Eurovision Song Contest title on Sunday our music conquers Europe!" Zelensky wrote on Facebook praising the Kalush Orchestra after they beat out 24 other competitors Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine arrives for the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Sam Ryder from United Kingdom singing ‘Space Man’ performs during the final dress rehearsal at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin Cornelia Jakobs from Sweden singing ‘Hold Me Closer’ performs during the final dress rehearsal at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin Andromache from Cyprus singing ‘Ela’ performs during the second semi final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin Marius Bear from Switzerland singing ‘Boys Do Cry’ arrives for the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Chanel from Spain singing ‘SloMo’ arrives for the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Host of the Eurovision Song Contest Mika gestures on stage during performs during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Cornelia Jakobs from Sweden arrives for the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Mamhmood & Blanco from Italy arrive for the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena The Rasmus from Finland arrives for the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine singing Stefania performs during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine singing Stefania perform during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine celebrates after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine celebrate after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Members of the Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine celebrate after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena frontman of Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra answers to Iryna Shafinska fan and member of the official Ukraine fan Club OGAE Ukraine during a news conference after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Sam Ryder from United Kingdom singing Space Man performs during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Sam Ryder from United Kingdom reacts during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Italy (AP) — Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest a clear show of popular support for the group’s war-ravaged nation that went beyond music The band and its song “Stefania” beat 24 other performers early Sunday in the grand final of the competition lifting them above British TikTok star Sam Ryder who led after the national juries in 40 countries cast their votes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the victory Ukraine’s third since its 2003 Eurovision debut He said “we will do our best” to host next year’s contest in the devastated port city of Mariupol which is almost completely occupied by Russian forces Zelenskyy underlined “Ukrainian Mariupol,” adding: “free “I am sure our victorious chord in the battle with the enemy is not far off,” Zelenskyy said in a post on the Telegram messaging app took advantage of the enormous global audience to make an impassioned plea to free fighters still trapped beneath a sprawling steel plant in Mariupol right now,” Psiuk implored following his victory performance speaking from beneath a bright bucket hat that has become the band’s trademark among fans He later told a news conference that people can help by “spreading information The 439 fan votes is the highest number of televote points ever received in a Eurovision contest Psiuk thanked the Ukrainian diaspora “and everyone around the world who voted for Ukraine “We are here to show that Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian music are alive and they have their own and very special signature,” Psuik told journalists The plea to free the remaining Ukrainian fighters trapped beneath the Azovstal plant by Russians served as a somber reminder that the hugely popular and at times flamboyant Eurovision song contest was being played out against the backdrop of a war on Europe’s eastern flank which is among the plant’s last 1,000 defenders sent their thanks from the warren of tunnels beneath the plant posting on Telegram: “Thank you to Kalush Orchestra for your support The city itself has been the site of some of the worst destruction of the 2 1/2-month war as Russia seeks to secure a land bridge between separatist-controlled Donbas and Crimea and the others will be back in Ukraine in two days Psiuk was running a volunteer organization he set up early in the war that uses social media to help find transportation and shelter for people in need because this is the first time I win Eurovision,” Psuik said I am ready to fight and go until the end.” While the support for Ukraine in the song contest was ultimately overwhelming the contest remained wide open until the final popular votes were tallied Ukrainian music fan Iryna Lasiy said she felt global support for her country in the war and “not only for the music.” Russia was excluded this year after its Feb in the battered northeastern city of Kharkiv Kalush Orchestra’s participation in Eurovision is seen as giving the nation another platform to garner international support This is extremely nice,” said Julia Vashenko “I believe that wherever there is Ukraine now and there is an opportunity to talk about the war we need to talk,” said Alexandra Konovalova because of them more people learn about what is happening now.” “We are so happy he called on helping to save the people in Mariupol,” said lawyer Zoia Stankovska during the show The winner takes home a glass microphone trophy and a potential career boost — although Kalush Orchestra’s first concern is peace The event was hosted by Italy after local rock band Maneskin won last year in Rotterdam The victory shot the Rome-based band to international fame opening for the Rolling Stones and appearing on Saturday Night Live and numerous magazine covers in their typically gender-fluid costume code Twenty bands were chosen in two semifinals this week and were competing along with the Big Five of Italy which have permanent berths due to their financial support of the contest Ukrainian commentator Timur Miroshnichenko who does the live voiceover for Ukraine’s broadcast of Eurovision was participating from a basement in an undisclosed location “we had to move underground somewhere in Ukraine.” Showing Eurovision in Ukraine was important I think it’s more symbolic than ever,” Miroshnichenko said Ukraine was able to participate in the music contest “thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the resistance of our people,” he said Vasilisa Stepanenko contributed from Kharkiv Sextet who blend folk and hip-hop hope the gig on the festival’s Truth stage is ‘the start of many concerts in the UK’ Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian group who triumphed at the 2022 Eurovision song contest, are to perform at Glastonbury festival for their first ever UK concert Their winning song Stefania blended hip-hop with the intricate flutes and heartfelt vocals of their national folk music, and saw a huge response from the public, who swept them to victory in the Eurovision phone voting – a clear demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine during the war with Russia The sextet will appear at the Truth stage on Friday night (technically early Saturday morning Frontman Oleh Psiuk said: “This is the perfect place for our first ever British performance and we hope it will be the start of many in the UK We are very grateful for all the support we receive from the people of Britain and we are preparing a very special Ukrainian surprise for the fans at Glastonbury Chris “Tofu” Macmeikan, director of Shangri-La, said it was a privilege to welcome the group, adding: “We’re honoured to have the chance to show our solidarity with Ukraine On the Truth stage we have always championed Roma and Eastern European music Glastonbury welcomes another Ukrainian Eurovision act 2021 entrants Go_A who came in fifth place (and were voted second in the public vote) Go_A blend traditional Ukrainian songwriting with contemporary influences resulting in an astonishing high-tempo fusion of folk and techno on their Eurovision entry song Shum They perform on the John Peel stage at 11.30am on Saturday and featuring three singers who studied as ethnomusicologists the quartet use a globe-spanning variety of instruments to make stirring folk songs will express solidarity with the people of Ukraine with panellists including Ukrainian activists alongside the Guardian journalists Emma Graham-Harrison and John Harris Kalush Orchestra expressed their disappointment this week at the proposal by Eurovision organisers that the 2023 contest – which normally would have been hosted in the winning country of Ukraine – will take place in the UK “Our team is very disappointed with the EBU’s decision and has high hopes that it is possible to change it,” Psiuk said “We really want to hold this Eurovision song contest in Ukraine and our armed forces will do everything possible to make it safe for everyone Just give us a little time and we will prove to you that everything will be as it should be.” submits winning bid in the form of 500 ethereum The Eurovision song contest winners Kalush Orchestra have auctioned off their trophy to raise money for the Ukrainian army whose song Stefania was triumphant in Turin earlier this month said they raised $900,000 (£713,000) by auctioning off the glass microphone and a further $370,000 by raffling off the pink bucket hat frontman Oleh Psiuk wore during the performance The winning bid for the trophy was attributed to Whitebit, a cryptocurrency exchange, and came in the form of 500 ethereum. We appreciate each and every one of you who donated to this auction and a special thanks to the team Whitebit who purchased the trophy for $900,000 and are now the rightful owners of our trophy.” Sunday’s auction was hosted by Ukrainian TV presenter Serhiy Prytula which raises money for the Ukrainian army in their battle against invading Russian forces Bids were accepted in cryptocurrency and traditional currencies Prytula said there were 31,088 entries into the hat raffle and the winner was based in the Czech Republic Kalush Orchestra, who were fighting as part of the Ukrainian resistance only weeks before Eurovision, received support from across Europe for their performance They beat Britain’s Sam Ryder into second place going on to claim the country would host the contest in Mariupol next year Members of Ukraine's band "Kalush Orchestra" celebrate their qualification during the first semifinal of the Eurovision Song contest 2022 on Tuesday at the Palalpitour venue in Turin Ten countries advanced last night from the first round of Eurovision semi-finals to the final round of the songwriting competition which will take place on Saturday in Turin showed their support for Ukraine with statements and symbols The rap, flute loop, the bucket hat, the breakdancing, the sparkly waistcoat. We will never be as cool as Kalush Orchestra. 