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Dancing Lasha Tumbai
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Dancing Lasha Tumbai
| cover = Dancing_lasha_tumbai_cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Verka Serduchka
| album = Dancing Europe
| released = 2007
| recorded = 2007
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = * Eurodance
* pop-folk
| length = 3:01
| label = EMI
| writer = Andriy Danylko
| producer =
| prev_title = Beri vsyo
| prev_year = 2006
| next_title = Hop Hop
| next_year = 2007
| misc =
}}
"'Dancing Lasha Tumbai'" is a song recorded by Ukrainian singer Verka Serduchka (Andriy Danylko), written by Danylko himself. It is best known as the entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, held in Helsinki.
The original title was simply "Danzing",[http://www.esctoday.com/news/read/8001?id=8001&offset=0 Eurovision news:Ukrainian song title change] but it was changed due to a controversy about the lyrics. The song includes lyrics in four languages: German, English, Russian, and Ukrainian.
Eurovision
In the Eurovision Song Contest, "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" finished runner-up to 's "Molitva", sung by Marija erifovi.
In the performance, Serduchka was accompanied by 5 back up singers and dancers, dressed in silver and gold clothing. Serduchka wore the number "69" on her back, with reference to the sexual position. The two main companion dancers either side of this wore the number "18", referring to the entry's position on the final, 18th to sing.
In the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Verka performed as part of the "Switch Song" interval act, alongside fellow drag queen and winner Conchita Wurst, winner Mns Zelmerlw, and runner-up Eleni Foureira. The latter performed a version of "Dancing Lasha Tumbai" where she wore an naked bodysuit with 250,000 crystals designed by Vrettos Vrettaks, before Verka covered then-reigning winner "Toy" by Netta.
Controversies
The choice of a drag performer as Ukraine's representative at ESC was fiercely criticized by several media and politicians of different parties in the country.[http://ashdoda.net/news/1514/%D3%EA%F0%E0%E8%ED%F1%EA%E8%E5-%ED%E0%F6%E8%EE%ED%E0%EB%E8%F1%F2%FB-%F5%EE%F2%FF%F2-%E7%E0%EA%F0%FB%F2%FC-%C2%E5%F0%EA%E5-%D1%E5%F0%E4%FE%F7%EA%E5-%EF%F3%F2%FC-%ED%E0-%C5%E2%F0%EE%E2%E8%E4%E5%ED%E8%E5-2007/ -2007] Taras Chornovil of Party of Regions was quoted saying:
I guess some of our esteemed experts saw those "hot Finnish guys" dressed as monsters but didn't quite understand that there is subculture and there is pseudoculture. Those monsters are part of their subculture, which has the right to exist. But all these hermaphrodites have never been accepted anywhere. Therefore I think that this will be a serious embarrassment factor and the world will see us as complete idiots.
Another subject of controversy was song's title and lyrics. According to Danylko, the phrase 'Lasha tumbai' is a Mongolian phrase for "whipped cream", "milkshake", or "churned butter"."[http://www.esctoday.com/?p=8001 Dancing Lasha Tumbai. Ukrainian song title change]" "Eurovision Song Contest Helsinki 2007". It was later alleged, though, that there are no such words in Mongolian and the catchphrase bears no meaning at all. There have been allegations that the words were chosen due to their phonetic resemblance to "Russia Goodbye", allegedly a reference to the 20042005 Orange Revolution. The song also contains a Russian-language phrase . Serduchka, however, had the full support of the National Television Company of Ukraine, and the participation in the contest in Helsinki went ahead as planned, with the song finishing 2nd in a field of 24, and becoming a major chart hit not only in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, but throughout the rest of Europe as well. At the Embrace Ukraine fundraiser, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Verka performed the song with the lyrics "I want to see Russia goodbye" and changed the song's title to "Dancing Russia Goodbye".
Use in popular culture
Danylko had a cameo as Serduchka in the 2015 film 'Spy', where he can be seen performing the song during a chase sequence involving lead actress Melissa McCarthy.
In 2020, the song was featured in the episode "Are You from Pinner?" of the BBC thriller series 'Killing Eve'.
Charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!align="left"|Chart (2007)
!align="left"|Peak
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Track listing
CD single
*All tracks are variations on the title track.References
Category:2007 singles
Category:Eurovision songs of 2007
Category:Eurovision songs of Ukraine
Category:Macaronic songs
Category:EMI Records singles
Category:2007 songs
Category:Pop-folk songs
Category:Verka Serduchka songs
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