Showing posts with label Vakarchuk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vakarchuk. Show all posts

04 January 2019

Okean Elzy, ‘Без тебе - Bez tebe - Without you’ - Song and video - 30 March 2018

Okean Elzy released their new song ‘Без тебе - Without you’ on March 30, 2018. In the video published on YouTube, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk plays the lead role: Just like a lonely soul wandering in the California landscape, where he only meets twins, Svyatoslav seeks for his twin soul... But do twin souls exist?


Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, video for song 'Без тебе - Without you'
Okean Elzy - © 2018

On March 30th, the Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy released their new song/video, ‘Без тебе - Bez tebe -  Without you’. 

It was a very delightful surprise for fans because:
* Okean Elzy published their previous video two years ago, in April 2016
* The band released their last album, ‘Без меж - Bez mezh’, in May 2016
* Svyatoslav Vakarchuk hasn't written any new song for several months…


A song composed in California


This song was recorded in California while Svyatoslav Vakarchuk was in Stanford.

On November 29, 2017, Vakarchuk posted two pictures on Twitter with the following comment: 'Together with Vlada and our friend Igor, we recorded and arranged the two new songs that I wrote in California. I'm grateful to Igor and his wife, Zhenya, for this fantastic home studio and true Ukrainian hospitality.'

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Twitter - November 29, 2017
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Twitter - November 29, 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Twitter - November 29, 2017






























‘Без тебе - Without you’ is a very romantic love song explaining how you feel the pain in the absence of your lover: you feel it in your mind, in your body, in your soul... From head to toe, every piece of you hurts! Life has lost its meaning, and your soul is looking for the person you're in love with… The chorus says:

My soul is flying,
Seeking for you,
Because it knows that, wherever you are, that's where I am.


'The fabulous, beautiful and scary world of twins'


The video shootings took place on the west coast of the United States during Svyatoslav Vakarchuk's stay at Stanford University: Los Angeles, Buena Vista Park (San Francisco), El Matador State Beach, California's paths and deserts were the perfect places to illustrate the text of this song.




Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is used to write on such a theme: love hurts, but when love is real, distance means nothing. So, as usual, fans have been touched by the lyrics of this new song.
But most of them didn’t understand what the video was talking about: 'All these pairs of twins !?? What does it mean ???'

A few days after the video was released, the video's director, Anna Buryachkova, gave a few explanations:

'Imagine a world in which everyone has a twin soul. In this world, if you are alone, people will be - at least - surprised, some they will look at you with suspicion and others will insult you. Let's imagine a world in which to be alone is the worst curse because the norm is to be a couple - and I do not mean a couple in a romantic sense, not at all! Imagine a world in which everyone has a twin but you, a world where all other people are linked by their souls and by their thoughts… This is the fabulous, beautiful and scary world of twins!'

Photo: www.avlocations.com


3 interesting facts about this video:

  1. A sandstorm started just at the time when Svyatoslav enters the café:  It was not in the script, but it was perfect to increase the dramatic tension of the video!
  2. For the final sequence, the video's director, Anna Buryachkova, wanted to get a great shooting with a cloudy sky over the sea: This would intensify the dramatic effect of the scenario. The thing is that the locals told her that cloud seldom visits this area... :( but, surprisingly, the weather was cloudy the day they were shooting. :)
  3.  Svyatoslav said that he didn’t skip any class at Stanford because the shooting took place during the weekend. :)



'It wasn't exactly love at first sight, but it was deeper than that.' - Nikki Rowe


It was a shock when I watched the video, and I cried buckets of tears… This song has a special meaning for me because I immediately understood what it was talking about. I thought: 'It describes my feelings!' :)

As said in my last post, I had a difficult year and, for several months, I was lost. I’m sure you see what I mean: Looks like you’re in a tunnel. You know that there’s light at the end of it, but you don’t know when you’ll see it… Anyway, you have to go on this way alone! Nobody can do it for you.

