1. Jamala represented Ukraine and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with her song "1944".
18 Facts About Jamala
1. 2.
Jamala's parents divorced for about four years so that her mother could purchase a house in Crimea for the family under her maiden name.
3.
Jamala has been fond of music since her early childhood.
4.
Jamala made her first professional recording at the age of nine, singing 12 folk and children's Crimean Tatar songs.
5.
Jamala entered the Simferopol Music College and later graduated from Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine as an opera singer, but preferred a career in pop music.
6.
Jamala released "It's Me, Jamala" as the second single on 18 October 2010.
7.
The song was a crowd favorite and Jamala herself managed to land a spot in the finals of the competition.
8.
Jamala released "Hurt" as the second single, and "Kaktus" was released on 6 March 2013, as the third and final single from the album.
9.
Jamala released All or Nothing on 19 March 2013, through Moon Records Ukraine.
10.
Jamala released her album Podykh on 12 October 2015, through Enjoy Records.
11.
Jamala successfully represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "1944".
12.
Jamala's song was considered by Russian media and lawmakers to be critical of the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the "ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine" in Donbas.
13.
Jamala has then continued to release new music, including "I Believe in U", which she performed at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 as an interval act, along with "Zamanyly".
14.
On 12 October 2018, Jamala released her fifth studio album, Kryla.
15.
Jamala had previously performed the track as the interval act for the 2018 Ukrainian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, Vidbir.
16.
Jamala performed "1944" during the flag parade in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, alongside fellow past Ukrainian entrants Go_A, Tina Karol, and Verka Serduchka.
17.
In November 2017, Jamala announced that she and Suleimanov were expecting their first child together.
18.
Jamala is fluent in Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar, Russian and English.