🇺🇦 #Eurovision #ESC2022 pic.twitter.com/TeUmYjiI7m The core members of the group which combines hip-hop with elements of traditional Ukrainian folk music "Stefania," is a unique earworm combining old Ukranian melodies and traditional flute with contemporary beats and rap The performance itself included both folk dancing and break dancing and the musicians wore a mix of embroidered Cossack shirts and modern streetwear Psiuk wrote "Stefania" about his own mother before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, many Ukrainians have come to associate the song — with translated lyrics like "I will always walk to you by broken roads" and "the field blooms but she is turning gray" — with their own motherland "After it all started with the war and the hostilities, it took on additional meaning, and many people started seeing it as their mother, Ukraine, in the meaning of the country," Psiuk told the Associated Press last week "It has become really close to the hearts of so many people in Ukraine." The song has broad popularity in countries across northern Europe, where it's climbing up several Spotify charts While Eurovision calls itself a nonpolitical event, Russia's war in Ukraine has loomed large in the international competition. Organizers banned Russian acts back in February and Kalush Orchestra replaced Ukraine's original contestant after the country's national broadcaster suspended her while investigating a 2015 trip she made to Crimea The all-male group needed special permission from Ukrainian authorities to travel to Italy for the contest as the country has banned men of fighting age from leaving the country and all plan to return to Ukraine after Eurovision ends While they are hoping to boost Ukrainians' morale with a win they have said in interviews that shining a global spotlight on the country's culture and identity is in itself a form of victory "We understand that we must be totally focused and concentrated, because we are here to show that Ukrainian culture and Ukrainian music exist," Psiuk said at a press conference "They are alive and they have a very beautiful and special signature So we are totally focused on this purpose." This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog frontman of Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra and vocalist Sasha Tab are pictured by a fan before leaving the Universo Hotel after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest frontman of Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra kisses his girlfriend Oleksandra before leaving Universo Hotel Kalush Orchestra of Ukraine pose with the trophy before leaving Universo Hotel after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest Kalush Orchestra of Ukraine pose with their relatives and the trophy before leaving Universo Hotel after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest Chanel from Spain singing SloMo performs during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena Kalush Orchestra of Ukraine pose for photographers after winning the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at Palaolimpico arena “This is how we see Ukrainian mothers today,” Kalush frontman Oleh Psiuk said of the video which had already racked up millions of views within hours of its release “We were trying to deliver the message of what Ukraine looks like today.” Band members posed for photos and signed autographs outside their three-star Turin hotel Sunday packing their own luggage into taxis en route to an interview with Italian host broadcaster RAI before heading home They must return to Ukraine on Monday after being given special permission to leave the country to attend the competition; most Ukrainian men between age 18 and 60 are barred from leaving in case they are needed to fight That stark reality made for a bittersweet moment Sunday in Turin as Kalush vocalist Sasha Tab had to say goodbye to his wife Yuliia and two children who fled Ukraine a month ago and are living with a host Italian family in nearby Alba She and the children were at the band’s hotel and she wept as Tab held his daughter in his arms before getting into the cab Russia was banned from the Eurovision Song Contest this year after its Feb But politics nevertheless entered into the fray with Psiuk ending his winning performance Sunday night with a plea from the stage: “I ask all of you referring to the besieged steel plant in the strategic port city Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the victory saying he hoped Ukraine would be able to host the contest next year and predicting the “victorious chord in the battle with the enemy is not far off.” “Stefania” was penned by lead singer Psiuk as a tribute to his mother but since Russia’s invasion it has become an anthem to the motherland with lyrics that pledge: “I’ll always find my way home The new music video features women soldiers carrying children out of bombed-out buildings greeting children in shelters and leaving them behind as they board trains The video credits said it was shot in towns that have seen some of the worst destruction of the war The video was clearly made before the band left Ukraine as it features band members and — presumably — actors performing in the rubble to all those who gave their lives for our freedom,” it said Ukrainians cheered the victory Sunday as a much-needed boost and the national rail operator announced that the train that passes through Kalush “Every little victory is important for every Ukrainian for each one of us,” Kyiv resident Svitlana Nekruten said said he had no doubt Ukraine would emerge victorious “I listened to this song in Mariupol when we were being bombed so I was sure that they would win,” he said Sunday in Kyiv Russians said the vote was ultimately political but also showed that Kalush Orchestra and Ukraine had support “Eurovision is always about politicized choices; some situations call for a certain choice,” Moscow resident Olga Shlyakhova said That’s why they chose (the winners) with their hearts.” noted the popular vote that was so decisive in the victory I think that in any case the team was strong and the support from outside is always pleasant.” Kalush Orchestra includes folklore experts and mixes traditional folk melodies and contemporary hip hop in a strong defense of Ukrainian culture that has taken on added meaning as Russia has sought falsely to assert that Ukraine’s culture is not unique said the band isn’t trying to be “cool” with its unusual blend of old and new but that clearly it hit a chord and found broad popular support that pushed Ukraine to victory “We are not trying to be like an American hip-hop band,” he said Luca Bruno contributed to this report from Turin The Wiwi Jury — our in-house team of music unprofessionals — is reviewing and rating the 40 competing songs in Eurovision 2022 who have chosen Kalush Orchestra with “Stefania” Renske: When “Stefania” first came out it was clear that the song would be a favourite at Eurovision The fusion of folk and rap was well thought out Transmitting the image of a caring mother from a child’s perspective Kalush Orchestra chose a story that will stay fresh and current The song is more universal than the group’s earlier work which was a smart choice from Ukraine’s broadcaster This is not simply one of the best songs in this contest it is one of the best songs in the history of recent contests Natalie: Ukraine coming to the contest is alone a massive achievement It’s a solid song that combines Ukrainian folk music and modern hip-hop I’m sure it’ll go off and the Ukrainian folk influences will be a storm in Turin but it’s not personally speaking to me massive respect if they can manage it though Luis: Let’s be clear from the beginning: “Stefania” would be a contender to win Eurovision under any circumstance so powerful and so well produced that it would give Ukraine a good result in any year It rides on the wave of folk inspiration that “Shum” started but departs completely from its predecessor Oliver: Kalush Orchestra frontman Tymofii Muzychuk has a lovely timbre to his voice The lead vocal on “Stefania” is extremely strained and in the live performance he consistently fails to hit the high note in the chorus the track has an earworm quality with its catchy melodies and the visuals will catch the eye of any unsuspecting viewer the world needs to see Kalush Orchestra in the final — strong Jonathan: Ukraine has a wide-ranging music industry and this is showcased wonderfully through Kalush Orchestra’s fusion of folk and rap The dynamism between the two makes “Stefania” a compelling track from the start providing the peaks and troughs needed to keep viewers engaged (though the ending could have done with an added peak/trough as 40 seconds of the instrumental refrain maybe gets a bit repetitive) a top-placing