Zelenskyy would have only wanted to thank UK, say Kalush Orchestra ahead of Eurovision final
Kalush Orchestra say President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has been barred from making an address at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, would have only wanted to thank the British people for hosting the contest if he had been allowed to speak during the grand final.
The Ukrainian leader was rebuffed by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) – the group of national public broadcasters that produce Eurovision – over fears his message would “politicise” the contest.
Responding to the decision, Tymofii Muzychuk, who plays the distinctive pipe in the band’s 2022 winning anthem Stephania, told the PA news agency: “Actually we think that President Zelensky would have wanted to thank all the British people for doing this and, as we can see, Britain took this very responsibly, the UK.
“And so actually I think it would have been nice for him to talk.”
On Friday, the EBU said the Ukrainian president had “laudable intentions” but “regrettably” his request was against the rules.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is an international entertainment show and governed by strict rules and principles which have been established since its creation,” it said.
“As part of these, one of the cornerstones of the contest is the non-political nature of the event.
“This principle prohibits the possibility of making political or similar statements as part of the contest.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticised the decision, saying he was “disappointed” by the move, but suggested there are no plans to ask the EBU to change its mind.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former prime minister Boris Johnson also spoke out in support of Mr Zelenskyy who had wanted to make an unannounced video appearance and had been expected to implore the global audience of millions to continue backing his country in its fight to repel Russian invaders.
The band won last year’s song contest in Turin, Italy
Liverpool is hosting this year’s event on behalf of Ukraine, which won last year, because the war-torn nation is unable to do so.
Now tasked with opening this year’s competition, Kalush Orchestra will perform a reworking of their hit titled Voices Of A New Generation. They say they hope their performance will make viewers want to “keep supporting” their homeland.
It is a haunting and powerful opening that they’ll deliver, as Sky News got to witness during a special closed rehearsal.
The song – which mixes rap with elements of Ukrainian folk music – is an immediate reminder of lives lost in the war and the Ukrainian traditions under threat.
Speaking through a translator, the band’s frontman Oleh Psiuk told Sky News: “Due to Eurovision, you have an opportunity to see Ukraine from different aspects.
“We have all sorts of different musical genres in our country, Ukraine is rich in different varieties of music.”
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Kalush Orchestra on their hopes for Eurovision 2023
Read more:
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Eleven Ukrainian artists will perform in the ceremony itself, with Ukrainian motifs and the Ukrainian identity playing a central role throughout the night.
While Psiuk admits he was “upset” that it wasn’t safe for Ukraine to host, he said he’s grateful that Liverpool stepped in.
“We were a little bit upset, of course, but at the same time we want to say our deep, deep gratitude to the UK who decided [to take on] this responsibility to host the Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine… We really are so excited.”
Ukraine’s hopes this year rest on the shoulders of Tvorchi’s Heart Of Steel.
Psiuk hopes the electronic duo will make it two wins in a row or towards “the top at least” of the leaderboard.
“We think that they have a pretty high chance to win,” he says.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t had an opportunity to meet with them yet, but we do hope…We will be able to meet with them [to] advise them from our previous experience last year.”
The rapper’s message for viewers is simple: “Don’t forget about Ukraine, keep supporting [us].”
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Meanwhile, Eurovision fans are facing travel disruption due to a walk out by rail staff in a long-running dispute over pay.
Aslef members in more than a dozen train operators went on strike on Friday, affecting anyone with tickets for the second dress rehearsal, and members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will strike on Saturday – the day of the grand final.
Passengers have been urged to check their route before setting off.
Sky News will be in Liverpool covering all the biggest news from the contest as it happens.
Angelina Jolie says although she appreciates being an artist, she would prefer for her legacy to be “a good mother” and to be known for her “belief in equality and human rights”.
The Oscar-winning actress stars as Maria Callas in the new Pablo Larrain film about the opera singer’s life.
Pic: StudioCanal
She has called Maria “the hardest” and “most challenging” role she has had in her career and put months of preparation into immersing herself into the world of opera.
Jolie, who recently reached a divorce settlement with actor Brad Pitt, told Sky News: “To be very candid, it was the therapy I didn’t realise I needed. I had no idea how much I was holding in and not letting out.
