Women of Ukraine: the Musician “People Believe in Music”

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Military awards worn by a District of Columbia Army National Guard Soldier in Washington, D.C., March 10, 2021, include the D.C. National Guard Presidential Inauguration Support Ribbon on the bottom right. The ribbon is authorized for award to National Guard members from any state, territory or the District of Columbia who supported the 59th presidential inauguration on Title 32 orders.

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Soldiers from the Michigan National Guard’s Forward Support Company, 107th Engineer Battalion, based in Marquette, and the 177th Military Police Brigade, based in Taylor, join other Soldiers in food distribution at the U.S. Capitol Feb. 7, 2021. The National Guard is supporting law enforcement in the nation's capital through mid-March.

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1st Lt. Darren Tanis, executive officer of the Michigan Army National Guard’s 1433rd Engineer Company, based in Fort Custer, Michigan, stands near the U.S. Capitol in Washington Feb. 3, 2021. The National Guard is supporting federal law enforcement in the nation's capital through mid-March.

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Australian Army Capt. Dustin Gold, a reserve officer from the Royal Australian Artillery 9th Regiment, participates in a Reserve Forces Foreign Exchange Program with D.C. National Guard in Washington D.C., Jan. 23, 2021.

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Video by Ruth Owen

Women of Ukraine: the Musician “People Believe in Music”

Natochannel

Sept. 30, 2015 | 3:19

Jamala, a Ukrainian singer of Crimean-Tartar descent, has deep personal experience of the pain of being exiled from home. Following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia, she felt she had to help the stream of refugees heading to Kiev by offering them free tickets to her concert. Here she talks about the power of music to help people express their feelings and how she has not seen her parents, who are still in Crimea, for over a year. She Jamala, a Ukrainian singer of Crimean-Tartar descent, has deep personal experience of the pain of being exiled from home. Following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia, she felt she had to help the stream of refugees heading to Kiev by offering them free tickets to her concert. She gave 1500 free tickets to her concert to refugees. She says music and culture are as important to revolution as politics. Here she talks about the power of music to help people express their feelings and how she has not seen her parents, who are still in Crimea, for over a year.

SHOTLIST

1. (00:00) VARIOUS SHOTS MUSICIAN JAMALA IN PARK IN CENTRAL KIEV
2. (01:12) Soundbite (UKRAINIAN), Jamala, Musician
“I speak seldom to my mum today, I saw my father last a year ago, it was exactly a year ago that I visited Crimea for the last time, because I am really afraid of going there. I think that they would let me in, but would they let me out? I don’t know.”
“I was born in a musical family. I grew up with music. I always sang a lot.”
“It is not important what my nationality is, how much blood I have mixed in me.”
“My music has very many intertwining layers. It is both Crimean-Tartar, it’s a little Armenian and of course it is Ukrainian, because I grew up here.”
“Right now it is very important that culture in Ukraine stays on a high level. Beside neither politics not any other sector can tell the world what Ukrainians feel, like music can. Now people feel resentment of all politicians because people don’t believe them, but they believe in music.”
“Musicians are very often asked now about whether they should sing about what is happening today. Whether they should sing songs that are not related to today’s life. Whether they should be non-political and so on. I have no right to judge anyone. But I am trying to sing about the things that hurt.”
“Musicians, politicians, gardeners, what can we do so that Ukraine can really be a European nation. We want it to happen but we are not there yet. It’s important to understand it and one should not hurry up. We need time.”