Mini Eurovision in Israel: “Israel Calling”, the Israeli event that takes place every year ahead of the European competition, is an initiative of Israeli producer Tali Eshkoli and is held in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage and the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality – Department of Performances.
Among the countries to attend: Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Ireland, Albania, Estonia, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Malta, Serbia, Poland, Czech Republic, Northern Macedonia, France, Croatia, Romania.
For members of the Ukrainian band KALUSH, their mission as artists has grown within a few weeks from engaging in music and representing their country in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, to the face and voice of a nation that is currently in one of the most fateful and difficult times the country has known. In a war that the whole world is holding its breath at the sight of suffering, the Kalush band has decided that it is now more important than ever to stand up for theirs, hold on to their dreams and fight for what they believe in.
“February 24 was supposed to be the worst day of our lives, but the longer the war lasts, the more horrific the days become, filled with more pain, blood, death and destruction,” said Ola Pasiuk, the founder and lead singer of Kalush ahead of his visit to Israel. “Every new day is a story, a story of joy, when we hear the voices of parents and friends and a story of pain, when we look out the window or read the news about aerial bombs, the entry of enemy tanks and the shooting of civilians in line for bread.”
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“We read in the textbooks about the terrible times of wars and genocide perpetrated against the Ukrainian nation, but we could not imagine it all happening to us again,” Kalush added. “In the last year we’ve had performances in almost every city in Ukraine. I remember a lot of eyes standing in front of the stage and it’s scary to imagine many of them closed forever. It’s scary when your girlfriend helps strengthen positions during the shelling and you do not know if you hear her voice again. “The face of the guys of our band, because everyone is in a different area and anything can happen. It’s scary to open messages and read that your friend died in defense of Kherson.”
“It’s all scary, but when you read about everything from stories or interviews, it’s one thing, and when you’re at the center, it’s a whole other thing. “Ukrainians have no fear, they have a great love for the nation and their country.”
“We thank the organizers in Israel for the invitation to take part in the ‘ISREAL CALLING’ events and are excited for the meeting with the Eurovision community. The support we receive is important to us and very significant for us and for our entire country.”