finish for Kalush Orchestra and Ukraine would be rightfully earned we have 18 jurors but only have room for five reviews We have removed the highest and lowest scores prior to calculating the average This is to remove outliers and potential bias We have removed a low of 6 and a high of 9.5 What do you think of Ukraine’s Eurovision 2022 entry Share your own score and review for Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania” below A really great fusion of rap and folk music First time my favorite song is the contest favorite (still bitter about Qami) we very grateful for support of Eurovision fans but please people vote for the song you like the most We will not win with ‘Stefania’ but it’s a very decent song and I’m glad they represent us our team said staging and outfits will be different from NF Tymofii Muzychuk is singing atonal harmony to the main melody here is some fresh RuZZian propaganda from Serbia’s entry https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/ucbi1b/official_promo_image_for_the_serbian_eurosong/ I said I’m not a rock fan and he has to sell it to me The folk elevates in but the rap is something I shouldn’t what to hear but I adore Best song in the whole competition I think I just want to note that anytime Ukraine (or nasty RuZZia) is the focus of a post This song is not in my top 10 based purely on musical taste I say this because Eurovision is a song contest where you vote for a song that moves you or you connect with Kalush Orchestra really only needs everyone to see them standing there at the end of their performance and people will be moved just… Read more » I am sorry Ukraine but you are getting tiresome year in year out with the ethnic sounds even if you try to incorporate them within a modern sounding context If we continue with ethnic sounds the ESC will finish with being an ethnic fest most of the song sounds like an irritating whine This might do well for one reason only – the sympathy vote ethnic songs are much better than all of those plastic lifeless english ones I appreciate songs sung in the native language There is a difference between national languages and ethnic sounds And not all songs sung in English are plastic or lifeless Ethnic songs can be plastic and lifeless as well So no ethnic songs are not always better than those sung in English i respect this entry and the way it combines folk and modern as natalie said most of these wiwi reviews read like they’d be accompanied by a lower score under normal circumstances but this one is more hiphop-folk whereas Shum was techno-folk Both are pretty unique in Eurovision terms I don’t think it would have won without the war but it would certainly have made the top-10 and possibly even better more so than with Alina’s song which to me was too overly melodramatic it will be the first hip-hop song to win ESC And it will be a good start for jurors to eliminate bias towards hip-hop style I’m in love you I’ll do want me to make me wanna “ha ha” make me wanna “ha ha han” Nothing in the world that can stop me no siirrrrrrr I’m not really for this song winning the contest but I admit that it’s still a good song There are elements to it that I enjoy lots this song is definitely interesting and it’s wonderful to see that Ukraine is still kicking it strong in the contest despite all the horrible things occurring within the nation itself Ukraine’s qualification record is not at risk but I do not consider this a winner-worthy song for me to wholeheartedly say this needs to win A top 5 result is very likely though and I definitely… Read more » Finally…an entry that beat Brooke from Ireland that may actually win the contest I don’t think it will but it will likely be in the top 5-10 Just to get this out of the way nice and early Had the Ukraine been able to stick with the original winner of their national selection I honestly think they would’ve walked to the Eurovision title in May they had clearly the best song and nothing was going to touch it things happened and we ended up with Kalush Orchestra as the Ukraine representative and although it is a strong entry it is nowhere near the level of what “Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors” was but sits in the odds as if it is.… Read more » I would still classify it as rap as I definitely pick up a deliberate rhythm in its delivery I’m happy to go along with spoken word I’d sooner book a ticket for London…or we might just be turning right back around for Turin or Rotterdam or Athens…my GOD this is a good year) I don’t think Albania could win in this field I mean the songs an absolute banger and with the correct placing and staging it can easily blow the crowd away It’s not my personal winner but they can definitely pull it off SHUM was way better than this rubbish and that wasn’t over hyped You’ve posted this like three times already under different names And they’ve had enough of getting their country invaded and bombed and their people killed and violated But i think it’s overrated because of the political situation and i bet some juries will vote for it to show their support to Ukraine (mainly eastern european/ex soviet) It does not deserve to win and i think it won’t but it should do very well Maybe its a little bit overrated in the odds Many people will vote for it because of the song Please don’t be disappointed when this runs away with the jury and the public voting in May Remember there are 5.2 million displaced homeless Ukrainian refugees now outside Ukraine you think they will not vote for their beloved country? To be honest this is a huge morale boost for Ukraine and a huge message to Russia that Europe is in solidarity with Ukraine if they win or even in top 3 and Ukraine doesn’t deserve this treatment They just need a local sim card wherever they are… but I don’t think that means they should overrate it like that Shum would’ve been a far better contender I adored this song from when it was first chosen LONG before news of war Wonderful mix of folk and rap and groove with beautiful haunting folk refrain and beautiful meaningful (in a good way) lyrics I very much hope that people don’t over compensate and vote it down because they are trying to adjust for potential empathy with the suffering in Ukraine That is to down vote a beautiful song just because it’s country has been invaded I don’t know if it will win but FOR SURE Greeks are gonna give Stefania 12 points for sure Greeks are gonna give Stefania Cyprus 12 points for sure 10/10 Kalush Orchestra where my favourite in the NF so I am happy that they are now representing Ukraine I feel like they are going to get a VERY high Televote which will ultimately lead to their win The song is another great blend of traditional and modern music We don’t see Rap often at ESC so i’m very happy we will get to see an amazing Rap song this year If Shum was able to do what two Ukrainian winners couldn’t even do and score with every single national televote It will win because the odds say it will win The odds have made a choice and that’s where things will end up Every year the odds are not wrong about the winner That’s why we’re going to Valletta in a few weeks Last year the odds said Italy will win and Italy won where they actually DID have the eventual winner at the top until they bumped her down in favor of Cyprus during rehearsals Didn’t change even when the final rolled around the odds were completely wrong: one month before the competition Austria (Conchita) wasnt even on the top 10 Portugal and Salvador Sobral weren’t top 5 material according to the odds Eurovision has a cavalcade of bookie-defying winners Some were at least kind of in the conversation (Nocturne Rock and Roll Kids mostly because of Ireland’s then-recent track record plenty of others were totally overlooked before the contest (L’oiseau et l’enfant Every Way That I Can…not one of them was considered a contender before the contest Meanwhile the favorite to win in 2002 wound up finishing last!) Italy wasn’t in the first place until the last days of rehearsals they did not predict the winning of Ukraine 2016 Portugal 2017 and Austria 2014 (only after rehearsals and semifinal) Didn’t the favorite for 2016 change like a billion times and Russia were all favorites at some point Iceland was also a big favorite and they didn’t even qualify unprecedented victory for Stefania because no other song comes close 10/10 and Ukraine has become the no 1 Powerhouse If anyone hasn’t seen, sergey lazarev joined “marathon for russia” state propaganda events. There link is in Cyrillic (check April 29): https://xn—–6kcab5bjzljfqhpa2bzn.xn--p1ai/ Dude has done a hard left (or is that hard right?) turn and I don’t care for it Feel even more justified in calling You Are the Only One overrated Got a ton of downvotes and called unreasonable for saying I didn’t believe his (or 99% of ru artists’) crocodile tears and vague “war is bad” statements in the first days looks like Westerners’ illusions are now getting cured little by little with every day The appeal of that song has always been lost on me calling out those who are antiRussia now ignoring the brutal killings of Ukrainians in Ukraine by Russians He wants to save his butt by doing this but this is not an excuse Manizha and others have taken a stance and it’s with PEACE and Ukraine Slightly off topic but can any of the Wiwibloggs team say when or indeed if the juries are doing the normal videos where the scores are delivered on camera It’s one of the highlights of the eurovision season Please don’t tell me that they have scrapped because they have been a major feature for years I would’ve preferred Alina Pash to represent Ukraine plus the song is more suiting to the current situation but Ukraine are only the bookies favourites because of the war look at their odds days after Russia invaded I loved Alina Pash too (would’ve probably been my second behind Portugal) but it is what it is and I think it’s leading the odds on its own merits