Jamala has long needed no introduction because over the past few years she has become one of the most famous Ukrainian performers in the world. Victory at Eurovision 2016, refereeing in the vocal show “Voice”, wedding, pregnancy, and, finally, the birth of the long-awaited first child – now the name of the singer is on everyone’s lips! But let’s remember how this unique vocalist began her journey and how the current fame came to her.
Susana Alimovna Dzhamaladinova ( Jamala or Jamala ) is a Ukrainian singer and actress of Crimean Tatar-Armenian origin, winner of Eurovision 2016, People’s Artist of Ukraine (2016), graduate of the National Music Academy of Ukraine. Performs songs in the genres of jazz, soul, funk, folk, pop, and electro, and also takes part in opera productions and shows.
Basic Information
Birth name: Susana Alimovna Jamaladinova
Date of birth: August 27, 1983
Place of birth: Kirghiz SSR, USSR
Country: Ukraine
Professions: singer, actress
Active years: 2001 – present
Genres: jazz, soul, funk, folk, pop, and electro
Collectives: “Beauty Band” (2001-2007)
Labels: Moon Records (2010-2013), Enjoy! Records (since 2014), Universal Music Group (since 2016).
Biography
Jamala is a creative pseudonym (the initial letters of the singer’s last name), her real name is Susanna Jamaladinova. Susanna was born on August 27, 1983, in a small town in Kyrgyzstan. The singer’s childhood and teenage years were spent in Malorechensky, not far from Alushta.
Jamala is a Crimean Tatar by her father and an Armenian by her mother. Her great-grandmother and children were deported from Crimea in May 1944, but the singer’s father always wanted to return to their historical homeland. And he succeeded – by cunning. In an interview, Susanna Dzhamaladinova said that in the 1980s in Crimea there was an unspoken ban on the sale of real estate to relatives of deported Tatars. And her family found a good house, and in 1986 they registered it in their mother’s maiden name: for this, her parents even had to fictitiously divorce.
Jamala’s parents, like many residents of resort settlements in Crimea, were engaged in the tourism business – they have a private boarding house near Alushta. The singer’s mother plays the piano remarkably and during her pregnancy often accompanied the performers who entertained the guests of the boarding house. Perhaps that is why Jamala sang already at the age of one and a half, being only in the nursery group. At the age of nine, the girl already knew for sure that she would become a singer.
Jamala took this dream very seriously: she studied at a music school, participated in many children’s competitions. She won the “Children’s Rain” contest and, as the winner, recorded an album, songs from which were often played on the Crimean radio. At the age of 14, Jamala entered a music school in Simferopol. In the classroom, she studied classical and opera music, and after classes in the basement, she played in her own jazz group, Tutti.
At the age of 17, Jamala entered the National Academy of Music in Kyiv. The admissions committee did not want to accept the girl until they heard her range of four octaves. Jamala was the best on the course, she dreamed of a solo career in Milan’s LaScala. Maybe this would have happened if her passion for the classics had not “blocked” her passion for jazz and experiments in this direction.
Music
Jamala’s musical career began as a child. The singer’s debut on the big stage took place at the age of 15, then there were performances at European, Russian and Ukrainian competitions, victories, prestigious awards, and special prizes. Once a demo version of Jamala’s performance at a jazz festival in Italy was heard by the famous Ukrainian choreographer Elena Kolyadenko. She offered the singer the main role in the musical “Pa” and advised her to participate in the “New Wave”.
For the festival in Jurmala in 2009, the singer prepared for a long time, at the same time a creative pseudonym appeared. The singer passed the Kyiv selection, then Moscow. From the first performance, she loudly declared herself. After the performance of the song “Little Son” Alla Pugacheva gave the contestant a standing ovation. Jamala received the Grand Prix at the New Wave 2009 – this was a powerful impetus for her career. After the festival, the singer gave two solo concerts in the Ukrainian capital, took part in many television programs.
In mid-2009, Jamala was invited to the main part in the opera Spanish Hour. The following winter, she sang in an opera performance on the theme of Bondiana – then the English actor Jude Law admired her voice.
In 2011, Jamala participated in the selection for Eurovision. She performed with the song Smile but lost in the final. The singer does not believe in the honesty of the closed vote and still believes that she was undeservedly sued.
In the same year, the singer released her debut full-fledged studio album, which included compositions written by her in previous years. On March 9, 2013, Jamala’s second studio album All or Nothing was released. And in 2015, the singer presented the album Podikh, the first album with a non-English title. The disc includes songs written by Jamala independently and in collaboration, in Ukrainian, Russian, Crimean Tatar, and English: “Promise”, “Sister’s Lullaby”, “Bіshe”, “Drifting Apart” and others.
