#StandWithUkraine
Ukraine x South Africa x Canada

The Ukraine is going through tough times right now.
I found The Kiffness' remix of Andriy Khlyvnyuk singing Ой у лузі червона калина (Oyu luzi chervona kalyna, romanized/ "In the Meadow, a Red Kalyna") pretty inspiring. Both for the story and also for the musicality. It feels like a real fight song for the Ukraine. From this, I felt like trying my hand at showing support adding my own musical voice through the marimba. [Polling friends, seems positive, Kiffness quick response "Go for it"].

Andriy's video with "The Kiffness" can be found here (including much more information!):
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Andriy's original video can be found here:
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If you would like to donate directly to the same cause of humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian forces (as per Kiffness video), you can do so here:
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It's shocking that events like this senseless war can take place in the 21st century. We can hope that we can make some small difference with the gifts and resources that we have.

-Wishing love, safety and courage for all those thrown into difficulty.

The original patriotic song (I learned) was written by Stepan Charnetskii in 1914, in honour of the Sich Riflemen, a Ukrainian unit from the First World War. A more traditional version can be found here (with English text subtitles, more of the song):
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Known throughout the Ukraine, as we might see in this 2017 rendition by school children:
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Lyrics in Ukranian, from this rendition:

Ойу лузі червона калина похилилася,
Чогось наша славна Україна зажурилася.
А ми тую червону калину підіймемо,
А ми нашу славну Україну, гей-гей, розвеселимо!

Lyrics in English:

In the meadow, there a red kalyna (Viburnum), has bent down low,
For some reason, our glorious Ukraine, has been worried so.
And we'll take that red kalyna and we will raise it up,
And we, our glorious Ukraine, shall, hey - hey, rise up - and rejoice!

Romanisation:

Oyu luzi chervona kalyna pokhylylasya,
Chohosʹ nasha slavna Ukrayina zazhurylasya.
A my tuyu chervonu kalynu pidiymemo,
A my nashu slavnu Ukrayinu, hey-hey, rozveselymo!

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Addendum: Though I believe the original intent of this song, the overall cultural context and the use of this song by all the musicians here is positive, it has been brought to my attention that between 1949 and 1956 this song may have been used alongside a negative association with the UPA ( [ Ссылка ] ) and Poland. Apologies if this bothers anyone viewing and if so I would say, "click away"! I do not believe this supersedes the original intent and context or the current one. Nor does it seem that that majority of Polish people would take it that way, from Facebook comments, though understandably some will be bothered. For similar consideration of an integrity of music/art vs it having been connected to some negative association at some time in history, I might also consider
1. The Canadian national anthem/relation of Canada for Indigenous peoples.
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2. The music of Wagner, as considered by Daniel Barenboim: [ Ссылка ]
3. Classical music of Beethoven, Rossini and Elgar as well as "Singing in the Rain" as applied in the (dark) movie A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick
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I believe that an art form says the message that it says! Not however some person or people might have chosen to apply it or associations that may have been made at some point in time.
Feel free to see further comments on the Facebook version of this video, which has more quickly gathered attention and commentary:
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Let's try to do some good through music, art, whatever we've got!
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Addendum #2: After the Kiffness Remix, I think I was the next musician in the world to do a remix of this song. Many more have made remixes since.
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More on Stephen/his marimba-group:
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