as much as anything Alina would’ve been first because of the war too Alina’s song was more appropriate yes but the rap part in English was sooo cringy but I also think that song would’ve packed a wallop in the same way 1944 did but I think it speaks more about how the jury underrates other songs I hate when people are saying this will win/qualify only because of the war This is one of my favorites this year – even before the war I also don’t gather how I’m an Israel Stan when I only gave it a 7 Oh thank the lord that horrible comment I was replying to is gone This song at all not win in their national selection Ukraine has also finished top ten twice with entries that weren’t even intended to compete in the first place nothings certain until the votes starting rolling in You think I could’ve called Moldova making the final let alone getting two top marks from the jury (Ok I called the double zero for the UK after they couldn’t score anything from the juries) It’s always the public that breaks the ties As if winning a national selection reflects a quality of the song (not to mention that they did win the popular vote) This year some of the most horrendous entries have won their national selections That’s why not all the countries use national selections There are infinite ways of doing a national final Sometimes a weak selection can still have a good winner (look at any number of Moldovan heats) or vice versa (either of the Eesti Lauls Uku won spring to mind It’s all a matter of the options in front of you especially on the chorus with that magnificent flute the fusion between folk and hip-hop is amazingly executed the dance brake at the chorus is phenomenal… Basically the chorus is where most of the power of the song comes from We all wanted “Stefania” to be presented under much happier circumstances but it’ll be surprisingly fitting to have an uplifting ode to motherhood being the representative of a country fighting for survival I say this is one of the best and most creative songs of 2022 the guys have great energy on the stage and that flute segment is simply perfect The poetic nature of the chorus contrasting with the urban feel on the verses is a cool touch This entry is what Eurovision should be about coming from the true powerhouse of Eurovision It’s very underrated and if anyone thinks it will be Top3 “cUz oF syMpAthY vOteS” Want the Ukraine to win for multiple reasons the lyrics carry a message and it’s already such a feat that they’re gonna be in Turin they would’ve been a contender in any other year as well I’ll fight anyone that says this doesn’t deserve it’s praise People can stay pressed but the song is actually good Probably the biggest difference between Shum and Stefania is the rap and as we know eurovision fans and juries hate rap for no reason so… I bet these comments wouldn’t exist if the song didn’t have rap but verses sang by the vocalist lol Maybe I didn’t quite word myself properly but what I’m trying to say is – people who tend to dislikea certain genre will often leave hate comments for songs in this genre or call it overrated which in my opinion is inappropriate You can dislike a song but once you word your opinion rudely it becomes invalid It’s the same as people who put down a song by comparing it to another They could leave out the other song when expressing their dislike for the initial song as it’s inappropriate to compare songs like that especially if the intention is… Read more » I’m a chaotic person and if their victory makes a lot of people mad then count me in just seeing a bunch of those pressed queens panicking and spilling all the hate they can in the comments as if it’s going to change someone’s mind just makes me want to vote for it like 4000 times Among those are the people who think that Slo Mo Mo Mo Mo Lo Lo Lo is a worthy winner See I dig In corpore sano – I think it has much more in common with the weirder entries this year than a crowd pleaser like SloMo The last five winners have made the reductionist fans who can’t handle anything that isn’t a big diva ballad or traditional dance bop have a major cow and that’s worth just as much as a win Waiting for the folks who think SloMo is the second coming to have the same rude awakening as the Monsters I have nothing against people enjoying those entries I’m not a snob and I like all kinds of entries But I do think there’s a difference between enjoying the song and calling it a worthy winner then why is Spain 5th in odds are Spanish betting for themselves Fan favorites are always overestimated in the odds People bet on their own countries all the time and that’s one hundred percent a thing your most passionate sect of Spanish fans with disposable income would do Remember how long Je Me Casse was the favorite to win A whole lot of that was the Maltese delegation betting on themselves and I have no idea how anyone thought it was going to win against Italy or France Fuego’s kind of the unbeatable standard-bearer and SloMo isn’t close to it I do enjoy the song except the rap parts which do make up the majority of the song I simply do not gravitate to this sort of music that’s just my personal musical tastes Stefania does have a lot of merit but very much on the televoter appeal With the public I see this doing Top 5 as I see songs like Norway Netherlands and UK doing substantially better in the public vote and seeing Norway winning the televote isn’t that farfetched I just don’t see it in their Top 10… Read more » I am so sorry but this is a song that actually is overrated…those scores makes no sense… Input your search keywords and press Enter. Kalush Orchestra is right now the bookies’ safest bet to win the 66th edition of the contest as they compete against 25 countries with their song “Stefania,” a Ukrainian-folk-meets-hip-hop concoction that Psiuk wrote about his mother before the conflict broke out it has been adopted by listeners as a broader allegory about Mother Ukraine a lot of people seem to be finding new meanings there,” Psiuk says over Zoom on the penultimate evening of the competition He appears in the pink bucket hat that has become his signature fashion statement It’s a visual at odds with his demeanor: somber and measured “I hope that Europe also enjoys this song; my mom is enjoying it very much And I know that it’s now her ringtone on her phone,” he says “The enemy is trying to destroy our culture But we are here to prove that we still exist We’re asking for help to protect our culture.” who has been on the ground in Italy for the competition the conflict is a dark cloud over the year’s events Eurovision is often a celebration of culture and camp a joyful and over-the-top representation of some of the most buoyant pop characters of the 40 countries who participate “The energy in the press area feels somehow deflated,” he says “There’s a sense that in the background that this festival of joy has a cloud hanging over it You see this in the literal sense that the kinetic sun It was a series of arches that were supposed to move It’s now a black rainbow of death.” To Adams it’s a symbolic representation of the negativity engendered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine the pandemic tamped down the energy of the event And then there is the Kalush Orchestra and their chances “A huge conversation that’s taking place among journalists and fans is whether Ukraine should win because of sympathy,” Adams says It makes him uncomfortable to have to separate our emotional reactions to the narrative of Ukraine from the music itself And what story is more relevant at this moment than the war in Ukraine Eurovision was founded to help prevent war to bring country warring countries together to promote peace,” he says Ukraine didn’t ask for this war.” Despite the fact that he’s seen their performance “about 17 times,” he says it makes an emotional impact each time thanks in part to staging that centers the maternal narrative and references Ukrainian history and folk aesthetics “They gave a statement before Eurovision and they said our stage show will not be political People always say Eurovision is a political because popular music reflects the zeitgeist.” Kulash Orchestra is trying to mix together the old folklore that’s been forgotten by now with the new and bringing it together into this vibe that is like nothing else that you know,” Psiuk explains “The whole world is watching us perform And it is important that we promote Ukraine successfully Kalush has already made a point—to ardent Eurovision fans and to casual viewers who may just be hearing about the group now “No one is trying to destroy another country’s culture and that is why we need all the support we can get,” Psiuk says The future—and the present—are already weighing on him “It is very stressful knowing that missiles are just flying at Ukraine So it’s just not easy to focus at all.” Adams has noticed that weight “The other contestants are celebrating And these guys have this quiet dignity to them,” Adams says When the competition is complete, Psiuk and his bandmates will return directly to their homes in Ukraine. They received a temporary permit from Prime Minister Zelensky to represent their country a sixth bandmember is already fighting back home.) “If we have to of course we will take arms and we will go fight for our land,” Psiuk says they are playing the Eurovision game as well as anyone can Adams and Psiuk interacted—and Psiuk gave him a copy of a pink bucket hat “They’re going through the biggest crisis of their country’s modern history and he’s bringing gifts to journalists at Eurovision I can’t even compute,” he says Ukraine would be expected to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest “It will be a whole different Ukraine Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com Here's everything you need to know about Ukraine's Eurovision 2022 entry The Eurovision 2022 final was as spectacular as we anticipated, with the Eurovision line-up pulling