Jamala has been fond of music since her early childhood. She made her first professional recording at the age of 9 years old, singing 12 children and folk Crimean Tatar songs. Graduating from the Music school piano class in her native Alushta, the singer entered the Simpheropol Music College named after Tchaikovsky followed by the graduation from the Kiev National Music Academy named after Tchaikovsky as well, with the major in opera singing. Being at the top of the class, Jamala planned to devote herself to the classical music, envisioning her career as a soloist at the famous Milan La Scala Opera. Nevertheless her true passion for jazz and experiments with soul and oriental music has changed her plans defining the main streams of the future career.
Jamala made her first steps on the big stage at the age of fifteen. During the next few years she took part at the dozens of vocal contests of Ukraine, Russia and Europe, where she received some prestigious awards, not mentioning the 1 Concorso Europeo Amici della musica International contest in Italy. The terrific performance at the Dо#Dj junior 2006 Jazz festival of young artists brought Jamala a special award, while attracting the attention of the famous choreographer Elena Kolyadenko, who in her turn invited Jamala to perform the leading part in the “Pas” multi genre musical. This part in the musical became an essential step in Jamala’s performing career.
Jamala has been active since 2005, but the turning point in Jamala’s career path came with her performance at the “New Wave - 2009” International contest of young pop singers in summer 2009. The contest’s chief director statements regarding Jamala’s “not fitting the format” didn’t stop her from reaching the finals and more than that receiving a grand prize of the contest.
Following the triumph in Jurmala, Jamala instantly jumped into the top artists’ category, performing at the various spots from Moscow to Berlin. Two large Jamala’s concerts The Revue Show are taking place in Kiev, where she is to reveal to public the whole range of the singer’s vocal potential and the diversity of the music material.
During the few months Jamala is going to take part almost in all the main TV shows of Ukraine, from the “TV Triumph2009” awards ceremony and One Night Only (tribute to Michael Jackson of the Ukrainian top artists) to “Christmas Celebration with Alla Pugacheva”. Cosmopolitan entitles her a “Breakthrough of the Year”, she wins the “Singer of the Year” ELLE Style Award and the “Ukrainians’ Idol” nomination at the “Person of the Year 2009”.
Being busy with the intense tour schedule, Jamala finds time to devote to classical music. In summer 2009 she performed the leading part in “The Spanish Hour” opera by Maurice Ravel, and in February 2010 she took part in Vasiliy Barchatov’s opera production on Bondiana motif, for which she was noted by Jude Law, the famous British actor.
Jamala’s début video on classic standard - History Repeating appeared on Ukrainian TV in November 2009, while the second video on her own composition You’re Made of Love followed in February 2010.
The third singer’s video on It’s Me, Jamala! composition appeared on Ukrainian and Russian music channels on October 18th, 2010. (http://jamalamusic.com/#/video/1). Charley Stadler, the German director, best known for his “Dead Fish” feature film starring Gary Oldman, became the video director. The famous Briton Fraser Taggart who was shooting such Hollywood blockbusters as “Troy”, “The Da Vinci Code”, “National Treasure”, etc. became the video director of photography.
It became known just few days before the new video appeared, that Jamala has proceeded to the “Eurovision – 2011” song contest elimination round finals, presenting Smile, an absolutely new composition, to the jury.
The singer’s debut album release was planned for spring 2011. Most of the songs are of Jamala’s own composition, while Evgeny Filatov (The Maneken), an outstanding Ukrainian artist, became the sound producer of the record.
In 2016 Jamala won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "1944".
http://jamalamusic.com
In My Shoes
Jamala Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After cry night
To smile so fabulous?
Oh, could you, baby
Smile at the wolf, but
Keep screaming at the mouse?
Be strong to cope with your heart
Do as ladies first? Oh!
To be my baby, try walking in my shoes
I want you feel, I need you feel like me
I won't you be, my baby in my shoes
I want you feel, i need you feel like me
To be my baby, try walking in my shoes
I want you feel, I need you feel like me
I won't you be, my baby in my shoes
I want you feel, i need you feel like me, ha
Oh, could you, baby
With your head lost
Still don't forget the pill? Hm, yeah baby
So would you, baby
Adore the soft toys
Tho' that is just unreal
Cry: "Baby, yes!" with your heart
But still say: "No!"
And make up your nose? Oh!
To be my baby, try walking in my shoes
I want you feel, I need you feel like me
I won't you be, my baby in my shoes
I want you feel, i need you feel like me
I won't you be, my baby in my shoes
I want you feel, I need you feel like me
I won't you be, my baby in my shoes
I want you feel, i need you feel like me
To be my baby, try walking in my shoes, in my shoes
to be my baby, try walking, try walking
To be my baby, try walking in my shoes
I want you feel, I need you feel like me
I won't you be, my baby in my shoes
I want you feel, i need you feel like me
I won't you be, my baby in my shoes
I want you feel, I need you feel
I want you feel, i need you feel like me, baby
To be my baby! Eh!
I won't you be, my baby in my shoes
I want you feel, i need you feel like me
To be my baby, try walking in my shoes
The lyrics of Jamala's In My Shoes are about the desire for someone to truly understand and empathize with the singer's feelings and experiences. The song begins with a question: "Oh, could you, baby/After cry night/To smile so fabulous?" The singer is asking if the listener could smile despite having gone through a difficult time. Then, she asks if the listener could smile at a "wolf" (something big and scary) but still scream at a "mouse" (something small and harmless). This idea of strength and vulnerability continues throughout the song, as the singer asks if the listener could be "strong to cope with your heart/And love and all" and "cry: 'Baby, yes!' with your heart/But still say: 'No!'" The chorus emphasizes the message of empathy, as the singer asks the listener to "try walking in my shoes" and to "feel like me."
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, could you, baby
Can you do what I do, my love?
After cry night
After a night of crying
To smile so fabulous?
Can you still put on a great smile?
Smile at the wolf, but
Can you smile in the face of danger?
Keep screaming at the mouse?
Can you still be afraid of small things?
Be strong to cope with your heart
You have to be strong to handle your emotions
And love and all?
And love, and everything else?
Do as ladies first? Oh!
Should I act like a lady and go first?
To be my baby, try walking in my shoes
To be with me, try experiencing what I do
I want you feel, I need you feel like me
I want you to understand how I feel, I need you to feel the same
Oh, could you, baby
Can you do what I do, my love?
With your head lost
When you're confused
Still don't forget the pill? Hm, yeah baby
Can you still remember to take care of yourself, even when things get tough?
So would you, baby
Would you be able to?
Adore the soft toys
Still love something simple and innocent
Tho' that is just unreal
Even if it seems impossible
Cry: "Baby, yes!" with your heart
Express your emotions honestly and openly
But still say: "No!"
But know when to say no
And make up your nose? Oh!
And stick to your decisions?
I want you feel, i need you feel like me, ha
I want you to understand how I feel, I need you to feel the same
To be my baby!
To be with me
To be my baby, try walking in my shoes, in my shoes
To understand me, experience what I do
to be my baby, try walking, try walking
Try experiencing what I do
Contributed by Kylie Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Pierre nhy
Nice song, nice Jamaladinova