MARUV will not represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. The singer has not reached an agreement with broadcaster UA:PBC about a contract she had to sign. The broadcaster made this contract mandatory to take part in Tel Aviv.
“The public broadcaster (National Public Television and Radio Company of Ukraine) and the singer MARUV, who won the national selection for the Eurovision, did not agree on the terms of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 due to a number of reasons. […]. After the negotiations, UA:PBC and the singer MARUV did not find a common decision regarding the mission of the representative of Ukraine at the international song contest.
Maruv: “Eurovision overshadowed by politics”
MARUV’s own statement is as follows. “Negotiations were deadlocked. Everything was done to overshadow the choice of Ukrainian viewers behind the political curtain. I love my country, however I cannot participate in such inhuman conditions either morally or physically. Most of all, I appreciate freedom, and I will not defend someone’s political ambitions. Thank you for the great support from all the fans. I don’t give up and I’m already working on a music video for the song “Siren Song”. As well as preparing a big tour in Ukraine and CIS countries. ”
UA:PBC board chairman Zurab Alasania confirms talks with the next candidate will start Tuesday morning. UA:PBC has not specified with which artist they will now negotiate. Freedom Jazz finished in second place in the Vidbir final on Saturday.
If a broadcaster behaves like this and it has gone public, I think EBU should feel free to disqualify a broadcaster for purposely mixing politics and the initial basics of Eurovision…
I love Ukraine artists and music. It is their politics that I hate. I believe the reason why Jamala won in Stockholm was not because of her political message but because of her as an artist. Why drag Eurovision and other music lovers to their internal squabbles. We hate all kinds of oppression including theirs yet it should not overshadow the very intent of the event. Even the banning of Julia of Russia in Kiev was so inhumane and unacceptable. The very thing that Ukraine was preaching against oppression is the very thing they did to their people. Likewise, to all Eurovision fans. We hope EBU must condemn this oppressive acts of their broadcaster and government. Even to the point of banning them.
Very beautifully spoken, Guilbert! Eurovision should be about music and in the end, it always is.