Okean Elzy - © 2018

The paradox is that you're alone, but you do not feel lonely: You always feel someone else's presence by your side. And at the same time, your soul is so far from you, near this person!… 

You think that all this is an illusion, that this is nothing more than the result of 'chemical reactions' in your brain - sorry, I’m a scientist! :) But you also must accept this feeling: for sure, this is love! But what kind of love? It is so unusual! It’s such a strange feeling that it drives you crazy. :)
In the end, you talk to a friend, and she says: 'Hey, you have met your twin soul!'
… … 'My… what?' :) :)

© Josephine Wall

Well, I’m not sure what to think… Twin souls… All I can say is that it’s not romantic at all! :) And I still don’t know what to do with this precious gift that life gave me. But I think I’ll know someday. :)

And what about you? Do you believe in such a deep connection between people? Have you ever met your twin soul? If so, how do you live it day to day?
Your comments are welcome! :)
AleXa


Usefull links


Links to downloading and streaming services to listen to ‘Без тебе - Bez tee -  Without you’:




See also:

Sources: 

14 December 2018

WhereverYouAre - YouTube: Okean Elzy songs, video montages!

Because I was frustrated that I could not find high-quality videos for some Okean Elzy songs, I created a new YouTube channel: "WhereverYouAre"! 

 



Among the many, many things I’ve done since the beginning of 2017, I created a new 'Svyatoslav Vakarchuk and Okean Elzy' YouTube channel. :)

In May 2017, I was looking for a nice video of the song 'Wherever you are' and I found none on the web. Well, in fact, there were some 'live performance' videos, but that’s not what I wanted to share on social networks…

You know that it’s always the same thing with Okean Elzy songs: it’s so frustrating not being able to share a video clip or a high-quality video of a live performance!


So, I decided to create a new video channel to share there my video montages. Of course, they look like the ones I’m doing for my personal YouTube channel: this is the 'Alexa touch' :) but I was told years ago that 'there is something Ukrainian in all the things (I) do' -poems, videos, coloring, etc.
Who knows?! :)

I hope you enjoy 'WhereverYouAre'!
AleXa
PS: If you make your own videos on Okean Elzy songs, please let me know. I'd be happy to share them on this blog!


14 December 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - concert at Stanford University - November 28, 2017

On the 28th of November, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk gave a concert at Stanford University, California. Here is the video of this event!


Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Stanford - USA - November 2017
Stanford University, 28 Nov. 2017
© Rod Searcey

First of all, I want to answer the question you're asking yourself right now :) and explain in a few words why Svyatoslav is currently in California.

At the press conference he gave before the Kharkiv concert on August 24, Vakarchuk said he needed a long break... and that the next O.E. concert would take place next year in Kiev for the Independence Day of Ukraine - in other words, on August 24, 2018!


One year off... Can you imagine Svyatoslav Vakarchuk wasting a whole year doing nothing? :) Of course not! In September he joined Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) as a visiting scholar for the fall quarter.* And on the 28th of November, he gave concert for the benefit of the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program at Stanford University…




A big thank you to my friend Inna who had the pleasure of attending this event and who shared with us the video of this performance! :)

* Svyatoslav Vakarchuk interacts with the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program. Launched in 2016, the Program seeks to provide Ukrainian leaders with opportunities for professional growth and development, as well as the chance to work on a project over the course of a 10-month residency at Stanford.

10 August 2017

Love, hope, music, Ukraine &… Okean Elzy: All the colors of my soul in a poetry book!

Dear Friends and Readers,

I’m pleased to inform you that my first book of poems "Dans le coeur du poète - In the heart of the poet" was published today! 

 


First of all, I would like to say that this post is not an advertisement :) - honestly, I think that only a few people like to read poetry and I don’t expect to make money with this book. And it's in French: only some of you could be interested in this... It doesn't make sense to advertise here! :)

No, in fact, there are several reasons why I decided to write about it:

1. Looking at the statistics of this blog, I noticed that, if you like lyrics translations, you also want to know more about me… - I understand that it’s quite unusual that a French fan writes in English about an Ukrainian rock band…. ;) - So, I think you’ll be very interested in this post! :)
Thanks you all!

