Feminist and observant, Russian candidate Manega shakes the conservatives

Posted in: 05/22/2021 – 07:32the average : 05/22/2021 – 08:05

With our correspondent in MoscowAnd the Daniel Fallot

Singer and candidate for l’EurovisionHe is of Tajik origin and does not hesitate to side with minorities, including sexual minorities. His unusual profile didn’t fail to elicit an avalanche of obnoxious reactions in Russia.

In his song Russian womanManega denounces the stereotypes surrounding Russian women and encourages them to get rid of them. With this feminist text and her attitudes in favor of sexual minorities, the singer collides with the toughest part of the more conservative factions of Russian society. Last March, his choice immediately caused a wave of insults on social networks.

“The last two months have been trying because there is a lot of hatred. Of course there was xenophobia, but the most important thing to me is the people who said that I will never be able to reach the final singing in Russian. I am very proud to be a Russian woman who sings in Russian”, Announced.

In fact, this is the first time in eighteen years that the Russian Eurovision candidate has sung in his own language. But, ironically, it was her Tajik origins that the singer was taken upon herself to be on social networks. Maneja or Manisha Dalirovna Sangin, a former refugee from Tajikistan – I ran away from her in 1994 – the singer is UNHCR Goodwill AmbassadorUnited Nations Refugee Agency.

In Parliament, the Speaker of the Senate was angry at the text of the song, but also at the appearance of the singer. A complaint was filed with the Russian Investigation Commission by a group of veterans. But this hate campaign did not prevent Manega from going through the stages of the competition one after the other until the final, which will be held this evening.