Jamala has released her entry with which she hopes to represent Ukraine with on their return to the Eurovision Song Contest.

The singer is a familiar name to the Ukrainian selections for the Eurovision Song Contest having participated in the controversial national final in 2011 where she finished third, however the result was judged to have been effected by vote rigging.
She decided against participating in a secondary contest over fears that the same would happen again, meaning Mika Newton was awarded the right to represent the nation once future Ukrainian representative Zlata Ognevich also pulled out of the re-arranged final.

Her song for this year, 1944, is inspired by a story told to her by her great-grandmother about the forced deportation of Crimean Tartars from Crimea.

On the release of the song, Jamala says that whilst the song may be about a specific event relating to her own family, it’s a subject that can reach a wide range of people.

This topic is too familiar for many people in many countries. Many nations survived horrible tragedies – repressions, deportations and genocide. Unfortunately, people still haven’t learned to co-ecist in peace and tolerance. I’d like my message to be heard by as many people as possible – both in Ukraine and abroad.

Jamala will compete in the first semi-final of the Ukrainian national final on Saturday.

What do you think of Jamala’s song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016?

Stay tuned to ESCToday for all the latest news from Ukraine and the Eurovision Song Contest!