Today is the day! Jamala has (finally) released her 1944 video clip.
Jamala the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 uponed her song to the world. “1944” won the contest with the record of 534 (with the new voting system) points in Stockholm, Sweden.
Background and lyrics
The lyrics for “1944” concern the deportation of the Crimean Tatars, in the 1940s, by the Soviet Union at the hands of Joseph Stalinbecause of their alleged collaboration with the Nazis. Jamala was particularly inspired by the story of her great-grandmother Nazylkhan, who was in her mid-20s when she and her five children were deported to barren Central Asia. One of the daughters did not survive the journey. Jamala’s great-grandfather was fighting in World War II in the Red Army at this time and thus could not protect his family. The song was also released amid renewed repression of Crimean Tatars following the Russian annexation of Crimea, since most Crimean Tatars refuse to accept the annexation.
The song’s chorus, in the Crimean Tatar language, is made up of words from a Crimean Tatar folk song called “Ey, güzel Qırım” that Jamala had heard from her great-grandmother, reflecting on the loss of a youth which could not be spent in her homeland. The song features the duduk played by Aram Kostanyan and the use of the mugham vocal style.
As a person who went to Jamala’s concert in Istanbul I’was so curious and couldn’t wait for the video. But I can freely say that ‘this video gives me a life’.
Watch the 1944 World Premiere Video Clip from here.