out all the stops to impress the judges – and the public at home Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra didn't disappoint, and the band was crowned Eurovision 2022 winner after a heartfelt performance of Stefania Ukraine was a top contender for bookies, with Eurovision 2022 odds tipping the band to win they weren't always meant to take to the stage in Turin Alina Pash was initially selected to represent the country with the song Tini zabutykh predkiv (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors) after being chosen by the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne via the national selection Vidbir Pash's status as a legitimate participant of Vidbir was challenged which resulted in her participation being ceased by the broadcaster as well as her withdrawal Instagram: @kalush.official the group is made up of founder and rapper Oleh Psiuk and dancer Vlad Kurochka (alias MC KylymMen  Didenchuk is also a member of the electro-folk band Go_A and Dzhonni Dyvnyy joining as additional members Kalush Orchestra focuses on hip hop with folk motifs and elements from Ukrainian traditional music Kalush Orchestra performed their winning song Stefania It is the third song sung entirely in Ukrainian to represent the country at Eurovision but the second to actually compete at the contest with the narrator in the song speaking of good memories from their mum the narrator of the song comes to realise how much their mum's done for them Stefania features a powerful combination of Ukrainian folk and rap and the lyrics are just as rousing as the music and begins with the verse: “Mother Stephania Stephania mother/The field is blooming sing me the lullaby I want to hear your dear word.” Other lyrics include: \"You can’t take my willpower from me as I got it from her,” and “I’ll always find my way home Lullabies are also a common theme in the song with the “lyuli lyuli lyuli” section of the rap being a reference to a Slavic folk lullaby at the end of the rap verse is said to be a classic Slavic folk lullaby Kalush Orchestra have a lot to live up to after last year's success Go_A came in fifth place with the song Shum written by Kateryna Pavlenko Ukraine last won the competition in 2016 with Jamala's 1944 This year the Eurovision Grand Final will take place on Saturday The event will be held in Italy's PalaOlimpico Arena in Turin and will be broadcast live on BBC One The semi-final will air across two days on Tuesday Here are the other countries competing in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest – click on each one to find out more You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision here. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide Who is Ukraine's Eurovision 2022 entry Meet Kalush OrchestraHere's everything you need to know about Ukraine's Eurovision 2022 entry Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra didn't disappoint, and the band was crowned Eurovision 2022 winner after a heartfelt performance of Stefania Ukraine was a top contender for bookies, with Eurovision 2022 odds tipping the band to win they weren't always meant to take to the stage in Turin Alina Pash was initially selected to represent the country with the song Tini zabutykh predkiv (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors) after being chosen by the Ukrainian broadcaster Suspilne via the national selection Vidbir Pash's status as a legitimate participant of Vidbir was challenged Instagram: @kalush.official Didenchuk is also a member of the electro-folk band Go_A Kalush Orchestra focuses on hip hop with folk motifs and elements from Ukrainian traditional music After talking about how much she's aged the narrator of the song comes to realise how much their mum's done for them the song is an ode to the singer's mother Other lyrics include: "You can’t take my willpower from me Kalush Orchestra have a lot to live up to after last year's success Ukraine last won the competition in 2016 with Jamala's 1944 Sign up to receive the latest and greatest from the world of entertainment By entering your details you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply The event will be held in Italy's PalaOlimpico Arena in Turin and will be broadcast live on BBC One You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision here. If you're looking for something to watch tonight, check out our TV Guide you are agreeing to site title privacy policy This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Subscribe to RT!Subscribe to Radio Times magazine and get £10 issues for £10! Could your home unlock your dreams?Releasing equity from your home could help give you the retirement you've been dreaming of? Holiday brochuresNeed inspiration of where to go next Request a free brochure and start your journey Catherine Baker contributed to the '#EurovisionAgain' fundraising project in 2020 and 2021 University of Hull provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK View all partners Voting in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest on May 14 in Turin may look different for one specific reason – neither Russia or Belarus are taking part Ukraine’s folk-rap band Kalush Orchestra has qualified for the final. But the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, ruled that no Russian act would be able to participate this year, after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In 2021 the EBU rejected Belarus’s entry which mocked protesters against the Lukashenko regime and has since suspended Belarus’s broadcaster BTRC from the EBU Under Putin, Russian state broadcasting has heavily invested in its Eurovision entries with the goal of winning and hosting the contest, what could be called “stagecraft in the service of statecraft” While voting dynamics will be altered by the absence of Russia and Belarus voting patterns in Eurovision had already been shifting since Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 – and have always been subject to change Even the contest’s famous system of awarding one to 12 points from each country only dates back to 1975 the introduction of public telephone and SMS voting almost every country had replaced its juries with televoting which also became debut winners in this period had been in Eurovision for longer but also existed on Europe’s periphery in many western eyes These non-traditional winners’ dominance culminated at Eurovision 2008, where no western European countries placed in the top ten There was growing resentment in western European media about “political voting”. In response Eurovision votes since 2009 have been awarded 50% by public vote and 50% by small juries of music professionals from each country While it is fair to note that certain countries still tend to award high numbers of televote points to the same countries every year these trends probably reflect factors such as shared music markets and cultural commonalities Cyprus and Greece famously exchange 12 points whenever they can, but this is connected to them sharing a language and a popular music industry. In the states that were formerly part of Yugoslavia, the sounds and, often, singers of Eurovision entries already have cross-border appeal Croatian viewers surprisingly gave Serbia-Montenegro 12 points in 2004 despite the 1990s’ war but the aggression of Putin’s regime has undermined this When Kyiv hosted its second Eurovision in 2017 the Ukrainian ban stopped Russia’s intended Eurovision representative Voting trends from the 1990s and 2000s have already stopped being useful guides to Eurovision scores. Ukrainian and Russian juries have not exchanged any points since the annexation of Crimea though their public votes did continue giving each other’s songs some points This year’s Ukrainian entry is Ukraine’s third entry in a row to be completely in the Ukrainian language, following the electronic folk band Go_A’s two entries in the cancelled 2020 contest and in 2021 Both bands come from a music scene dedicated to mixing traditional and contemporary Ukrainian music genres In my opinion if Kalush Orchestra do win Eurovision 2022, it will be down to the strength of their song’s concept and performance, not primarily voting alliances or sympathy. Ukrainian acts have been among the Eurovision favourites for years. Ukraine has won Eurovision twice in the 21st century – last time in 2016 with a song alluding to the annexation of Crimea – and came second in last year’s public vote They are mixing the modern and the classic. Kalush Orchestra are one of the eight finalists in Vidbir Ukraine’s selection for Eurovision 2022 the group reflects on a hard-working and strong Scroll down to read the “Stefania” lyrics Hip hop group Kalush took their name from the city where they formed in 2019 multi-instrumentalist Ihor Didenchuk and MC Kylymen attained commercial success quickly in their home country creating rap pieces from the slang of Psiuk’s home town Ihor Didenchuk already has some Eurovision experience under his belt as he stood on the stage with Go_A in Rotterdam last year as their flautist Kalush released their first album HOTIN in 2021, which followed the great success of their single “Zori” This song received notable airplay on Ukrainian radio and has been streamed over two million times since its release on Spotify the group collaborated heavily with other big Ukrainian acts the group decided to create their own orchestra which focused on the combination of hip hop and ancient folklore Kalush teamed up with three other musicians: backing vocalist and rapper Dzhonni Dyvniy plus multi-instrumentalists Tymofii Muzychuk and Vitalii Duzhyk The orchestra’s first large release came with “Shtomber Womber” in December 2021 The song discussed social issues and came with a music video featuring ancient instruments and a typical Ivano-Frankivsk coat Kalush Orchestra bring an ode to the mother in “Stefania” the song uses typical folk song lyrics – short sentences with long vowels