The album "QIRIM" by Crimean Tatar singer Jamala has been recognized as one of the best albums of 2023 according to the European online magazine Beehype. The singer announced this in her social media channels.
Jamala presented the album "QIRIM" in May 2023. It features 14 Crimean Tatar songs from different corners of Crimea. Throughout years, Jamala meticulously unearthed these songs from cities and towns across the Crimean Peninsula, breathing new life into previously unknown, rewritten, or forgotten melodies. Collaborating with over 80 traditional musicians and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Jamala presents “QIRIM” as a profound exploration of Crimean Tatar musical traditions. The final touches to "QIRIM" were made after the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The project’s journey was no easy feat, facing obstacles and delays amid the full-scale invasion. The mixed-genre album had to endure the perils of war as the completed LP was left under fire in the Kyiv region.
Jamala expresses the album’s significance, stating that it embodies her dream to showcase the truth about Crimea through its folklore. Each song in “QIRIM” resurrects the traditions and struggles of the Crimean Tatar people, creating a narrative of resilience and determination. Without a doubt, it’s very different from everything we’ve got used to hear from this artist, but it’s definitely worth a listen.
The accolades extend globally, with “QIRIM” already making waves on radio stations in countries such as the Czech Republic, Turkey, Georgia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Jordan, Greece, Latin America, Germany, the United States, Canada, and Japan. Adding to the list of honors, “QIRIM” has been shortlisted for the prestigious Shevchenko Prize, a distinguished state award recognizing outstanding contributions to the development of Ukrainian culture
