Emilia Jaber’s “Kalinka”: A girl’s peace message that transcends war
By Fahed Arabi
A girl blends Arabic with Russian on The Voice Kids.. Emilia Jaber offers “Kalinka” as a pulse of peace in times of war
At a time when the world groans under the weight of rapid wars and conflicts threatening energy security and economic stability, and as it goes through an unprecedented escalation on several fronts, there was a little girl carrying a completely different message within her voice.
Emilia Jaber, the nine-year-old girl, who managed to make the world pause for moments from its worries and applaud innocence that overcame the heaviness of reality.
Emilia.. A girl of two cultures
Emilia, daughter of a Jordanian father and a Russian mother, lives between two different cultures, but she managed to turn them into a unique point of strength, blending them spontaneously in a way that captured hearts before ears.
In one of the episodes of The Voice Kids, Emilia took the stage wearing traditional Russian folk attire, defying the difficulties any child her age might face.
A dazzling performance to the tune of Kalinka
Emilia needed only a few seconds from the start of her singing to catch the attention of the judging panel, a scene indicating exceptional talent.
“Kalinka.. Kalinka.. Kalinka my darling, in the garden, oh my little raspberry bush,” Emilia sang. But the biggest surprise came when she began inserting Arabic words into the same melody, creating a new, attractive fusion never heard before.
In a remarkable performance, Emilia succeeded in presenting an operatic art that reflects the spirit of the East and its culture.
Emilia’s dance.. A trend that transcended the show
Emilia’s impact was not limited to the moment she stepped on stage, but extended to millions of viewers around the world. Her simple and spontaneous dance turned into a “trend” sweeping social media, as celebrities and content creators began imitating her and posting videos performing her moves.
In Spain, Antoine Griezmann, the striker for Los Blancos and the French national team, was seen imitating Emilia’s dance, further spreading it more widely.
نشر أتلتيكو مدريد مقطع فيديو لنجمه أنطوان غريزمان وهو يتفاعل مع ترند أغنية كالينكا، التي انتشرت بعد أداء الطفلة الأردنية الروسية إيميليا جبر في ذا فويس. pic.twitter.com/z81WsrcHyz
— NexNews (@NexNetnews) May 5, 2026
“Kalinka”.. A history of beauty
Behind the song Emilia performed lies another story. “Kalinka” is not just a fast, dance-oriented tune, but a Russian cultural icon, written and composed by composer and folklorist Ivan Larionov in 1860 in the city of Saratov.
The song was originally part of an amateur theatrical work in Russia. Emilia’s talent came to revive this song in a new, striking, and distinctive modern way.
She transformed it from a mere folk piece into a symbol of unity and cultural convergence, given the atmosphere she created.
The language of art that unites everyone
While world governments are occupied with the arms race and conflicts over influence, Emilia emerges to prove that there is a language that knows no wars: the language of art and beauty. The song, composed over 160 years ago, found a new birth in the heart of a little girl who speaks both Russian and Arabic fluently, and sings in other languages like Japanese and German.
This reminds us that art is a divine gift that transcends all boundaries and forms a bond for humanity. Amidst the news of wars and economic crises flooding the media.
It was a message of peace from a little girl carrying no weapon, speaking neither the language of accusation nor incitement, but carrying a musical note. And perhaps that might be a small part of what we need now: a little breath of beauty and peace.
Kalinka.. A language of rejection
But “Kalinka” has not always been just a song of peace and dance. This song carries within it a history that goes beyond being a mere folk song. It has previously been used politically in different contexts.
On June 26, 2022, protesters took to the streets of the Spanish capital, Madrid, days before the NATO summit, raising banners calling for “the dissolution of NATO” and “the removal of military bases” from Spanish territory.
But what was striking was that a section of them did not limit themselves to traditional chants, but chanted slogans against the alliance to the tune of the famous “Kalinka” melody, in a symbolic message refusing to dance to the tune of the United States.
The protesters, whose numbers exceeded thousands according to Russian sources, raised slogans such as “No to NATO” and “Redirect military spending towards building schools and hospitals,” clapping to the rhythm of the famous Russian song.
This strange scene, combining Russian cultural heritage with Western protest against a military alliance, proves that “Kalinka” is no longer just a folk song, but has become a cultural phenomenon open to interpretation and use according to each party’s perspective.
Участники акции протеста против НАТО в Мадриде поют антинатовский лозунг на мотив русской народной песни “Калинка”.
Около 2,2 тыс. человек присоединились к антинатовскому маршу в центре испанской столицы:https://t.co/llBNVgJWUK
Видео: Дмитрий Орлов/ТАСС pic.twitter.com/XMp77rDbta
— ТАСС (@tass_agency) June 26, 2022
A contradictory song par excellence
Thus, we see “Kalinka” as a contradictory song par excellence: on one hand, the voice of childhood and creativity as presented by Emilia, and on the other, a tool of political protest as used by Spanish protesters four years ago, and an authentic part of Russian culture.
In all cases, the song proves that art is a language that does not recognize borders, and that a single melody can carry completely different meanings depending on who sings it and for what purpose.
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