Ukrainian entry Kalush Orchestra makes it into Eurovision Song Contest final
- Ukraine’s rap folk band Kalush Orchestra a favourite to win at the world’s biggest live music event
- Russia has been excluded from this year’s Eurovision, as has its neighbour and close ally Belarus
Kalush Orchestra, the Ukrainian entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, has made it into Saturday’s grand final in Turin.
Kalush Orchestra advanced in the first semi-final late Tuesday along with nine other countries.
The musicians from western Ukraine and their song Stefania are the favourites for overall victory at this year’s Grand Prix in the northern Italian city.
The song addressed to a mother, which mixes hip-hop and traditional Ukrainian music, was written before Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine.
But with striking lyrics such as “I’ll always find my way home even if all the roads are destroyed”, the song has become “really close to the hearts of many Ukrainians”, said frontman rapper Oleh Psiuk, who along with the band received special government authorisation to attend Eurovision.
“There are efforts that have been made now to destroy and discredit Ukrainian culture, but we are here to show that Ukrainian music and Ukrainian culture exists,” Psiuk said Sunday during the official kick-off to the competition.
“They are authentic, original and really unique, and this is what we want to showcase.”
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Artists from a total of 17 countries took part in the first semi- final on Tuesday.
The band has been vocal in expressing its support for Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion on social media since the armed conflict began.
The war in Ukraine is having a strong impact on Eurovision, which is being hosted by Italy this year after the Italian band Måneskin won the 2021 contest in Rotterdam.
The competition is supposed to be all about music, but this year’s Eurovision has stronger political overtones than usual.
Some groups included symbols related to the Ukraine war in their performances on Tuesday night.
For example, a guitarist from the Icelandic band Systur wore the colours of the Ukrainian flag – blue and yellow – on the back of her hand.
The band said after the semi-finals they had concentrated on getting a message across from people suffering, including the people of Ukraine.
Russia has been excluded from this year’s Eurovision, as has its neighbour and close ally Belarus.
The second semi-final takes place on Thursday. A total of 40 nations took part, 25 of which make it to the final event.
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Votes are cast by music industry professionals and the public from each country. Out of fairness, nobody can vote for their own nation.
Last year, 183 million people watched the contest.
dpa and Agence France-Presse
