ALINA PASH – Тіні забутих предківiti (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors)
Vocal:
Although I have no idea what she is saying (with the exception of the piece in English), I she has nice voice without overdoing it. I think her singing voice sounds a bit like Dolores O'Riordan from the Cranberries - subtle but strong.
Musical Arrangement:
While a lot of ESC performers tend to rely on a backing track, it was very refreshing to have a small choir/chorus to provide some of the musical backup instead of a pre-recorded track. I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of the spoken word part in the middle part of the song. However, it does provide an additional layer of complexity (in a good way) to the song. "Remember your ancestors, but write your own history"
Staging:
I think the staging with her image and the various images within the map of Ukraine (at the end) was very powerful. Also, I'm really digging the traditional clothing.
Final Thoughts:
First, I have to give Alina (and the rest of the performers doing Ukraine's national selection) mad props for staying so poised while their country is under the threat of an invasion by Russia. I'm not sure that I would have been able to perform under those conditions. If Ukraine participates in ESC2022, I do not think Alina will have a problem qualifying to the finals; however, she will have very big shoes to fill from GO_A's ESC2021 performance. The slightly concerning issue (from what I imagine) is the political nature of the song, especially with what is happing between Ukraine and Russia. ESC performers are not allowed to send political songs to the contest.
While it would have performed well on its own, I have a feeling that ESC will be more receptive to this song compared to anything that Russia sends. In previous ESCs, Russia has been consider the villain of ESC/Europe. I remember watching one ESC, and the audience would boo every time Russia received any votes. It was so bad that the hosts had to stop the contest for a little bit and remind the crowd that politics do not belong in ESC. Honestly, I have a feeling that's why Russia came in second place because the ESC folks were like I'm fine with anyone BUT Russia winning.
Ukraine in last year’s Eurovision:
Go_A - Shum
Semi-final results: 2nd place out of 16 performances (267 total points - 103 national juries and 164 public votes).
Final results: 5th out of 26 performances (364 total points - 97 national juries and 267 public votes).
This performance was an entire mood. Even though I have no idea what the hell she is saying, the flow of the song kept me interested and bopping my head. For instance, this song has been added to pretty much all of my running playlists, and I definitely play it when I need to put in some speed during a run. To be perfectly honest, I thought they were going to to win the contest. In my defense, I did not see France's (2nd place) and Italy's (1st place) performances during the final. I guess that I was on a smoke break. I pretty much loved everything about this performance, the singing, the music, the dancing, the lighting, the singer's outfit, and the bird call at the end.