which are performed much quicker compared to the slower chorus creating the typical rap flow that fans are used to from Kalush One of the key words of the song is “колискова” The lullaby is a symbol in the song for the good memories that the narrator has of their mother The sound of the lullaby brings them back to a moment when they were still under the safe guard of their mother It comes back in both the chorus and the verse as each rap verse ends with the sentence “Lyuli lyuli lyuli” The song starts off with a child looking at how their mother has aged Several lines awake a nostalgic feeling to the past and towards the image of a mother: “The field blooms but she is turning grey / Sing me a lullaby mum / I want to hear your native word” this part seems more romantic and idealises a tragic situation there is a much more realistic depiction of the events It discusses the hardship of being a mother There seems to be an absence of support for the mother The narrator realises their mother has done a lot for them and that they will always return to her: “She rocked me; gave me rhythm and probably the power of will; did not take While the mother is portrayed as a sweet and soft woman in the folk-style chorus she is portrayed as a strong but sensitive person: “She will not awaken me in strong storms / She will take two fig signs from grandma as if they were bullets / She knew me very well she was not deceived like she was very tired she rocked me in time” а вона сивієЗаспівай мені мамо колисковуХочу ще почути твоє рідне словоВона мене колисала дала мені ритм і напевне силу волі не забрати в мене бо дала вонаНапевне знала може більше і від СоломонаЛаманими дорогами прийду я завжди до тебеВона не розбудить мене в сильні буріЗабере в бабулі дві дулі ніби вони куліДуже добре знала мене не була обманута гойдала мене в тактЛюлі люлі люлі…Стефанія мамо мамо СтефаніяРозквітає поле а вона сивієЗаспівай мені мамо колисковуХочу ще почути твоє рідне словоЯ не в пеленах но ма но ма як би я не виріс на виріст за речі платитьЯ не мала дитина шляк би тебе трафивТи все молода о мамо на піку якщо не ціню опіку на піку слави мені в тупикуЗабивайте піку цю піку своєю любов’юЛюлі люлі люлі…Стефанія мамо мамо СтефаніяРозквітає поле а вона сивієЗаспівай мені мамо колисковуХочу ще почути твоє рідне словоСтефанія мамо мамо СтефаніяРозквітає поле а вона сивієЗаспівай мені мамо колисковуХочу ще почути твоє рідне слово but she is turning greySing me a lullaby mumI want to hear your native wordShe rocked me; gave me rhythm and probably the power of will; did not take but she gaveProbably knew even more and from SolomonI will always walk to you by broken roadsShe will not awaken me in strong stormsShe will take two fig signs from grandma as if they were bulletsShe knew me very well; she was not deceived like she was very tired; she rocked me in timeLyuli lyuli lyuli…Stefania mum mum StefaniaThe field blooms but she is turning graySing me a lullaby mumI want to hear your native wordI’m not in diapers but ma but ma like if I did not grow up to grow to pay for thingsI’m not a small child “like the slag would hit you” [Ukrainian curse]You are all young oh mother at the peak if I do not value the guardianship at the peak of glory I’m in the dead endKill the peak that peak I would sing with my loveLyuli lyuli lyuli… but she is turning graySing me a lullaby mumI want to hear your native word Do you like Kalush Orchestra’s “Stefania” Are you hoping that they will win Vidbir 2022 Our Renske is a graduated Slavicist from the Netherlands she grew up watching and listening to Eurovision songs wiwibloggs introduced her to a community of loving people from all over the world You can also follow her podcast Vidbircast on Spotify for more Eurovision news The Google Translate version is kinda meeh and gives the wrong idea a little bit different but with the same meaning Please pay someone who actually understand the song Lyulia(used as Loili) actually means lullaby sing me the lullaby I want to hear your dear word She rocked me as a child And you can’t take the willpower out of me I took it from her I think she knew… Read more » I absolutely agree with you (although my favourite was UK) I just finished watching the 2022 Eurovision Song Contast I am not Ukrainian nor from any of the Eastern European countries I was wishing the victory of Ukraine more so than my own country I kind of lost a little bit of hope that Ukraine would actually win. When the votes of the public came in at 439 (that was more than 200 votes more than any other nation received) in favor of Ukraine and the arena literally exploded in applause ,… Read more » Nothing like you described it as “dressed almost like…you don’t know who” Japanese people don’t mind seeing their outfits being worn by foreigners as long as you do not disrespect it when did they wear japanese outfits and could you show examples of it I believe I wrote this as a response to someone mentioning Netta wearing a version of a kimono but looks like the post I replied to is no longer around We’ll … I’m a bit irritated by their video Makes me wish I could speak Ukrainian to sing along to it So it’s like Zdob si Zdub (in general not particulary this year) but quality I think you’ve played the first video in this article which seems to be half of the video – the second video is the full song Because the Eurovision contest rule is that a song cannot be more than 3 minutes long This song is much longer but they had to work hard at it to shorten it in order to meet the regulation This song is the perfect successor to SHUM from last year Ukraine is mastering the art of mixing folkloric and contemporary music wouldn’t the Ukrainian version be be Shtefania (Shtefa) it’s what I’ve heard on Zakarpatye And what’s your opinion about the entry as a Ukrainian very common name in Western Ukraine along with Roxolana not with “S” but with “Sh” according to your logic Antonina is not a Ukrainian name The author knows his mother’s name better and it’s the author’s mother’s real name You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed The following description comes from the event organizer Stay in the loop about the best things to do in Seattle every week Use the calendar to select the date(s) you'd like to be reminded about or choose All Event Dates to be reminded every time this event happens first you have to sign this form saying the Ukrainian armed forces are not responsible if you get killed here Then you should go upstairs because our Eurovision entrants are about to hold a press conference It should be interesting – it’s a really good song!” A week in Lviv, western Ukraine in late April 2022 is a week of striking contrasts: eating gelato and watching street musicians play over the wail of air raid sirens; waiting for an AeroPress coffee in a fancy café and gradually realising the decorative curio you’re gazing at absent-mindedly is the launcher for a shoulder-fired anti-tank missile as these two instructions from the staff at the Ukraine Media Centre situated (to the delight of most people with occasion to use it) in a four-floor brewery and bar on one of the city’s main squares It’s a bright morning and I’ve accidentally turned up just in time to see Kalush Orchestra talk to the media for the last time before they head to Turin, where they’re due to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest a three-piece hip-hop group named after the western Ukrainian hometown of frontman Oleh Psiuk dark-haired man whose brooding features are permanently offset by a jaunty pink bucket hat that has become the visual calling card of both bands.  a ridiculously catchy and chantable earworm written as a tribute to Psiuk’s mother Since the invasion, the song has taken on a life of its own. It has been used to soundtrack somewhere in the region of 150,000 largely war-related TikTok videos in the last two months a heartbreakingly pretty city where a strange fragile normality currently endures in spite of intermittent missile strikes you can hear the song’s almost operatic chorus wafting from countless car windows “I wrote the song before the war,” Psiuk explains speaking through a translator on a Zoom call from Turin a few days after the press conference in Lviv but after the war started it began acquiring new meanings to many people People started seeing it as about all Ukrainian mothers at a time when many Ukrainians were thinking about or missing their mothers I think that’s how the song has made its way into the hearts of so many Ukrainians.” It has made its way into hearts far beyond Ukraine When I post an Instagram Story from the press conference one seasoned Eurovision-watcher quickly comments: “That Ukrainian Eurovision entry is a stone-cold banger I said to my girlfriend that I thought Ukraine would win this year out of solidarity so she listened to the song and told me they would actually win because they have the best song by miles.” “[‘Stefania’] is simply about my mother People started seeing it as about all Ukrainian mothers” A cocktail of song quality and solidarity has lifted Kalush Orchestra from fifth-favourites to win Eurovision before the war, to runaway favourites today I crack a throwaway joke about Ukraine probably winning this year’s contest regardless of the song but feel a little guilty for trivialising the nation’s possible triumph. Psiuk has no problem with the idea of solidarity helping his band to victory in Turin and in fact sees it as another positive sign of the outside world’s burgeoning identification with and love for his homeland but hopefully a song from Ukraine with Ukrainian lyrics will be particularly appreciated by Europeans at this particular time.” For their part Russia was excluded from the competition soon after the invasion at the request of the Ukrainian national TV broadcaster UA:PBC a development Psiuk has described as “justice” Kalush Orchestra’s hectic touring schedule in Ukraine continued right up until the eve of the