Biography
Who is Jamala?
Early life
Susana Alimivna Jamaladinova was born on August 27, 1983, in Osh, Kirghiz SSR. Her father was a Crimean Tatar and her Muslim mother was an Armenian from the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Her family had musical backgrounds, with her mother working as a music school teacher and her father trained as a conductor. During World War II, her Crimean Tatar ancestors were forcibly resettled to Central Asia under Joseph Stalin, but the family eventually returned to Crimea in 1989.
Jamala showed an interest in music from an early childhood. She recorded twelve folk and children songs in Crimean Tatar at the age of nine. She studied at the Simferopol Music College and later graduated from the Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine as an opera singer, though she chose to pursue a career in pop music instead.
Music career
Jamala released her debut studio album titled For Every Heart in April 2011 through Moon Records Ukraine. The album included singles such as You Are Made of Love, It is Me, Jamala, and Smile. She attempted to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Smile, reaching the final before withdrawing from the national selection.
She later released her second studio album All or Nothing in March 2013, featuring singles like Ya Lyublyu Tebya and Kaktus. Her subsequent musical projects included the extended play Thank You and studio albums such as Podykh and Kryla. Throughout her career, she has explored genres including jazz, soul, electro, and pop music.
Eurovision victory and awards
Jamala represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song 1944. The song focused on the deportation of the Crimean Tatars in 1944 and her great-grandmother. She won the competition in May 2016 with a total of 534 points after winning the televoting and placing second in the jury vote.
Following her victory, she received the title People's Artist of Ukraine from the Ukrainian president. Her other honors include the Shevchenko National Prize, the Women in Arts Award, the Order of Princess Olga, and recognition as an honorary citizen of Kyiv. From 2017 to 2025, she served as a judge for Vidbir, the Ukrainian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Personal life
Jamala married Bekir Suleimanov in April 2017 at the Kyiv Islamic Cultural Center using a traditional Nikah ceremony. Her husband is an activist of the Muslim Crimean Tatar community and a graduate of the Physics and Mathematics Department of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. The couple has three sons born in 2018, 2020, and 2024.
She is fluent in Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar, Russian, and English. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, she left the country with her two children, initially taking refuge in Romania before moving to Turkey. She later participated in charity projects and announced her third pregnancy while reading the votes at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.
Birthday and age
Jamala was born on August 27, 1983, which makes Jamala 43 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Jamala shares the date with 31 other famous people.
Explore more
