All songs for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 have been selected. During the weeks between the national final season and the actual Eurovision Song Contest, we will introduce all 39 entries in random order. Part fifteen of the series is dedicated to the Ukrainian entry.

Basic information

Performer:	Alyosha (Aл�о�а)
Song:	Sweet people
Language:	English
Music:	Olena Kucher (�лена ���е�), Borys Kukoba (�о�и� ��коба), Vadim Lisitsa (�адим �и�и��)
Lyrics:	Olena Kucher (�лена ���е�)
Draw:	8th in the second semi final

The song

Sweet people is a rock ballad. The lyrics are a message of peace that the singer is sending out to all of us:

Oh, sweet people
Have you no love for mankind?
Must you go on killing
Just to pass the time

Yes, the message is so real
Don't turn all the earth to stone
Because, because, because
This is your home

The performer

Alyosha, whose real name is Olena Kucher, has been singing since her childhood, when she performed with the choir at her school. She later gratuated from pop music department of the Kyiv University of Arts and Culture. In 2006 and 2008, she won prizes at international music festivals. Shortly after, she signed a record deal with Catapult Music. The first music video that she released with that label is called Sner (Снег).

Alyosha has also been working as a songwriter with various other Ukrainian performers. Among them are Nast� Kamensjkih, Natal� Mogilevskaya, Potap and 2008 Eurovision Song Contest representative Ani Lorak. She also worked as a vocal coach, songwriter, producer and backing vocalist for the talent search Star Factory.

In 2010, Alyosha entered the relaunched Ukrainian national final, winning the selection with the song To be free. As this song had already been released before 1st October, it was disqualified and replaced by the new song Sweet people.

The songwriters

The song was written by Alyosha herself (music and lyrics) along with Borys Kukoba and Vadim Lisitsa. Borys Kukoba worked on Star Factory 2 and he has already written songs for various acts including Natal� Mogilevskaya. Vadim Lisitsa is also the producer of the song and he had already worked with Alyosha in the past.

The national selection

Originally, Vasyl Lazarovich had been chosen internally to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010. During a national final, he presented five songs and a jury and televoting chose the song I love you for Oslo. After personnel changes at broadcaster NTU, the original national selection was cancelled. In only one week, a new national final was organised with 20 acts competing. Alyosha won the national final with her song To be free. As the song had been published before 1st October and was accused of plagiarism, it was disqualified and replaced by the new song Sweet people. As the Ukranian broadcaster did not manage to submit their entry before the deadline, they were fined by the EBU.

Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest

Ukraine joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003. Despite a mediocre debut and a poor result on homeground in 2005, the country won the contest once, finished second twice and another time in the top ten making it one of the most successful countries in recent years. However, 2009 marked the third year ever that the country finished outside the top ten.

Ук�а н� Aл�о�а бажа мо бага�о �а��� �а га�ни� �ез�л��а� в ��лo!

Videos

The preview video:

The disqualified song To be free:

Alyosha with Sner:

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Lithuanian entry.

Previous parts of this series:

1. Ireland
2. Belarus
3. Albania
4. Denmark
5. Russia
6. Bulgaria
7. Switzerland
8. FYR Macedonia
9. Armenia
10. Spain
11. Poland
12. Croatia
13. Finland
14. Greece