“So, the challenge wasn’t the technical [side of opera], it was an emotional experience to find my voice, to be in my body, to express. You have to give every single part of yourself.”
The biopic combines the voice of the Maleficent actress with recordings of Maria Callas.
Jolie believes it “would be a crime to not have [Callas’] voice through this because, in many ways, she is very present in this film”.
Who was Maria Callas?
Born in New York in 1923, Maria Callas was the daughter of Greek immigrants who moved back to Athens at the age of 13 with her mother and sister.
After enrolling at the Athens Conservatory, she made her professional debut at 17 and went on to become one of the most famous faces of opera, travelling around the world and performing at Covent Garden in London, The Met in New York and La Scala in Milan.
Callas’s final operatic performance took place at Covent Garden in 1965 when she was 41 but she continued to work conducting master classes at Juilliard School, doing concert tours and starring in the 1969 film Medea.
Written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, Maria focuses on the artist’s final years in the 1970s when she moved to Paris and disappeared from public view.
She died on 16 September 1977 at the age of 53.
Pic: StudioCanal
Jolie on changing motivations as an actor
Maria follows the life of an artist fully consumed by the art she creates and even remarks that “happiness never developed a beautiful melody”.
Reflecting on her own life in the spotlight, Jolie said she noticed her own career motivations change over the years.
“There’s this kind of study of being human that we do when we create, and we communicate with an audience because our work is not in isolation – it’s a connection.
“I think when I was younger, I had different questions about being human and different feelings and now as I’ve gotten older, I understand some things and now I have different questions.
“It’s a matter of life, right? And so maybe that’s interesting that this now is a character really contemplating death and really contemplating the toll of certain things in life that I, of course, couldn’t have understood in my 20s”.
Jolie at the New York Film Festival in September with three of her children (L-R) Pax, Zahara and Maddox. Pic: AP
A family affair
Two of Jolie’s children, Maddox and Pax, took on production assistant roles during the filming of Maria and witnessed their mother perform opera for the first time in public.
She says the film allowed them to create new experiences together and for her children to see her approach to playing a difficult role.
“Everyone in my home, we all give each other space to be who we are and we’re all different.
“I’m the mom, but I’m also an artist and a person and so my family has been very kind and gives me their understanding. They make fun of me, and they support me and just as you’d hope it would be.”
She adds: “When you play somebody who is dealing with so much pain, it’s very important to come home to some kindness.”
Maria is in cinemas now.
Tom Holland’s dad has confirmed his son’s engagement to Zendaya – revealing how the 28-year-old meticulously planned the proposal.
Zendaya, also 28, sparked engagement rumours when she attended last Sunday’s Golden Globes wearing a sparkling diamond on her ring finger.
Neither star has publicly addressed the rumours but Tom’s comedian father, Dominic Holland, has now confirmed the pair are set to wed.
He wrote in a post on his Patreon account: “Tom, as you know by now was very incredibly well prepared. He had purchased a ring.
“He had spoken with her father and gained permission to propose to his daughter.”
“Tom had everything planned out… When, where, how, what to say, what to wear,” he added.
Zendaya arrived at the Golden Globes with a noticeable piece of new jewellery. Pic: Invision/AP
Dominic also noted that while most men worry about being able to afford an engagement ring, he suspects his actor son was “more concerned with the stone, its size and clarity, its housing, which jeweller”.
Tom and Zendaya met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016, when they played the titular hero and his love interest MJ, respectively. Their romance was confirmed in 2021.
In his post, Tom’s father admitted fears over whether being in the spotlight could put a strain on the couple’s relationship.
He wrote: “I do fret that their combined stardom will amplify their spotlight and the commensurate demands on them and yet they continually confound me by handling everything with aplomb.”
“And even though show business is a messy place for relationships and particularly so for famous couples as they crash and burn in public and are too numerous to mention […] yet somehow right at the same time, I am completely confident they will make a successful union.”
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Zendaya rose to fame after landing a role in Disney sitcom Shake It Up, and became a household name after starring in Euphoria.
Holland – who has starred in three Spider-Man films opposite his now-fiancée – made his stage debut in Billy Elliot the Musical in 2008.
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