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Jamala
ESC2016 winner's press conference 01.jpg
Jamala in 2016
Background information
Native name
Джамала
Birth name Susana Alimivna Jamaladinova (Susana Alim qızı Camaladinova)
Born (1983-08-27) 27 August 1983 (age 41)
Osh, Kirghiz SSR, Soviet Union (present day Kyrgyzstan)
Origin Crimea
Genres
Occupation(s) Singer
Years active 2001–present
Labels

Susana Alimivna Jamaladinova (born on August 27, 1983), known professionally as Jamala, is a famous Ukrainian singer. She became well-known when she won the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. She won with her powerful song "1944". Jamala has also been a judge on Vidbir, which is Ukraine's show to pick their Eurovision entry.

Early Life and Family

Jamala was born in Osh, a city that was part of the Soviet Union at the time. Her father is a Crimean Tatar and her mother is Armenian. Her Crimean Tatar family was forced to move from Crimea to Central Asia many years ago. This happened during World War II under Joseph Stalin's rule.

In 1989, when Jamala was young, her family moved back to Crimea. Her family loves music. Her mother taught at a music school, and her father was a conductor. For a few years, her parents divorced so her mother could buy a house in Crimea. At that time, Crimean Tatars like her father were not allowed to buy property there.

Music Career Highlights

Jamala has loved music since she was a small child. She made her first professional recording at just nine years old. She sang 12 traditional Crimean Tatar songs for children. She studied music at the Simferopol Music College. Later, she graduated from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine as an opera singer. However, she decided to pursue a career in pop music instead.

Jamala IFF2012
Jamala signing an autograph for a fan at the Odesa Film Festival in 2012.

Jamala released her first song, "You Are Made of Love," in 2010. This was from her first album, For Every Heart. She also released other songs like "It's Me, Jamala" and "Smile." In 2011, she tried to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with "Smile." She was a favorite but later decided not to continue in the competition.

She released her second album, All or Nothing, in 2013. This album included songs like "I Love You" and "Cactus." In 2014, she released an EP (a shorter album) called Thank You. Her third studio album, Podykh (meaning "Breath"), came out in 2015.

Eurovision Victory

ESC2016 - Ukraine 03
Jamala performing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016.

In 2016, Jamala successfully represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. Her song was called "1944." This song tells the story of the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944. It was especially about her great-grandmother, who lost her daughter during this difficult time. Jamala wrote the lyrics for the song in 2014.

She performed in the semi-final and made it to the grand final. On May 14, 2016, Jamala won the competition! She received a total of 534 points. After her big win, the Ukrainian president gave her the title of People's Artist of Ukraine. She has continued to release new music since then. She even performed her song "I Believe in U" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017.

In 2022, Jamala appeared on the Polish TV show Dancing with the Stars. She also performed "1944" again at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 final. In 2024, she was the spokesperson for Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Personal Life

On April 26, 2017, Jamala married Bekir Suleimanov. They had a traditional wedding ceremony. Bekir is an activist in the Muslim Crimean Tatar community.

In March 2018, Jamala and Bekir welcomed their first child, a son named Emir-Rahman. She announced in 2024 that she is expecting her third child.

Jamala speaks several languages fluently. These include Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar, Russian, and English.

In February 2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Jamala and her two children left Ukraine. They found safety first in Romania and then in Turkey.

Discography

Jamala has released several studio albums throughout her career. These include For Every Heart, All or Nothing, Podykh, 1944, Kryla, My, and Qırım (Crimea). She has also released live albums, compilation albums, remix albums, and extended plays. Many of her songs have been popular in Ukraine and other countries.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Jamala para niños

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