âOur childrenâs schools were bombedâ: the Eurovision stars fighting to rebuild Ukraine | Eurovision 2024![]() âWhen you know how a country sounds,â says Jerry Heil, talking of representing Ukraine at Eurovision, âyou can feel more empathy for themâ. Alongside rapper alyona alyona, she is speaking from Malmö. It is the morning after the first semi-final, where they safely secured a slot in Saturdayâs grand final, but they have not had time to celebrate. âWe are like old people,â says alyona alyona. âNo party, no drink, no nothing.â No partying and no nerves before performing either. âWhen we first rehearsed with the audience here in Sweden, I immediately got the feeling that theyâre so supportive and so warm â in all senses!â says Heil. âIâm freezing all the time, but on stage at Eurovision, itâs like a sauna. The audience really give you the power and the energy, and you give it back, so itâs like the energy is circulating.â Their song, Teresa & Maria, refers to Mother Teresa and the Virgin Mary, and is dedicated to womenâs courage and resilience, particularly in times of war. alyona alyona (real name Alyona Savranenko) and Jerry Heil (Yana Shemaieva) wrote it with Anton Chilibi and Ivan Klymenko. Jerry Heil, who has amassed a large social media following through her music, says Eurovision is a perfect opportunity for people to âdiscover more about Ukrainian cultureâ. Ukraine has tremendous pedigree in Eurovision, winning the contest at their second attempt with Ruslanaâs Wild Dances in 2004. âAll over the country it was like: âAh Eurovision, OK, we watch this nowâ,â says alyona alyona of her earliest memories of the contest. âShe made it like this level, then Verka Serduchka took it up to another level.â Ukraineâs 2007 entry Dancing Lasha Tumbai by Verka Serduchka finished second and has become a Eurovision legend. The country won again in 2016 with Jamalaâs politically charged 1944 about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union during the second world war, and in 2022 Kalush Orchestra rode a wave of European solidarity after Russiaâs invasion, winning with Stefania. alyona alyona and Jerry Heil donât seem to be letting the pressure of following in those footsteps get to them, and they are keen to use their appearance to draw attention to the plight of schoolchildren. In Malmö they are carrying replica wooden keys with them that represent the Velykokostromska school in Dnipropetrovsk, which was destroyed by a Russian missile strike. Working with United24, a charity set up by the Ukrainian government to raise funds during the war which counts Mark Hamill, Barbra Streisand and Andriy Shevchenko among its ambassadors, they are raising money to rebuild it. âOur children have lost their childhood,â says alyona alyona, who was a preschool teacher before finding musical success, âbecause Russia bombed more than 500 school buildings. Itâs horrible.â The pair have some kind words for the UKâs entry, Olly Alexander. In the first semi-final on Tuesday they performed directly after his song Dizzy, and said that as they were waiting in the wings they were âvibing to itâ, helping get them in the zone for their moment in the spotlight. They make a point of extending their thanks to the UK for the way it has taken in Ukrainian refugees. âWe feel it, we get it, we appreciate it,â says alyona alyona. They have also been enjoying the camaraderie in Malmö. alyona alyona says itâs a shame that only 10 songs progress from each of the semi-finals. âSometimes it is sad and unexpected who doesnât go through, but this is the peopleâs choice.â Jerry Heil adds: âItâs hard to pick who might win, because we are all friends.â Eurovision fans obsess over how well songs do depending on when they perform during the final, but the Ukrainian pair have no preference for being high or low in the running order at the weekend. âIt doesnât matter, because weâre still going to be there till the end,â laughs Jerry Heil. Bookmakers have them among the favourites for this year, but their aims go beyond simply winning the contest. âEverybody asks us if we want to win,â Jerry Heil says, âbut if Ukrainian music goes in the charts, on your personal playlist, on a daily basis, then we have won.â Source link Posted: 2024-05-09 13:44:38 |
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