GreenJolly – Orange Revolution 2004 Mastermind

TANYA NOLAN: Ukraine is again embroiled in a political row, but this time it’s not to do with the country’s presidency, rather its entrant in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The song in question began its life as an anthem for protestors in last year’s Orange Revolution, which brought Viktor Yushchenko to power. But that hasn’t impressed organisers who’ve told the Ukrainian band involved to tone it down.

ABC Correspondent Emma Griffiths reports.

(song excerpt)

EMMA GRIFFITHS: “Together we are many, we will not be defeated.” So goes the chorus of the song by Ukrainian rap duo Greenjolly. Their song is Ukraine’s pick for winning this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

But the lyrics go on to say, “No falsifications, no lies, no machinations, yes Yushchenko”.

(song excerpt)

All too political for Eurovision’s organisers. They want those lyrics changed, and so Greenjolly has been sitting in their Kiev studio day and night, re-writing their revolutionary anthem.

President of the band’s record company, Andre Darkovsky (phonetic).

ANDRE DARKOVSKY: We think our… the name of our President and those few words which were the matter of concern of Eurovision that denies us, but in general the song is the same, a (inaudible) revolutionary song with the same meaning.

(song excerpt)

EMMA GRIFFITHS: The anthem of the Orange Revolution is a controversial choice in Ukraine too. Under Eurovision rules, a country’s entrant is voted in by television viewers, but the new government intervened when it became apparent that a singer who had supported the old regime was about to win.

At the request of the Yushchenko Government, Greenjolly was a last-minute entrant, skipping the heats and going straight to the finals.

Last year’s winner, Ukraine’s Ruslana, hedged her bets during the country’s recent political turmoil, starting the election campaign with the incumbents and switching to the new Orange Army halfway through.

(Ruslana song excerpt)

But Eurovision is no stranger to such political scandals. It was set up 50 years ago with the aim of uniting Europe in song, and since then, most European countries have been accused of imbuing the peaceful protest with a political edge.

Perhaps worst for Ukraine’s current entrant is the accusation that Greenjolly just doesn’t suit the Eurovision style – too revolutionary, too gritty, not pop. For those who say the contest is an assault on the senses and the ultimate in bad taste, perhaps Greenjolly will come as a welcome relief.

This is Emma Griffiths reporting for The World Today.

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Eurovision, the annual pop-song contest that gave Abba its start three decades ago, has approved a Ukrainian group’s entry that had been rejected earlier as too political now that its songwriters have changed the lyrics. The hip-hop-flavored song ”Razom Nas Bagato!” (”Together We Are Many!”), by Greenjolly (right), was the anthem of Ukraine’s recent Orange Revolution and was ubiquitous in the streets of Kiev during the demonstrations there. In its earlier version, it included the lyrics ”Falsifications — no! Machinations — no!” and ”Yushchenko, Yushchenko is our president. Yes, yes, yes!” Viktor Yushchenko won the new elections called in Ukraine after President Leonid Kuchma’s administration was accused of rigging the first vote in favor of a hand-picked successor. Earlier this month, Eurovision’s executive supervisor, Svante Stockselius, disqualified the song on the grounds that the contest is ”nonpolitical.” The BBC reported that last week the band submitted new lyrics at the request of the contest’s organizers. Ukraine’s Communist Party has accused the new Yushchenko administration of rigging the Eurovision vote to favor Greenjolly, a previously unknown group whose name, in its original Ukrainian, translates as ”sleigh.” SOPHIA KISHKOVSKY

nytimes.com

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Eurovision Song Contest hosts Ukraine have rewritten the lyrics to their entry song after they were branded “too political” by organisers. The contest’s executive supervisor Svante Stockselius confirmed that the new words for Razom Nas Bagato!, by group Greenjolly, had been accepted.

The song, which translates as Together We Are Many!, became the anthem of Ukraine’s “orange revolution” in 2004.

The group submitted the new lyrics at the request of organisers last week.

The original song became the theme for the mass protests following the country’s disputed presidential election last year, which was eventually won by Viktor Yuschenko after a re-run.

‘Non-political’

The song went on to win a national vote to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest after being accepted as a last-minute wildcard entry in February.

It included the lyrics: “No to falsifications… No to lies. Yushchenko – yes! Yushchenko – yes! This is our president – yes, yes!”

