"They played upbeat reggae with touches of Ukrainian music"

There are special songs for all of the key events in human life. Anthems are written to keep people's hopes alive and to help them to overcome obstacles. Every country has an anthem, in which the main aspirations of a nation, are embodied. And every revolution has its own anthem - an incarnation of a common objective, that reminds us of this memorable event.7

The Orange Revolution, which took place at the end of 2004 in the Ukraine, also had its anthem. 'Together We Are Many, We Can't Be Defeated!' was the main slogan that sounded out for several weeks on the main squares of the Ukraine's cities and towns. It was the slogan of a great awakening of the Ukrainian people and has inspired musicians to compose an accompanying song for the most prominent event in the recent history of our country. The band from Ivano-Frankivsk had composed a song, which became a soundtrack to the famous autumn events. It is even called the same: 'Razom Nas Bahato - Nas Ne Podolaty!' ('Together We Are Many, We Can't Be Defeated!')

Before becoming members of the Greenjolly band, two Romans met in 1992. Roman Kostyuk, serving a military training in Ivano-Frankivsk, met Roman Kalyn at the Officers House. They had some common musical interests. Roman Kostyuk was fond of playing guitar and Roman Kalyn, who had graduated from music school on the accordion, already played in the band called Zakhid (West).

After developing a fruitful creative friendship, the guys became members of the Nemamarli (No Marley) band - a name which says something about the music they played. They played upbeat reggae with touches of Ukrainian music. Later, the musicians changed their music ideology and began to play more serious or 'heavy' music: rock ballads.

In 1997 they created a band of their own - Greenjolly (by the way, this word means wooden sledge in Hutsul dialect). Greenjolly frequently played in Ivano-Frankivsk and other Ukrainian cities and took part in various festivals. The third band member, Andriy Pisetskyi (keyboards and saxophone) is an old mutual friend and recently has joined the band. The first performance of the band in full strength took place in February 2005.

from http://esc.ruz.net

The Singer

Phil Mitchell and the other two are Greenjoilly (or wooden sledge in the Hutsul dialect). After Turkey's Athena in 2004, the holders are again going for middle-aged lager swilling rabble rousers to sell their country. If the UK ever won again, the choice would be immense...
They're affable chaps, who are sadly going to be outdone on every level by Norway this year. Still, the three of them are going to create an incredible atmosphere on Saturday, even if no-one outside of Ukraine/ Belarus/ Russia has the foggiest what all the fuss is about.

The Past

From the ridiculous to the sublime. Ukraine first entered the contest only two years back, when they sent a falsetto warbling peculiarity of a bloke called Alexander who belted out a shocking song standing next to a bright blue rotating groin. He got more points than him and the codpiece deserved, but the following year Ukraine made up for it. In what will be looked back on as the occasion Eurosong stepped up the pace, the performance of Ruslana blew Istanbul away. "Wild Dances" is now the goal to aim for in terms of nonsensical lyrics, toothy grins, costume, and most of all performance. The EBU have much to thank Ukraine for already.

The Song
It's a worry this song. The lyrics had to be changed due to it's overtly Orange Revolution content of struggle against their recent repressive regime. Politics in Eurosong is top of my list of no-no's in my book. Even after the change in lyrics, the message is all. Out of context of this contest it is very patriotic, but that does not make it right for the contest. The way it is performed on stage is sort of what you would expect - Grant Mitchell's twin goes about his business shouting "da" and pointing a lot down the camera - there's the pervasive drummer and a couple of walloppers body popping.

Gestures - 11 Pointing and open palm gesturing along with masculine fist pumping doesn't impress.
"Wanna" Count - 0

Overall
It's rude to point, but when your Phil Mitchell, I suppose you can get away with it. There's enough voting cultural politics in Eurosong as it is, without these clowns forcing it on us ion a song. I've no doubt it will mean a lot to the nationals, and it's good in a way that they can use the hosting of the event as a way to celebrate recent events, but let's not lose sight of what its all about, eh lads?

In a Nutshell
"Down with Greenjolly!"

"The Shrink Says"

The creative musical form of this song may be best be described as chunking. By this, I am of course referring to the way of organising information into familiar groupings.
Based on a folk "slogan of a great awakening", Razom Nas Bahato expresses the simple might of the peoples during their uprising during the Orange Revolution.
The pitfall here is that by relying on well-worn, safe, musical arrangements, the song can come across as one of the worst pieces of music anyone has ever heard…ever. Ukraine, it seems, have fallen into this trap.
Roman Kostyuk from "Greenjolly"
 Brother Berengar from "The Name of The Rose"

Together We Are Many

We won't stand this - no! Revolution is on!
Cuz lies be the weapon of mass destruction!
All together we're one! All together we're strong!
God be my witness we've waited too long!

Falsifikatsiyam - ni! Mahinatsiyam - ni!
Ponyatiyam - ni! Ni brehni!
Virimo - Tak! Mozhemo - tak!
Znayu peremozhemo - Tak! Tak!

(Falsifications - No! Machinations - No!
No "little understandings"! No lies!
We believe - Yes! We can - Yes!
I know we will win - Yes! Yes!)

Razom nas bahato - nas ne podolati!

What you wanna say to your daughters and sons?
You know the battle is not over till the battle is won!
Truth be the weapon! We ain't scared of the guns!
We stay undefeated, cuz together we're one!

Mi - vzhe razom, mi - nazavzhdi!
Mi - Ukraini don'ki i siny!
Zaraz yak nikoli - godi chekati.
Razom nas bahato - nas ne podolati!

(We all together, we - forever,
We are Ukraine's daughters and sons
Now it is time to stop waiting
Together we're many, we can't be defeated)

Razom nas bahato - nas ne podolati!
Jest nas wielu, nas nie pokonacie (Polish)
Alle wir in allem, sind wir nicht zufallen (German)
Si estamos juntos, somos invencibles (Spanish)
V ednote ja nase sila (Czech)
Le people uni serait jamais vaicu (French)
Vmeste my ediny, my nepobedimy (Russian)
Razom nas bahato - nas ne podolati!
Prediction Semi Final As last year's winners, they can put their feet up until Saturday
Final 11th