invasion and inadvertently afforded them a harrowing front-row seat for its opening moments we were driving back from a gig in Dnipro and we saw the first explosions at Boryspil [Airport “It was hard to process the emotions and we started calling all our relatives and friends to see if they were OK we had held on to a positive attitude that this wouldn’t happen “We are on an important mission to represent Ukraine as well as we can and we feel a huge responsibility from that We have to be as useful as possible for the country” Ukraine barred men of fighting age from leaving the country in the first hours of the invasion meaning Kalush Orchestra have needed special dispensation to leave for a pre-Eurovision promotional tour taking in shows in Israel which begins today and culminates with the final on Saturday One of the questions asked in the press conference translated on the fly for me by the band’s ever-helpful press officer was whether there had been any pushback from fellow Ukrainians over the band’s special permission to leave given the joy and pride the song has brought to the country and we are only on temporary leave from the country,” Psiuk tells me We have to be as useful as possible for the country.” Under the terms of their release from Ukraine all five members of Kalush Orchestra have to return to the country the day after the Eurovision final to an uncertain future that could include being asked to fight on the frontlines “In my case it’s actually very likely I will be called up to fight,” Psiuk says matter-of-factly “Everyone should play their part in the war effort I know for sure that Ukrainian men with war experience are actually joining the army to fight for their country even without being called up.” Two of Psiuk’s friends have been killed in the fighting so far both while carrying out military service in different areas of the country It’s difficult for me to talk about this The band’s members are all based in different parts of the country and all have been involved in the war effort to some extent has joined the territorial defence force around Kyiv “He is still a member of our band and he will join us again after serving in the territorial defence,” Psiuk says Psiuk himself is a founder of the volunteer organisation De ty (Where Are You?) which helps homeless Ukrainians across the country find shelter Psiuk shies away from making any big statements about the war or predicting how long it might take to end (Eurovision’s rules prohibit political statements on-stage and around the competition) “Those are questions for the President,” he says And what of President Zelenskyy – does he know if Ukraine’s reluctant war icon is a fan “I haven’t talked to him,” Psiuk smiles “but I definitely think he has heard our song.” Kalush and Kalush Orchestra’s future beyond Saturday is up in the air “Of course we were doing concerts every day before the war,” Psiuk says “We did a big tour and we had many plans that went awry but so did every Ukrainian.” The question is whether a group who inadvertently created a war anthem will write a song that’s actually about war when they get back to making music “I have never written any song about war before,” Psiuk says (a notable active choice in a country that has been at war since 2014 even if the rest of the world has only been paying proper attention recently) “Right now we are focused on our Eurovision performance But watch out for the new music we make after that The war will definitely be in there.” The Eurovision Song Contest final broadcasts on Saturday May 14 Rolling Stone UK is published by Stream Publishing Ltd The video features footage from Ukrainian cities bombed during the ongoing Russian invasion Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra have shared a powerful video for ‘Stefania’, the song that won them last night’s (May 14) Eurovision Song Contest The band triumphed over the UK’s Sam Ryder at the Turin ceremony receiving a massive portion of the public vote they have shared an official video for ‘Stefania’ all of which were bombed during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine cities near Kyiv that suffered the horrors of Russian occupation “Dedicated to the brave Ukrainian people to all those who gave their lives for our freedom “The war in Ukraine has multiple faces but it is our mother’s face that keeps our hearts alive in the darkest times Watch the ‘Stefania’ video below: Speaking to NME this week, frontman Oleh Psiuk explained how their taking part was a “huge responsibility”, given the ongoing war with Russia “To represent Ukraine in the international arena is always a responsibility but to represent it during the war is just the highest responsibility possible,” he said “The song [‘Stefania’] was composed and dedicated to my mother but after the war the song has acquired lots of nuances because a lot of people are perceiving it as if Ukraine is my mother,” said Psiuk “That’s why the song has become so close to the Ukrainian people Watch NME‘s full video interview with Kalush Orchestra’s Oleh Psiuk above The world’s defining voice in music and pop culture: breaking what’s new and what’s next since 1952 "Our mission is to let as many people as possible know about this war and the courage of the Ukrainian people" Kalush Orchestra have collaborated with The Rasmus on a new version of the latter’s hit single ‘In The Shadows’ ‘In The Shadows Of Ukraine’ marks Kalush Orchestra’s first release since their their Eurovision 2022-winning song ‘Stefania’ The collaboration sees the outfit combine the sound of the Telenka (a Ukrainian wind instrument) and Oleg Psiuk’s fast-paced rap with The Rasmus’ classic rock style Per a press release, The Rasmus’ original 2003 track struck a chord in Ukraine upon its initial release. The band, who represented Finland at this year’s Eurovision Italy this year where they soon began a creative relationship While both acts were in the city for the competition they joined forces for an impromptu performance in the town square “We immediately loved the original sound of Kalush Orchestra – Ukrainian folk “It was inspiring to hear how this song can be reborn like that And the lyrics are unfortunately even more relevant to what is happening now The song contains the line: “They say that I must learn to kill before I can feel safe/ But I’d rather kill myself than turn into their slave.” Psiuk said: “Probably all Ukrainians of my age and a little older remember this track by The Rasmus really well I was 17 years old when I heard it for the first time and had it in on repeat I could never have imagined that I would not only meet The Rasmus in person but collaborate on a new version of this iconic song “We were glad to reunite with The Rasmus and work together with these cool musicians We appreciate their music and their support of Ukraine And they are such sincere and open people.” He continued: “We decided straight away that we wanted to make a video for the song but also see everything that we want to convey to the world with our new work.” reference the history of Ukraine and the experience of the country in the modern day It was created by a mostly Ukrainian creative team Ylönen said: “There was a feeling that everyone wanted to make a maximum effort for a common goal “Our mission is to let as many people as possible know about this war and the courage of the Ukrainian people That’s why we decided to shoot a video for this song.” Over the summer Kalush Orchestra marked Ukrainian Independence Day by sharing a message of hope and making a fresh appeal for donations The group raised $900,000 (£739k) by auctioning off their Eurovision trophy after winning the contest in May An additional $370,000 (£301k) was generated by raffling off the pink bucket hat that frontman Psiuk wore during their victorious performance Kalush Orchestra are currently out on a North American headline tour. A portion of the funds raised from tickets will be donated to Ukrainian relief efforts via the charities Gate To Ukraine and Help Heroes Of Ukraine Meanwhile, Kalush Orchestra have said they are “pleased” that Liverpool will be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 on behalf of Ukraine Psiuk added: “I would also like to remind everyone that it is our mission to make sure that the next Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place in Kyiv.” Italy (AP) — Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest in the early hours of Sunday in a clear show of support for the war-ravaged nation right now,'' the band's front man The plea to free the remaining Ukrainian fighters trapped beneath the Azovstal plant by Russians served as a somber reminder that the hugely popular and at times flamboyant Eurovision song contest was being played out against the backdrop of a war on Europe's eastern flank President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave signs that he was watching from Kyiv any victory is very important,'' Zelenskyy said even if all roads are destroyed," Kalush Orchestra frontman Oleh Psiuk wrote Kalush Orchestra’s participation in the contest is seen as giving the nation another platform to garner international support said she intends to vote for Kalush Orchestra and is persuading her friends abroad to do the same The winner is chosen in equal parts by panels of music experts in each competing nation and votes by the viewing public — leaving room for an upset Britain’s Sam Ryder and Sweden’s Cornelia Jakobs are each given a 10% shot while the Italian duo of Mahmood & Blanco have a 6% chance of winning The winner takes home a glass microphone trophy and a potential career boost opening for the Rolling Stones and appearing on Saturday Night Live and numerous magazine covers in their typically genderless costume code The site owner may have set restrictions that prevent you from accessing the site I got an error when visiting eurovision.tv/story/Kalush-Orchestra-Ukraine-2022 congratulations on winning