WORLD NEWS | Sweden celebrates Eurovision victory; Ukrainian duo revolt after Russia attacks hometown

LIVERPOOL, May 14 (AP) — Liverpool emerged from the Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday, Sweden celebrated victory, and Ukraine remained defiant after a night of Russian bombardment, including a strike on the country’s rivals’ hometown.

Electronic duo Tvorchi represented Ukraine at Saturday night’s spectacular Pangea Pop competition, finishing sixth out of 26 finalists with “Heart of Steel,” an anthem inspired by the siege of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol .

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Air strike sirens sounded across Ukraine as the game was played in Liverpool, with the Ukrainian military saying dozens were wounded in Russian drone and missile strikes. A strike hit Ternopil, the hometown of Tvorchi in western Ukraine.

Ternopil was attacked again on Sunday morning, Ukraine’s state emergency service said. Civilian buildings and cars damaged; no immediate information on victims.

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“Ternopil is the name of our hometown, which was bombed by Russia when we sang about our hearts of steel, indomitability and will on stage at the Eurovision Song Contest,” duo of Andrii Hutsuliak and Jeffery Kenny said of the week Six Nights on Instagram.

“This is a message to all the cities of Ukraine that are bombarded every day. Kharkov, Dnipro, Khmelnytsky, Kiev, Zaporozhye, Uman, Sumy, Poltava, Vinnytsia , Odessa, Nikolaev, Chernihiv, Kherson, etc. Europe, unite against evil for peace! Glory to Ukraine!”

Russia, a longtime Eurovision player, was banned from the competition last year for invading Ukraine.

Swedish singer Lorraine won the competition with her power ballad “Tattoo,” a colorful and eclectic musical competition clouded by war in Europe the following year. Britain hosts Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine, which won the competition last year but was denied the rights to host it because of the war.

The sights and sounds of Ukraine are featured throughout the show, starting with the opening film, which shows the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest winners Kalush Orchestra singing and dancing in the Kiev subway, with British musicians (including Kate, Princess of Wales) choosing the piece. play piano.

The folk rap band itself appeared on stage at the Liverpool Arena, with huge hands outstretched, accompanied by a slew of drummers. It was one of several Ukrainian acts performed during the nearly four-hour show.

This year marks the 67th year of the Eurovision Song Contest, which bills itself as the world’s biggest music competition – the party-friendly Olympiad of pop music. Contestants each have three minutes to fuse catchy tunes and eye-popping spectacle into a show that will win the hearts of millions.

Loreen’s intense love song has been a bookies favorite. She faced a strong challenge from Finnish singer Käärijä, a dynamic performer whose rap-pop party song “Cha Cha Cha” came in second.

Lorraine, 39, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, said she was “seriously overwhelmed” by becoming just the second person to win twice. Ireland’s Johnny Logan was the first double winner in the 1980s. Sweden’s win was the country’s seventh, tying Ireland’s record.

The victory gives Sweden the right to host next year, the 50th anniversary of Sweden’s first Eurovision win – ABBA’s 1974 title with “Waterloo”.

The competition pitted itself between Loreen, who won the vote of the European music professional jury, and Käärijä, who came out on top in the audience vote.

The Finn admitted he was disappointed.

“Of course, to be honest, it didn’t feel good. I was looking for a win,” Käärijä told Finnish media in Liverpool. “Of course you have to be proud of this performance. Great performance of Finnish songs. I have a slightly sad feeling. But life goes on. It’s not that serious. You have to go on living.”

Käärijä is the undisputed star of the Eurovision Song Contest and dancefloors across Europe are likely to hear a constant chorus of “Cha Cha Cha” this summer.

May Muller, representing hosts Great Britain, is second last – a far cry from 2022, when Great Britain’s Sam Ryder finished second behind Ukraine.

Liverpool have won the UK city to host Eurovision and Ukraine with open arms. Businesses across the city fly Ukrainian flags, and a program of cultural events introduces locals to the Eastern European country’s art, music and cuisine.

However, organizers said they rejected a request for a video address from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The European Broadcasting Union said this would violate the “apolitical nature of the event”. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)