Jamala

Jamala was born on 27 August 1983 in Osh, Kirghiz SSR, to a Muslim Crimean Tatar father and an Armenian mother. Her ancestors were forcibly relocated from Crimea to Central Asia during World War II under Joseph Stalin, although her relatives fought for the Soviet Union. In 1989, her family returned to Crimea.

Her maternal lineage traces back to Armenians from the Nagorno-Karabakh region, who were prosperous peasants until her great-grandfather was exiled to Osh. Jamala was raised in a musical family, with her mother teaching at a music school and her father being a trained conductor. During her parents' divorce, her mother had to purchase a house in Crimea under her maiden name due to restrictions on ethnic Crimean Tatars.

Jamala's passion for music began in her childhood, leading her to record her first professional songs at the age of nine. She attended Simferopol Music College and graduated from Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine as an opera singer, although she opted for a career in pop music.

Her debut single 'You Are Made of Love' was released on 14 February 2010, followed by other singles leading up to her debut album 'For Every Heart' in April 2011. She continued to release music throughout the early 2010s, including her second album 'All or Nothing' in March 2013.

Jamala represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with her song '1944', which addresses the deportation of the Crimean Tatars. The song's lyrics were written in 2014, and her performance in the contest led to her winning with a total of 534 points. The song was perceived as critical of Russia's annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict in Donbas.

Following her win, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of Ukraine by President Petro Poroshenko and continued to release music, including her fifth studio album 'Kryla' in October 2018.

Jamala married Bekir Suleimanov on 26 April 2017, and they have three sons together, born in 2018, 2020, and 2024. She is fluent in multiple languages, including Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar, Russian, and English.

In February 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she and her children left the country, initially seeking refuge in Romania before relocating to Turkey. She has been involved in charitable efforts, including the GIDNA project from the Future for Ukraine Charity Foundation.