2. I started working on this book in February 2015. But I had to stop it because the organiser of Okean Elzy’s concerts in Europe asked me to lend a hand to official communication of the band in French. It was an opportunity that I could not say no. :) And since then, the project has remained on the drawing-board…
Last February, I thought that this book should be published anyway: So, I decided that I had  to work on it just after the concert to be held in Paris on March 26. That's what I did...

3. Love, hope, Ukraine & music are my main sources of inspiration. All of these themes also inspire Vakarchuk... So, in the end, I should not be surprised that writing a poem led me to his works 6 years ago today - Yes, it was a 10th of August :)

Moreover, the thing is that since I've started working on French translations of Vakarchuk's songs - in 2014 -, I've also improved my own writing style. Translating lyrics is a very good way to learn more about foreign languages, of course, but it's also a great writing exercice in itself!

Another thing is that I'm now writing my own lyrics - in French, of course... And I sometimes do it for Vakarchuk's songs. Sorry again for this, Svyatoslav !


And I also adapted into French of a famous Ukrainian popular song. What a wonderful experience!


To conclude on this point, I can say that, even if they reflect the colours of my soul, my works sometimes also have a little taste of Okean Elzy... :) Well, again, I should not be surprised about it!

4. I also have to say that one of my poems is dedicated to Svyatoslav (yes, I dared!) But not for the reasons you think. Even if... :)

Well, in 2014, I gathered ideas to write a poem about my own experience of poetics: what are the things that move me when I read a poem, why do I write poetry, what readers can understand/know about me when they read my poems...
I found the ideas, but didn't know how to build the text! The answer just seemed to pop into my head when I found this this picture on Internet:


Yes, I know what you think "Wow! What a portrait! " :)) Yes, indeed. But the thought crossed my mind immediately was the following question: "What's in your eyes and in your mind, Svyatoslav?" I tend to believe that the most interesting is not what a person looks like but what he or she most deeply is.... And now that I met Svyatoslav, I can confirm that depth is at least as interesting as appearance! Well, I leave that to your imagination... :)

So, anyway, this question gave me an idea: I would talk about the composition of poetry and poems reading by writing a portrait and I would ask the following question several times: "Do you know what is in the poet's heart?" (Of course, I should translate this text into English... An idea for another post? Why not!)

The comments I received from readers - and friends who write poetry - were that my text "Dans le coeur du poète - In the heart of the poet" describes their relationship with poetry in a very good way. So, when I started working on my book in 2015, I have come to the conclusion that its title should be "Dans le coeur du poète" because this text is an excellent synopsis of my works.  And I already knew which photo to use on the book cover... :)

What's funny is that, when collecting poems to include in my book, I realized that "Coeur - Heart" is a word that is in nearly 85% of my compositions. So there's logic in all this. :)

By the way, I now know what's "in my heart of poet"... and I understood a few weeks ago that all this makes sense to me! Life is full of surprises! Although... :)

"There are no coincidences, only encounters."
Paul Eluard

5. I would like to offer a copy of this book to Svyatoslav next time we meet. I know what he will say: "It's very French! " Yes, it is. :) But I have not lost the hope that, one day, he will learn French :)  - The study of poetry or lyrics is a good way to know more about foreign languages!

This book reflects the colors of my soul and Svyatoslav already knows them all (from the darkest to the brightest). Understanding sometimes comes through emotion... So, even though today he knows almost nothing about my mother tongue, he already knows what's in this book! :)

Now I know why the name of my blog is "Okean of emotions" :) There are no coincidences, indeed!


For your information - because some of you will ask :) - please note that this book can be purchased here.

A big thank you again for your interest in this blog. :)
Cheers,
Alexa

10 July 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk at the Lviv Alfa Jazz Fest 2017

The 7th Alfa Jazz Fest took place in Lviv at the end of June. As usual, and because he is a big fan of jazz music, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk was invited to the shows by the organizers of this international festival...


Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© Zefir.ua - 2017

Now, it's time to share with you some pictures of this event!

