Posts

On the Stage: "Time" by O. Torvald

-
       Eurovision has always been a platform for countries to spread a message each year, and display the identity of their country to the world. For my analysis I will be looking at Ukraine’s performance in 2017: “Time” (2017) by the pop-rock group O. Torvald. Ukraine was the host country in 2017, following the win of “1944” by Jamala (Eurovision TV). I find “Time” to be an interesting choice by Ukraine because it differs so much from “1944” in all aspects from genre, visuals, language, and messages.      In my last blog post I discussed the national identity of Ukraine. While in recent years tensions have been high with Russia around the dispute of Crimea, Ukraine has solidified what their national identity means as a country. Ukraine in recent years has taken pride in speaking Ukrainian, and has not allowed Russian to become an official language, although it is spoken by almost 30% of the population (Ukrainian Profile Timeline, 2020). Ukraine has al...
Post a Comment
Read more

The National Identity of Ukraine

-
  When we think of the identity of the United States, what do we think of? The flag, a bald eagle, maybe George Washington or the White House. Some might also say how this country is a melting pot of different cultures, yet we are all proud to be American. It is easy for us to come up with examples that unite the citizens of our country, but what about other countries? Ukraine has not had as much of a straight forward history as the United States. Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 (Ukraine Profile- Timeline, 2020), leaving the nation to question what it means to be Ukrainian, and what their national identity really is. To conceptualize what makes Ukraine’s identity unique, we must first understand what national identity really means. This is a complicated concept because everyone comes from an unique background and history. As Hobsbawn (1996) stated “The concept of a single , exclusive, and unchanging ethnic or cultural or other identity is a dangerous...
Post a Comment
Read more

3 Minutes of Ukraine Facts!

-
 This week I researched the background of Ukraine. I think that understanding more about the country's history and culture will help when discussing specific performances from Ukraine in Eurovision. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Welcome!: 3 Minute Ukraine

-
Making their debut in 2003, Ukraine has been a fierce competitor in the Eurovision Song Contest every year since. They have had several show-stopping performances, and a few wins along the way too. In my blog I will be discussing the history of Ukraine and how the songs they preform are culturally and socially relevant to their country for my Eurovision class.  I am excited to learn more about the Eurovision Song Contest as well as the history of Ukraine. Previous to this class, I had a general idea of what Eurovision was but had never watched a performance or read how the competition works. I am also not familiar with the history of Ukraine other than the location and that it was apart of the Soviet Union until the 1990s.  I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I will enjoy writing about what I am learning during this class!
Post a Comment
Read more