Ukraine Eurovision 2026: LELÉKA – “Rydnim“
Artist: LELÉKA
Song: “Rydnim”
Songwriters: Adama Cefalu, Viktoria Leléka
Language: Ukrainian and English
LELÉKA:
Leléka, whose full name is Viktoria Leléka, is a Ukrainian folk‑jazz singer. She leads a Ukrainian‑German ensemble of the same name, Leléka, with which she has released three studio albums and two EPs. The ensemble has received prestigious awards, including the Creole Global Music Contest in 2017, and the prize for Best Young European Band at the Burghausen Jazz Festival in 2018. In 2020, the ensemble created and produced the music for the Ukrainian historical television series “There will be people”. The group has continued to create and gain recognition, and in 2021 it won the “Band of the Year” award at the Deutscher Jazzpreis festival.
“Rydnim”:
The song deals with human resilience, hope, and renewal in the face of a reality of destruction and painful change. The lyrics describe a situation where things fade and vanish (“Green into rust”, “Leaves in the flames”), yet they emphasize that even when it seems all is lost, “the roots still carry water” – a metaphor for a deep connection to the past, tradition, and the inner strength that continues to nourish life even in hard times. The Ukrainian part speaks of “embroidering a new fate,” a symbol of actively creating a better future.
The central message is that precisely through confronting fear and turning pain into joy, one can grow to new heights and lead the way home, just like trees that grow taller after the storm.
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Lyrics of “Rydnim”:
Green into rust
Trust in the change
Everything fades be that as it may
Red into dust
Cut from the branch
Leaves in the flames
Nothing is safe
Vyshyu, vyshyu
Vyshyu novu dolyu
Vyshyu, vyshyu
Ridnym nairidnishym
When we oppose our fears
And turn all our woes to cheers
I know the roots still carry water
When all the seeds we’ve sown
Blossom and lead us home
We’ll see the trees grow even taller
Novu dolyu vyshyu
Ridnym nairidnishym
When we oppose our fears
And turn all our woes to cheers
We’ll see the trees grow even taller-o-o-o
When we oppose our fears
And turn all our woes to cheers
I know the roots still carry water
When all the seeds we’ve sown
Blossom and lead us home
We’ll see the treeѕ grow even tаller