However, Mr Stockselius said earlier this month that the song would not be allowed to take part in the Eurovision with its original words, since the contest is “non-political”.

Meanwhile, the entry from Serbia and Montenegro is also causing controversy after being accused of plagiarism.

Mr Stockselius confirmed that the song Zauvijek Moja, by the group No Name, is currently being investigated by the European Broadcasting Union, following accusations that it bears similarities to two other songs from the region.

He said that no decision had been made on whether the song would be allowed to take part.

Ukraine won the right to host this year’s contest after winning last year’s contest with the song Wild Dances by Ruslana. Serbia and Montenegro, who entered the contest last year for the first time, came second.

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When Ukrainians took to the streets last November, they intended to jail their president and overthrow his regime.

Little did they expect that their “Orange Revolution” would throw an even greater institution – the Eurovision Song Contest – into turmoil.

With revolutionary aplomb, the new Government of Viktor Yushchenko has stepped in to effectively impose its own candidate to represent Ukraine at this year’s event. The group Greenjolly will perform its rap Together we are many, we will not be overcome, which became the Orange movement’s anthem.

Ukraine is hosting the event in May, thanks to the victory in Turkey last year of Ukrainian pop singer Ruslana. The festival of kitsch is watched annually by 100 million culturally challenged people.

TV viewers were due to choose Ukraine’s Eurovision candidate last week. But with just days to go before the audience vote, the Government realised the likely winner had stood on the other side of the barricades in November. Singer Ani Lorak was widely expected to win the nomination.

But Lorak, 26, voted Ukraine’s sexiest woman, had made the mistake of singing at concerts in support of losing presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovich.

At the last minute, Greenjolly was entered into the finals at Deputy Prime Minister Mykola Tomenko’s request. The group therefore bypassed the heats, participation in which was supposedly obligatory.

The Government justified its decision by pointing out that the process of finding a winner had begun before the Orange Revolution. The mass movement had such an impact on Ukrainian society that this ought to be reflected in the contest, Mr Tomenko said.

Others have pointed out the blandness and poor quality of the finalists before Greenjolly was added to the list.

But to be fair, accusing Eurovision entrants of blandness is like blaming paint for the dullness of watching it dry.

Also, 100,000 copies of Greenjolly’s rap may have been downloaded in two days during the revolution. As well, the peculiar Ukrainian context closely defines the song’s popularity.

Its lyrics are hardly a universal song for Europe: “Yes, Yushchenko! No Lies! No falsifications! Yes, Yushchenko! He’s our president! We are Ukraine’s sons and daughters.”

Eurovision’s organisers have ruled that the rap is too political and must be rewritten to be suitable. At a press conference last week Greenjolly (“wooden sledge” in Ukrainian) said it was planning new lyrics, possibly in English.

In a faint echo of last year’s dramatic political confrontation in Ukraine, Lorak claims the vote was rigged against her. Her manager says viewers could not get through to the telephone voting lines, and that the SMS number for his candidate also failed.

But unlike Mr Yanukovich, Lorak is accepting defeat gracefully – there will be no “tent cities” of Lorak supporters blocking Kiev streets.

“I am a creative person, and the winner should be music, art,” she said. “I will seek a place where people will respect and love me.”

theage.com.au

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IT WAS the anthem of last year’s Orange Revolution in Ukraine and a hot contender to win the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev in May.But the catchy hip hop tune Razom Nas Bagato! (Together We Are Many!) has run into its own political controversy.

Eurovision organisers now say that the original song by the band, Greenjolly — nominated as Ukraine’s Eurovision entry after being entered for a national vote at the last minute — is too political.

The words are based on chants used during the protests that helped to overturn a rigged presidential election and sweep Viktor Yushchenko, into power. It includes the lines: “No to falsifications, No to lies. Yushchenko — yes! This is our President — yes, yes!” Svante Stockselius, the Eurovision executive supervisor, said: “The text was too political and this is a non-political competition.” Greenjolly has submitted a new version and must wait until Monday for organisers to decide if it is suitable.

There has also been some controversy over the song’s last-minute entry to the competition — apparently at the behest of Mykola Tomenko, the Deputy Prime Minister.

It beat a song by the previous favourite, Ani Lorak, whose supporters say that the vote was rigged against her because of her alleged support for Mr Yushchenko’s rival, Viktor Yanukovych, the former Prime Minister.

timesonline.co.uk

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