Tatar Websites Say Azerbaijani Eurovision Winner Has Tatar Roots

Tatar websites are reporting that one of the two Azerbaijani winners of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest in Germany has Tatar relatives.

Known as Ell/Nikki, Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal beat out 24 other finalists to secure Azerbaijan’s first-ever Eurovision win on Saturday (May 14).

The popular Kazansky blog wrote that among Gasimov’s most prominent Tatar relatives is Marziya Dautova (1901-1962), who was a famous actress at the Tatar Theater in Astrakhan, Russia.

Gasimov, 21, is an international relations student in Baku, while Jamal, 30, lives in London.

Ell/Nikki won 221 points in voting from 43 countries for its pop ballad “Running Scared,” beating out performers from second-place Italy and third-place Sweden.

The victory by Ell/Nikki means next year’s Eurovision contest will be held in Baku.

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