the Eurovision Song Contest Did you expect to win ahead of the competition or was the victory a surprise for you we would like to express our gratitude to every country and every person who supported us and helped bring at least some good news to Ukraine We believed in our song and that it was worthy of victory I want to say that all the participants were very strong this year I can say one thing for sure that the victory of the Kalush Orchestra at this year’s Eurovision added motivation and raised the fighting spirit of all Ukrainians to our next greatest victory over the enemy You are currently on the Eurovision winner Tour – what has been it like so far and which next destination are you most excited about We feel incredible support in every country Thanks to creativity and participation in many concerts abroad we have the opportunity to tell the whole world about the war in Ukraine and all funds collected at charity concerts go to help our country our main goal is for Ukrainian folklore combined with rap to be heard all over the world we are confidently moving towards this now and confidently implementing our plan into life Can you sum up your Eurovision experience in a few words What were the most beautiful and unexpected moments The Eurovision Song Contest is the music contest that probably has the attention of almost the entire world Because you represent your country and are its voice on the international stage Perhaps one of the most unexpected moments was the new friends we made among the other contestants was standing on the Eurovision stage and hearing that we won the EBU has decided to move next year’s contest to the United Kingdom we are very sad that the Eurovision Song Contest will not be held in Ukraine next year But we are grateful to the UK for their solidarity and for agreeing to hold the event in support of our country We hope Eurovision 2023 will have a Ukrainian flavour and celebrate our beautiful will make all efforts to help Ukraine win next year as well so that Eurovision 2024 can take place in a peaceful country Do you plan to be involved in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 then everyone will definitely learn about it from our social networks where we share all the news that is happening in the band We think that we will visit the UK with a performance more than once would you like to explain what they can do to help the people of your country and talk more about what is really happening This helps to combat the propaganda that Russia is trying to spread Would you ever consider returning to the Eurovision Song Contest as participants Participation in any competition is taken in order to compete for victory So let’s leave it to other artists from Ukraine what would you like to say to the Eurovision fans and to all Ukrainians reading this interview We will definitely win the war with our Russian enemy and we will also invite everyone to celebrate our victory in a free country with a peaceful sky Kalush Orchestra won the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 for Ukraine setting a new televote record of 439 points You can re-live their winning performance here Which artist would you like to see in our next episode of Torino Throwback Let us know your thoughts in the comments and on our social media profiles The Ukrainian band’s new single is “about our home – where we live and how we have learned to protect it” Eurovision 2022 winners Kalush Orchestra have shared their first English-language track ‘Changes’ – scroll down the page to listen to it now The Ukrainian band were victorious with their song ‘Stefania’ in last year’s Song Contest “Pray to the gods of good and evil / Make them hear my demands,” Kalush Orchestra sing in the chorus “Break the curse and threaded the needle / Gripped between my hands.” “This is a song about our home – where we live and how we have learned to protect it,” band leader Oleh Psiuk said in a press release “We continue to live even when danger looms over us but what is really important and native to our traditions always remains.” In the accompanying music video’s YouTube description the band referred more explicitly to the Russian invasion of Ukraine which has changed forever because it has seen grief and pain,” they wrote everyone defends their home as best they can And we continue to live despite the danger.” The video was filmed in Poland and takes place in a traditional house with the members of Kalush Orchestra playing fairytale characters Piper Tymofii Muzychuk turns into the Carpathian Molfar – an entity with supernatural powers – while KilimWoman makes her debut with the band Director Leonid Kolosovsky explained: “This is a story about the magical characters of the Kalush Orchestra family Each member of this family has their own superpower and their own way of defending the House all members of the family are very different and but they are together and each of them loves their home The band are about to head out on a tour of North America which will include a performance at this year’s SXSW festival Their live dates will continue to raise money to help Ukraine with proceeds going to the Armed Forces and for the reconstruction of cultural buildings destroyed in the war Kalush Orchestra raised 60million hryvnias (£1.3m) Last year, the group teamed up with Polish rapper Szpak on the single ‘Nasze Domy’ which addressed “the pain and struggles felt in Ukraine while conveying a message of hope at its core” Get Pollstar News and more delivered right to your inbox with Pollstar Daily Pulse By signing up, you agree to Pollstar’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Ukrainian six-piece group Kalusha Orchestra who was crowned the winner of this year’s Eurovision contest has unveiled the routing for its first-ever North American tour Shows are booked in 13 major North American cities and a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Ukraine relief via the Help Heroes of Ukraine fund and Gate.org 20 atClub Sur Rocks in Seattle.The road trip wraps up Nov Check out the schedule below and note that venues are yet to be announced for Denver and Philadelphia Kalush Orchestra won Eurovision with the song “Stefania,” which Psiuk wrote as a tribute to his mother the song has since resonated with fans as an anthem to the country As the lyrics declare: “I’ll always find my way home Kalusha Orchestra was formed as a spin-off of the project KALUSH which takes its name from group leader Oleh Psiuk’s hometown in the Western part of Ukraine features multi-instrumentalists Tymofii Muzychuk Vitalii Duzhyk and Andriy Gandziuk (known as MC Dzhonni Dyvnyy) along with vocalist Sasha Tab and lead dancer KylymMen (a nickname that translates as “Carpet-Man”) An announcement from the group’s team explains that “Kalush Orchestra prides themselves on their combination of ethnic music elements and folk with modern sound production Ukrainian-language rap and dances inspired by traditional Ukrainian dance as well as hip hop.” “The essence is that we take the old Ukrainian folklore that has been forgotten We dig it out from many generations and add modern In the end we have a combination of what our ancestors had and what the young people like today The charity component to the tour isn’t Kalush Orchestra’s first instance of giving back The band raised $900,000 for Ukraine relief efforts by auctioning off the glass microphone used on stage at Eurovision as well as $370,000 by raffling off the pink bucket hat Psiuk wore during the performance NOV 3Sport Of Kings TheaterHallandale Beach Written by: Tom Heinemann and Morten Hansen a former mining town at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains located in the Western part of Ukraine – and tormented by severe chemical pollution massive unemployment and sickness among its 65,000 inhabitants Welcome to one of the most polluted areas in Europe As far back as the 1400s – when Kalush was part of Poland – it hosted mining beginning in mid 1500 it began the first ever chemical production of Nitrate The area is generally rich in various subsoil salts and numerous factory plants specializing in agricultural fertilizer using Potassium and Magnesium were established over the years The enormous mine dug its way under the city Today it’s 7.5 kilometers long with more than 1,000 chambers Each chamber is between 2 to 7 meters high and 20 to 200 meters long some of the chambers have been filled with waste both domestic and from the extensive chemical production in the city When they stopped using the underground mine They pumped water into the many tunnels and chambers in order to stabilize the fragile underground” former chemist at one of the chemical plants who today heads the local NGO Green Movement Karparty and  Sadoviy estimate there are more than 1,000 tons of mixed chemical waste in the many chambers beneath Kalush The excavations undermined the town’s foundations and part of the waste that that has been dumped in the mine began to give off condensation In 1987 a disaster took place: In just one night some 40 houses sunk into the ground Several of the houses simply disappeared into the earth while other collapsed The result is that the mines are now flooded and filled with mixed chemical waste A combination designed to bring more catastrophes: “We fear both more collapses and the chemicals spreading to groundwater,” said  Sadoviy “There is no monitoring of the groundwater so nobody knows if the chemical waste spreads to the drinking water.” This article is the first in a series that will explore chemical waste in Ukraine. The original version appeared on contaminatedfuture.org an endeavor by two independent Danish journalists to illuminate the ongoing crisis of obsolete pesticides and other industrial chemicals buried in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus Oslo office: info@bellona.no Brussels Office: europa@bellona.org Berlin Office: deutschland@bellona.org Vilnius Office: ru@bellona.org