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© JetSetter.ua - 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© Vogue.ua - 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© Vogue.ua - 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© Vogue.ua - 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© Zefir.ua - 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© Zefir.ua - 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© Aleksandr Goncharov - 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© Zefir.ua - 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
© Zefir.ua - 2017

And for those who love jazz improvisation, here is a very interesting video! Thanks to Igor Petrof for this. :) The recording took place on the 24th of June in a restaurant/brewery/«theatre» - I don't know how to call it! :)



By the way, did you know that Svyatoslav Vakarchuk moderated a discussion that took place in parallele to the Alfa Jazz Fest? The theme of this debate was "How to create trustworthy institutes?"
 

As a co-founder of the Centre for Economic Strategy - who organized this event -, Svyatoslav said that such discussions will be held each year. The purpose of the debate is to answer the challenges faced today by Ukraine. These dicussions should not be limited to politics and will be extended to cultural, social and economic topics.

So, if you're fluent at Ukrainian, if - like me - you're fond of that language or if you're just curious, I invite you to watch this video. :) Enjoy!


14 May 2017

Okean Elzy: Happy Birthday, Svyatoslav!

We are celebrating today Svyatoslav Vakarchuk's birthday... 


On this occasion, I created this photo-montage for the O.E. official communication in French:


But I also wanted to make a very personal gift. That’s why I wrote my first haiku in Ukrainian ;) - inspiration is everywhere!


This means:
"Spring colors,
Our hearts bloom again  -
Happy birthday!"

And I also appear with my daughter Oxana in this video created by the administrators of the Official Fan-Club (what a great idea!):





З Днем Народження! Happy Birthday! Joyeux Anniversaire !
 

04 May 2017

When I met Svyatoslav Vakarchuk...

As said in a previous post, I had the opportunity to meet Svyatoslav Vakarchuk after the concert he gave in Paris on the 26th of March. There would be a lot to say about it… but in the end, I came to the conclusion that the best way to talk about it was to write him this long letter... :) 


© Okeanofemotions - 2017

Dear Svyatoslav,
Many thanks for your time and for your warm welcome when we met in Paris. To tell you the truth, I was not supposed to see you on that Sunday evening, but a few angels made this happened :) - and I want to thank them again for this.

You know, it’s always the same: most of your fans don’t understand why I never asked to meet you (because, again, I didn’t…), especially since I’m lending you a hand in your communication in French. They think I’m stupid not to take advantage of my position… :)) But the thing is that I know that you’re always very busy (I don’t want to take too much of your time) and that, unlike most people, meeting you was not (and is still not) an end in itself for me. Of course, it was an important moment for me…  but I believe that this is « only » another natural/logical step in our « collaboration ». :) Things happen when they have to happen…



Photogr.  Unkn.

I also have to say that I was in a strange mood that evening - not only because I was not supposed to be there, but also because I have been through so many emotions during the concert!! Especially when you sang with Mané: it moved me deeply… This mixing of Ukrainian and French languages was magical. Many thanks to both of you for this beautiful gift. I’ll never forget… But all of this moved me so that I thought that nothing could have touched me more… Well, it seems to me I was wrong. :) Life is full of surprises!


Since we met, people are always asking me the same questions and they all want to know what kind of person you are. It’s a difficult question to answer :) but cognitive science showed that it only takes a few seconds to have a good perception of personality traits. So…
« Positive energy », « strength », « enthusiasm », « generous spirit », «great kindness »… These are the words that people are using when they try to describe who you are. I’m not going to disagree with that. :) But I would add « sensitivity », « fragility », « emotion »… Fans too often forget that an artist is an ordinary person like the others people - being talented and working hard doesn’t mean that you’re not feeling joy, fear, pain… on the contrary! I think that all of this feeds creativity.
Now, I can also say that your music reflects your soul. :) Well, this shouldn't have been a surprise… but it was so strange to experience the same emotion as when I listened for the first time to one of your songs! Do you know that, since then, I’m listing to your music in a different way?… ;)





For a hundred reasons, I say that « Дiвчина » is my favorite song… Now, I can add one more item to that long list! :)


