Susana Jamaladinova (Crimean Tatar: Susana Camaladinova; Ukrainian/Russian, born August 27, 1983), better known by her stage name Jamala is a Ukrainian singer, actress and songwriter. She represented Ukraine and won the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song “1944”.
Susanna Jamaladinova was born in Osh, Kirghiz SSR, to a Crimean Tatar father and an Armenian mother. Her Crimean Tatar ancestors were forcefully resettled from Crimea to the central Asian republic under Joseph Stalin, during World War II, although her own relatives fought on the Soviet side. During this deportation, one of her great-grandmother’s daughters died on board of a freight truck and was tossed from the wagon “like garbage”. Upon Ukraine’s independence, her family returned to Crimea. Her maternal ancestors are from Nagorno-Karabakh. She claims to be related, through her maternal great-grandmother, to the Soviet Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. When Jamala visited Armenia she felt at home, and noted, “I want very much to return to Armenia again”).
Jamala speaks Russian as her mother tongue, and she is also fluent in Ukrainian, which she learned as an adolescent. Though she wrote some songs in Crimean Tatar, she is not fluent in this language.
Her parents divorced for about four years so that her mother could purchase a house in Crimea for them under her maiden name. During this time, the Soviet authorities did not allow ethnic Tatars to purchase property in Crimea.
Jamala has been fond of music since her early childhood. She made her first professional recording at the age of nine, singing 12 folk and children’s Crimean Tatar songs. She 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.
2010–11: For Every Heart
On February 14, 2010 she released her debut single “You Are Made of Love” as the lead single from her debut studio album. She released “It’s Me, Jamala” as the second single from her debut studio album on October 18, 2010. On November 23, 2010 she released “Smile” as the third single from her debut studio album. Early in 2011, she took part in the Ukrainian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Smile”. The song was a crowd favorite and Jamala herself managed to land a spot in the finals of the competition. However, she decided to withdraw later from the competition. On April 12, 2011 she released her debut studio album For Every Heart through Moon Records Ukraine.
2012–14: All or Nothing and Thank You
On November 8, 2012 she released “Ya Lyublyu Tebya” (English: “I Love You”) as the lead single from her second studio album. She released “Hurt” as the second single from her second studio album. “Kaktus” (English: “Cactus”) was released on March 6, 2013 as the third and final single from her second studio album. She released All or Nothing on March 19, 2013 through Moon Records Ukraine. On September 25, 2014 she released “Zaplutalas” (English: “Confused”) as the lead single from her debut EP Thank You, the EP was released on October 1. 2014 through Enjoy Records.
2015–16: Podykh and Eurovision Song Contest
On 26 March 2015 “Ochyma” (English: “Eyes”) was released as the lead single from her third studio album. “Shlyakh dodomu” (English: “The Way Home”) was released as the second single from her third studio album on May 18, 2015. On June 15, 2015 “Podykh” (English: “Breath”) was released as the third single from her third studio album. She released Podykh (English: “Breath”) on October 12, 2015 through Enjoy Records. Jamala successfully represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song “1944”. The song is about the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944 and particularly about her great-grandmother, who lost her daughter while being deported to Central Asia. Jamala wrote text for the song herself in 2014.
In the second semi-final of the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest, Jamala performed 14th and reached the final, being among the ten participants who qualified for the grand final. As it was announced later, she placed 2nd, scoring 287 points and winning the televoting with 152 points On 14 May 2016, Jamala won the competition with 534 points.
Jamala’s song was considered by Russian media and lawmakers to be criticism of the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the “ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine” in Donbass. After her win she was awarded the title People’s Artist of Ukraine by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. On May 17, 2016, Poroshenko announced that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry would be nominating Jamala for UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.