Eurovision 2016
Five years later, Jamala again participated in the national selection for Eurovision from Ukraine. The first semi-final of the Ukrainian casting was held on February 6, 2016, the second semi-final took place a week later – according to the results of these selections, five contestants made it to the final.
In the final of the competition, the singer performed the song “1944” in English. In one of the interviews, she said that the song is dedicated to the memory of her ancestors, great-grandmother Nazylkhan, who was deported from Crimea in May 1944. The woman never returned to her native Crimea. This song has become very important for many Crimean Tatars.
Jamala won the Eurovision 2016, which took place in May in Sweden. According to the audience vote, Sergei Lazarev became the leader, but the outcome of the competition was decided by the jury, which gave a low rating to the number of the Russian singer. As a result, Lazarev was only in 3rd place.
After winning the music competition, Jamala first released a mini-album, which included the song that brought the girl victory and four more songs, and then a full-fledged fourth studio album with the same name. The album was released on June 10, 2016, in Europe, the record was released by the label “Universal Music Group”. The release in the United States took place on July 10 of the same year under the label “Republic Records”. In addition to the title track, the album includes 11 more songs in English.
Jamal now
In the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, which was held in Ukraine, Jamala, the winner of last year, performed her new own song “I Believe in U”, the premiere performance of which took place just the day before, on May 12, at the Kyiv Palace of Sports at the solo concert of the singer. Also, the song was soon released as a single in support of the concert program of the same name.
Jamala wrote the words and music for the song “I Believe in U” on her own. The artist dedicated this song to those people who support and inspire the singer.
Also in 2017, a video clip for this song was released. The video was filmed for three days, filming took place in Portugal, in the suburbs of Lisbon, Sintra, and Ericeira, and in the Alentejo region. The director was Igor Stekolenko, familiar to music fans from the clips for the rock group Okean Elzy and the Brutto group.
In the same year, Jamala showed herself as an actress. The singer played the role of a maid of honor in the film “Polina”. Also in 2017, Jamala appeared as a cameo in the TV movie “Jamala’s Fight” and the documentary “Jamala.UA”.
2017 was the year of awards for the singer. Jamala received the YUNA music award in the Best Solo Artist, Best Song (1944), and Best Duet nominations for the song Lured. The singer performed this composition together with DakhaBrakha.
The first half of 2018, the singer devoted themself to motherhood and family, appearing on the screen only as a judge on the Voice show.
Personal life
On April 26, 2017, Jamal got married. Her chosen one was Bekir Suleymanov, with whom the singer has maintained relations since 2016. Jamala’s wedding took place in Kyiv according to Tatar traditions – the newlyweds underwent the nikah ceremony at the Islamic Cultural Center, which was conducted by a mullah.
Already in May, journalists and colleagues of the artist saw Jamala’s rounded belly and decided that the singer was pregnant. But Jamala denied these rumors, saying that such an optical illusion created a white loose suit in which the singer appeared at the concert.
A little later, the singer nevertheless announced her pregnancy, often appeared with a rounded belly on the set of the Voice show, and gave many interviews about how she was preparing to become a mother.
On March 27, 2018, Jamala became a mother for the first time. A son was born in a young family, who was named Emir-Rahman Seit-Bekir.
Awards, achievements, and interesting facts
- In 2009, she won the eighth international competition “New Wave” in Jurmala.
- She received four statuettes of the Ukrainian music award “YUNA”, two awards “ELLE Style Award”.
- He has received awards such awards as “Person of the Year”, “Best Fashion Awards”, “Red Apple Awards”, “Eurostory Awards”, “Marcel Bezençon Award” and “Cosmopolitan Awards”.
- In 2016, she won the 61st Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm with the song “1944”.
- Honorary title “People’s Artist of Ukraine”.
- The title “Honorary Citizen of Kyiv”.
- In 2013, she starred in the films The Guide by Ukrainian director Oles Sanin and Polina by Franco-Belgian director Olias Barko.
- In 2017, Jamala appeared as a cameo in the TV movie “Jamala’s Fight” and the documentary “Jamala.UA”.
Discography
- 2011 – For Every Heart
- 2012 – For Every Heart: Live Аt Arena Concert Plaza
- 2013 – Allor Nothing
- 2014 – Thank You
- 2015 – “Breath”
- 2016 – «1944»