Ukraine – The drama in Ukraine continues as Jamala announced today that she will not be taking part in the second national final this Thursday. Due to voting fraud allegations against the winner Mika Newton, NTU, the Ukrainian national broadcaster, had decided to hold another national final with the Top3 of the previous one: Jamala, Mika Newton and Zlata Ognevich. Now Jamala has ruined these plans by announcing her withdrawal through a press release this afternoon. “I’m happy that 3 times more people voted for me than for the artist, who won the first place. My gratitude for those who believed in me and supported me is endless. For me your trust is the most precious thing. I do not want to have nothing in common with manipulations, corruption and ambitions of certain personalities,” she explained her withdrawal.
She especially criticizes the handling of this situation by the Ukrainian broadcaster: “Another so called “voting” is announced. I’m more than sure that people who are organizing this will do anything to prove that they are right and once again will use the opportunity to humiliate me and other artists. Also, I do understand that they don’t have a choice. Even if they’ll have to admit that people voted for me, they’ll do anything to pour flows of dirt on me and convince everyone that re-voting was done specially “for Jamala”.”
She goes on saying that she did not want to harm anyone and that her team and herself did not try to put the broadcaster into a bad light. She closes her statement on a positive note by saying “Once again I wish to thank you all for your support and understanding! I sincerely wish luck to the artist who will represent Ukraine on “Eurovision – 2011”.”
It remains to be seen how NTU will handle this situation as a national final with only two songs would look like a farce.
Ukraine will compete in the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 12. In our own pre-Eurovision competition “The Eurovision Knockout 2011” Ukraine will compete against Belarus and Turkey.
The Eurovision Times 
How much you want to bet that we’ll see her representing Russia next week? ;-)
Really? I don’t think so…
I’m being a bit sarcastic! (Sadly, that doesn’t come through on the internet as well as I’d hope…hehe.)
Good for her for not getting involved with this Ukraine Eurovision drama :)
Really… W…T…F… so much drama.
For the note, I hated Jamala’s entry. But Ukraine needs to get their stuff together. It’s not even interesting and entertaiming anymore.
I wasn’t a fan of the song either, but what I don’t understand is that this happens EVERY. YEAR. Why don’t they just have an internal selection and choose whoever the hell they want. I must admit, however, that their choice for last year was great – much better than the “I Love You” crap …
Does anyone know where I could see a picture of Jamala. I believe that I know her.
Thanks
T
Ukraine/NTU probably don’t want to internally select as it means they won’t get the financial benifits of having a National final (Money from votes & advertising)
But it seems they still want to dictate who they send, which obviously can’t and won’t work.
Jamala will not participate??? I just hope Zlata will not withdraw too, i realy dont want Mika after this…
Please Ukraine whatever you do do not choose Mika…
What a mess once again … :( For another year I will ignore the Ukrainian ESC entry and only listen to it after the contest. I do not support corruption … although I find it slightly amusing (know I shouldn’t) when it is about such a trifle as a preselection for ESC.
I told an American friend about the mess last year and he couldn’t believe they even fight about idiotic stuff like ESC in Ukraine ;) I hope there won’t be no fistfight like they do it in the parliament…
Jamala has made a wise decision. I would not want to have anything to do with NTU’s disrespectful behaviour since the beguinning of this NF either.
I will do the same, Togravus.
It’s me, Shevek.
after having rewatched the ukrainian final here how i ranked the 17 songs (there were 19 but 2 got disqualified during the show):
04 Bahroma – Cernoe more
13 Eduard Romanuta – Berega
06 Jamala – Smile
05 Alexey Matias – Myself
01 Zlata Ognevich – The Kukushka
09 Denis Povaliy – Aces high
12 Mika Newton – Angeli
08 Alyona Korneyeva – Why did I say goodbye
07 Mila Nitich – Goodbye
10 El Kravchuk – My hope
16 Vladislav Levitskiy – Love
17 Anastasiya Prikhodko – Action
02 Dariya Medova – Infinity
14 Ivan Berezovskiy – Ave Maria
11 Shanis – Ya tvoya
03 Zhemchug – Hero
15 Zaklopky – Superhero (U-la-la)
The three girls were in the better half of this bad NF, but i hardly can take Mika or Zlata in esc, Jamala on the other hand was really fun live and has a very very catchy song
anyway this is pure drama, i wont comment on it, we’ll just wait til EBU tells which song and singer go to Düsseldorf
People Armenian songs are online!
http://eurovision.am/
thanks!!
I don’t particularly like any of them. What strikes me though is that Emmy’s voice sounds terribly flat even in studion version. Drop the dancers and give her 5 backings for D’dorf, please.
Ayo is my favorite of theese… Others are OK but not for my taste…
imo these are 4 craps and as i ALWAYS said emmy can’t sing at ALL at ALL i said so last year and still think so
‘Ayo’ already won and will do a qele qele imo
This news make me cry !!!
Me too and laugh at the same time… I should not have published a “Ukraine sends XY to Eurovision” I won’t next year before the deadline has passed…
I meant crying ironically lol.. I dont care if one those girls would compete or withdraw..
Ukraine might as well automatically send Zlata to represent Ukraine. Mika isn’t exactly going to go down well with Europe and Zlata would win by an absolute landslide.
GOD, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SEND ZLATA, I really think Eurovison will love her and she can actually WIN Eurovison 2011!
You never know , they may throw Dariya in the National Final ;) as compensation,
BUT ZLATA HAS TO WIN, and I dont think she will withdraw, she WAS VERY PISSED AND PERSISTENT about the new National Final, I think she will go and rock it!
News:
Zlata Ognevich withdraw too.
Game over. “Enjoy” Mika’s voice in may.
Thank us all and sorry for our country.