Eurovision winner Jamala to come to Turkey

Born in 1983 in Osh in the former Soviet Union, Jamala made her first professional recording at the age of nine, singing 12 folk and children’s Crimean Tatar songs. She entered the Simferopol Music College and later graduated from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine as an opera singer, but preferred a career in pop music.

In the second semi-final of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, Jamala performed 14th and reached the final, being among the 10 participants who qualified for the grand finale. As it was announced later, she placed second, scoring 287 points and winning the televoting with 152 points. On May 14, Jamala won the competition with 534 points.

Jamala’s song was considered by Russian media and lawmakers to be criticism of the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the “ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine” in Donbass.

After her win she was awarded the title People’s Artist of Ukraine by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

On May 17, Poroshenko announced that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry would be nominating Jamala as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.