The Ukrainian Eurovision Song Contest selections have ended in a political farce. 75 songs appeared at the start of the Ukrainian selections in November last year. 15 semifinals later, 15 singers had qualified for the final. NTU added 4 wild cards to the line-up, mainly songs from the Orange Revoltion. Wild card Greenjolly won the final and will perform the Yushenko supporting hip hop track Razom nas bahato on stage of the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev.

These are the results of the Ukrainian national final:

01 – 2247 votes | Greenjolly – Razom nas bahato
02 – 1952 votes | Ani Lorak – Another little shot
03 – 342 votes | Yurcash – Patriot
04 – 342 votes | Tartak – Nashe lito
05 – 341 votes | De Shifer – Chas Pryjshov
06 – 164 votes | Julia Korjinskaya – Freedom
07 – 142 votes | Mandry – Ne spy moja ridna zemlja
08 – 139 votes | Stand.up – Vidlitay
09 – 110 votes | Daleko – Znaky pitanya
10 – 105 votes | Talita Kum – Lovy mene
11 – 62 votes | Volya – Zemlya rodnaya
12 – 60 votes | Viktor Pavlik – Svit za viknom
13 – 54 votes | NeDilya – My angel
14 – 41 votes | Ex-Presidenti – Nochnoy gorod
15 – 23 votes | Foxy – Zaberi Menya
15 – 23 votes | Lourdes – Veter
17 – 19 votes | Tiana Ravi – Pozavchora
18 – 15 votes | Sergei Gavrilov – Paperoviy choven
19 – 13 votes | Tayana – Ottay

Ani Lorak robbed by wild card
The band Greenjolly, one of the 4 wild cards, won the televoting and will represent Ukraine at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest with the Orange Revolution song Razom nas bahato. A big shock for the Ukrainian favourite Ani Lorak who participated with the song Another little shot.

NTU's late decision to add 4 wild cards to the line-up for the final ruined her Eurovision dreams for the second consecutive year. Last year, Ani Lorak was Ruslana's main competitor to be selected internally by broadcaster NTU.

Razom nas bahato, dedicated to Victor Yushenko
The winning Ukrainian song is written by Roman Kostiuk and Roman Kalik. The amateur duo started recording a song because they were fed up with all the speeches at political meetings. The song Razom nas bohato has been written in less than four hours and has quickly become the unofficial anthem of Yuschenko supporters who gathered at the Independence Square in Kiev in December last year, when they fought for a repetition of the elections.

Roman Kostiuk and Roman Kalik, together Greenjolly, were surprised to notice that their song had become a hit. The song already crossed the Ukrainian borders and has widely been spread over the internet. In a half Polish half Ukrainian version, the song is currently becoming successful in Poland where Greenjolly co-operated with UMC All Stars. The video of Razom nas bohato, produced by Vitaly Kokoshko features documentary shots of the Orange Revolution.

Translated into English, Greenjolly will spread the following message in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest on 21st May in Kiev:

Together we are many, we cannot be defeated.
Falsifications. No! Machinations. No!
'Little Understandings'. No! No to lies!
Yushchenko, Yushchenko is our President.
Yes! Yes! Yes!

We aren't beasts of burden, we aren't goats.
We are of Ukraine, sons and daughters
It's now or never, enough of waiting
together we are many, together we cannot be defeated.

The song can be found in audio on the following link.

A farce to end a farce
Ukrainian broadcaster NTU saw their first open national selections big and announced 20 semifinals with 100 songs in the competition last Summer. However, NTU did not receive 100 songs and had to reduce their plans to 15 semifinals and 75 songs. On top of that all NTU forgot to inform the participants that songs must not have been commercially released or publicly performed before 1st October 2004 to be eligible for participation in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest.

As a result, many songs broke this basic Eurovision Song Contest rule. Six of them, including top favourite Ani Lorak, even won one of the semifinals and proceeded to the final. “It's the first time we select a song this way,” explained NTU to esctoday.com in January. “That might explain why certain aspects are not completely worked out. In case we have a winner with a song released before 1st October 2004, he or she will have to select another song straightaway after our national final. We will definitely not let the person representing Ukraine be disqualified due to violation of the rules.”

The current situation and selection of Greenjolly to represent Ukraine at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest will see for more reactions without a doubt. Esctoday.com will keep you up to date…