TheUkrainianTVchannel"1 + 1"won1st prize in"USInternational Film& VideoFestival"for itsonlinebroadcast of theOkean Elzyconcert of the 24th of August 2014, for the Ukraine Independence Day.
If you missed this amazing event, you can watch this video:
I remember that I was watching this concert online... And even from my French point of view, it really moved me! Okean of Emotions?... Yes, for sure! :))
Enjoy!
As I explained in an older post, this song is special to me because it reflects me and the way I am... These lyrics are, as usual, amazing... I'm fascinated by Vakarchuk's talent to describe in a few words our emotions! Don't ask me why I am fond of his works... :)
Okean Elzy's fans have talent... Drawings, portraits, collages or videos: there are so many ways to say 'I love Okean Elzy!' Which one do you prefer? :)
Some ask me if Okean Elzy is a famous rock band... And they want to know how many people are attending to their concerts. Well, here is a clue to understand what was the atmosphere in Warsaw on Saturday evening! :)
On the 1st of June, Ukrainian musicians raised more than 50.000 UAH in a charity auction to support sick children.
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk Photogr. Unkn.
This charity auction took place in Kiev for the International
Children's Day. Svyatoslav Vakarchuk's acoustic guitar (Fender) was sold for 40 thousand UAH - 10 times more than the entry price -, which represents thesales record of this event.
In the end, 51 700 UAH have been collected: Funds raisedwill go to supportoncology patientsandbone marrow transplantation.
Even if I don't play piano, I have to say that these words could describewhat is, according to me, artistic inspiration... It's a kind of mysterious process and, even if I've learned Cognitive Sciences for years at the University, I don't want to understand exactly what's going on when I'm writing a poem. :)
It's a strange feeling: it is as if everything was already there, inside of your brain/soul, waiting for the good moment so that things/ideas become reality.
But do not imagine that artistic work is easy! Sometimes, it is... but most of the time, it's the result of a long, a very long process. A first draft is... a first draft! :)
Last Saturday, at the invitation of the Football Club 'Dynamo Kiev', Okean Elzy took part in a concert at the 'Olympic National Sports Complex'in Kiev.
Here are some pictures & the video of the show!
Okean Elzy - 30 May 2015 Photo: S. Yaroshevskiy
If this concert was, of course, the opportunity to congratulate the team for their victory in the National Championship, it should be noted that the revenue from the sale of ticketswill go to Kiev Pediatric Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery Center. I love the idea of this generous and wonderfull initiative!
And now, let's talk about football... :)
Did you know that Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is a great football fan? On Wednesday, you could have meet him in the stadium for the Finale of the UEFA Europa League...
S. Vakarchuk - 27 May 2015 Photogr. S.Vakarchuk
S. Vakarchuk - 27 May 2015 Photogr. Unkn.
S. Vakarchuk - 27 May 2015 Photogr. Unkn.
Unfortunately, Sevilla won the match... but the Dnipro team played good football and spectators shared a great moment of conviviality.
I won't comment football matches on this blog, but I would like to add a few words on that topic. :) On Thursday, Dynamo Kiev won the Ukraine Cup Final against Shakhtar Donetsk, completing a league and cup double. Svyatoslav attended to this match too!
Kiev - 4 June 2015 Dynamo Kiev won the Ukraine Cup Final Photogr. Unkn.
Warm smiles on everyone's face... A moment of happiness!
But let's go back to the concert of last Saturday...
It seems that work atmosphere was relaxed before the show! :) Milos, Vladimir & Denis had a good time...
Okean Elzy - 30 May 2015 Photogr. Unkn.
Okean Elzy - 30 May 2015 Photogr. Unkn.
But during the concert, as usual, Okean Elzy members dedicated their energy to music and showed their talent...
I added my own comments in italics because I suppose that my readers do not truly know
who is Svyatoslav Vakarchuk. :)
Name: Svyatoslav Ivanovych Vakarchuk Nickname: Slava - for friends and for Westerners... ;) his name is definitively too long for most of us! Date & place of birth: 14 May 1975 - Mukacheve / Ukraine
Height: 1m76 - 5,77 ft Weight: 75 kg -165,35 lb
Distinctive sign: Ambidextrous Personal characteristics - according to Slava: Persistence and perseverance Weakness - according to Slava: Stubbornness
Favorite musical groups: The Beatles, Queen, The Rolling Stones & Pink Floyd Favorite TV series: Gregory House Favorite alcoholic drinks: Dark beer & Bloody Mary
Main fields of interest: Japanese culture and Buddhism Favorite authors: Yukio Mishima & Haruki Murakami Hobbies: In his spare time Slava enjoys reading & going to the movies.
Slava speaks fluently 4 languages: Ukrainian, Russian, English & Polish. Last summer, he said in an interview that, if he had more free time, he'd like to learn Spanish or French language - there is for sure something I can do regarding this last point! :)
Slava has a PHD in Physics and a degree in International Economics.
Her mother says that, when he was about 2 years old, Slava sang for the 1st time for an audience... It was in Lviv, at the bus-stop (he was going to visit his grand-mother). Slava was standing on the bench and was asking people to sing along with him. :) In 1994, he became the vocalist & frontman of the rock band Okean Elzy. He composed the music and wrote the lyrics of most of the songs of the group.
Okean Elzy released 8 studio albums, recorded 96 songs and created 33 musical videos. In 1995, the first video was an amateur video for the song "Long Time Ago".
Okean Elzy performed 12 Tours.
Longest concert:3.5 hours Biggest audience for a concert: 75,000 spectators
Up to date, Okean Elzy sold more than 1,000,000 CDs. In 2003, the album "Supersymmetry" became double platinum.
In 2005, Vakarchuk won 1 million hryvnia in the TV show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" for a charitable organization - nobody won such a large amount of money before he did in this TV show.
In 2013, Esquire Ukraine awarded Vakarchuk "Musician of the Year".
Esquire Ukraine - Jan. 2014
In 2005,he became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.
From Oct. 2007 to Sept. 2008, he was a member of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) and was a member of the parliamentary committee for freedom of speech questions.
In 2013, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk took 7th place in the Forbes' ranking of richest and most popular stars in Ukraine.
Vakarchuk is known as a man of compassion and conviction: He uses his fame to help causes that are dear to his heart. As an engaged citizen, Slava is the founder of the Charity Fund “Lyudi Maybutnyogo” (People of the Future). The purpose was at first to promote Ukrainian language among
younger generations. But due to the current situation in the country,
the objectives of the foundation have changed a bit since several
months: On top of promoting Ukrainian language, the NGO supports people in the Eastern part of Ukraine and Slava raises fonds to buy medical equipement. To do so, he performed some concerts in Ukraine in 2014 & 2015 with his "Vnochi project".
