In a reply on Twitter, EBU have confirmed that Jamala and Ukraine will not be asked to make changes to their Eurovision entry 1944. The question around said topic had been going on ever since the song was released.
The song speaks of the deportation of Crimean Tatars by Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union back in 1944. The chorus of the song is sung in the Crimean Tatar language and are words Jamala says to have heard from her grandmother, who was a victim of the deportation.
The topic in itself was deemed too political by many, pointing to last year’s Armenian entry. Don’t Deny was changed into Face The Shadow in the title to avoid political statements in the title. Such changes were also expected to be required from Ukraine this year, but below you can see the EBU tweet confirming that this will not be the case:
@Refshaleoen The Ref. Group concluded that the title & lyrics of the song don't contain political speech and don't breach @Eurovision Rules.
— EBU (@EBU_HQ) March 9, 2016
The discussion about the definition of ‘political speech’ can obviously be debated. We’d love to hear what you think: Did the EBU make the right decision? Or do you think they should’ve taken action against 1944?
