When an artist or group wins the Eurovision Song Contest, there is generally a fairly predictable path for the immediate aftermath. The heroes welcome back home, the initial media blitz, followed by concert bookings and a hectic promotional schedule to extend the shelf life of the song.
After that, that tricky follow-up single, usually followed by an album. More media, more concerts. A rich world of opportunities opening. This is almost certainly how the rest of the year will look to Loreen, who is of course no stranger to this particular merry-go-round.
For Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra, the situation was always going to be a little different. There have been concerts and interviews and more singles, but there was always a clear sense that the victory in Turin last May represented something bigger than the group themselves, and they found themselves in a position to represent not only themselves but all of Ukraine, at a critical moment in their country’s history.
For Tymofii Muzychuk, who played the indelible pipe hook on Kalush’s winning entry ‘Stefania‘, the significance of this is far from lost. He was just turning 29 when Russia launched their full-scale invasion of his home country, barely old enough to remember Ruslana’s historic first victory for Ukraine in 2004. He cites Verka Serduchka’s memorable runner-up in 2007 as the first Eurovision moment that really made enough of an impact to distract him from his beloved video games.
When the Russian invasion happened, some critics questioned whether it was the right time for Ukraine to be entering a music contest, but Timofy explains that he and the group always felt a strong conviction that it was more important than ever to represent Ukraine and help to draw attention to his country’s plight via such an enormous platform. The landslide victory they subsequently achieved soon silenced any doubters.
Since Turin he and the group have travelled the world, meeting A-list celebrities including Chris Martin and his personal hero, movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. When I meet him in a Liverpool hotel room one week before the 2023 Eurovision finals, he has barely arrived in the city and already has a full schedule of interviews lined up. He will later perform at the Eurovision Village with the rest of the group, in addition to playing a key role in the opening of the Grand Final.
All of this, he explains, is about more than promoting himself and the group. With the war still waging on after more than 450 days, it is more critical than ever that the eyes of the world remain on Ukraine. He advocates for a number of charities that are helping victims of the war, and encourages anyone who wishes to show their support to donate where they can, and more importantly to keep talking about the war, to ensure the situation remains part of the news cycle.
Our time together is short, and Tymofi has a packed schedule ahead of him, but as we’re in my home city of Liverpool, I can’t resist closing with a locally-flavoured question – what is his favourite Beatles song? He ponders for a moment, and then a wistful smile envelops his face and he softly begins to sing.
“Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away…”