27 August – You think you are gods

We have another winner today. For some people, this might be the best winner ever. For me, it’s OK, and it proved that you didn’t need to be Scandinavian to win. I know of people who vowed they’d never go to Eurovision again when this beat a pretty boy from Moscow. But there they were, one year later, in this winner’s country’s capital. Ah, how fickle we are.

Today’s birthday girl Сусана Алімівна Джамаладінова/Susana Camaladinova/Susana Alimivna Jamaladinova, better known to us as Jamala. Her win was probably a little controversial, due to the issues it raised. However, as an esteemed colleague of mine always says, ‘we get the winner we deserve’. I loved the two weeks we had in Kyiv, and it was kinder to the wallet than two weeks in Со́чи/Sochi, Stockholm, or Sydney.

Jamala is 34 today.

З Днем народження/Tuvgan günün kutlu bolsin, Jamala!