I didn’t ask to meet you… but I really wanted to give you these few gifts I’ve brought with me (Note to my readers: I’ll speak about this in another post!), so I’m happy that they are - finally! - in your hands. :) They are of little interest, but I wanted you to know that your music resonates with me and that I see in it new challenges to face. Sorry for treating Ukrainian language and your music so badly… :)) but your works are an important source of inspiration for me and I often need to create something new with all these ideas/feelings coming from the depths of my soul…



By the way, I must tell you that, if I decided not to speak Ukrainian, it was not only because I’m still not mastering it… No. The real reason is that I knew that there would have been many questions regarding this and we then could have talked all night long. :)) This would have been nice but, again, I didn’t want to take you more time. But I promise that, next time we will meet, I’ll say a few words in Ukrainian… I love your mother tongue so much!

When I say that we could have talked all night long, I’m not joking… Here are food for thought:
* Regarding OE communication in French, we can easily go a step further. I have a few ideas regarding this…
* French fans have also suggestions and ideas and they asked me to share them with you…
* Do you know what brings so many different people together and why, all over the world, they love you so?….
* I have 2 personal projects related to your works… We must talk about that.
* I must explain what drove me to Ukraine / to your music…
* I must tell you how learning Ukrainian language changed my soul… 

Ukraine, always around my neck... and forever in my heart! :)
© Okeanofemotions

* I will say why I love to wear a vyshyvanka - but I won’t tell you why some say that I wear it so well: you know much more than me about this… ;) - and will tell you that, when I was 12, I had "unusual" interests... :)

Photogr. Unkn.

* I'll have to tell you that, now, I’m sure that discovering your music and meeting you is not a chance: it’s the path I have to follow… I still don't really understand why, but time will tell! :)

Many thanks again for the trust you placed in me.
Thank you so much for your invitation to come and see you in concert in Ukraine
. I love this idea! This will be great ! Thanks again for this. I appreciate that gesture.

I hope to see you soon.
Take care.
God bless you!
Alexa

24 April 2017

Vakarchuk quote: "Love is a mystery..."


Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - © Ben Robinson


'Кохання - це таємниця.
Ти слухаєш музику, і у тебе мурашки по тілу.
Чому? Це відчуття.
Те ж саме і відносини між чоловіком та жінкою.
Ти відчуваєш її або ж ні.'

Святослав Вакарчук


*****
'Love is a mystery.
You're listening to music and it gives you gooseflesh.
Why? It's a feeling.
It's the same thing in a relationship between a man and a woman.
You feel it or not.'
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk



To feel it or not, that is the question... even if there is no question! :) This not a choice: It's an obvious fact, something precious. It's wonderful to be able to capture the essence of this emotion and share it with others. Writing poetry/lyrics or singing is for me the most natural way to do it...




An English translation of this heartwarming and moving song can be found here. These words resonate in my soul and this probably explains why I love to sing it... :)




I'm always surprised, proud and moved when Ukrainians say that they love my version of this song. Yes, I now know it: my heart speaks (and sings!) Ukrainian! :)

11 April 2017

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk: "Innovations That Pushed Boundaries". Lecture at Google European Headoffice, Dublin, April 10, 2017

Yesterday, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk gave a lecture at Google European Headoffice in Dublin. 


Photogr. Unkn.

Here is the video!


Thanks to Maria Salahovs for this. :)

16 June 2016

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk & Okean Elzy: Photo session for Vogue UA, July 2016

When Svyatoslav Vakarchuk & Okean Elzy members pose for "Vogue Ukraine" magazine... 


Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina

In this new issue of Vogue UA magazine (released today), Svyatoslav Vakarchuk gave an interview to Valentina Klimenko: he told her about his celebrity status, about his experience at Yale University and about the new Okean Elzy album "Без меж".

 
"I always only wanted to write songs. I don't care if, on the music, this word sounds "new" or "old"; I don't care about what the song itself sounds like; I don't care about musical arragements... The most important for me is to touch peole and to share with them my emotions and my feelings." 

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Vogue UA, July 2016

Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina

 Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk - Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina

Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina

Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina

Milos Jelic - Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk & Vladimir Opsenica - Okean Elzy
Vogue UA, July 2016
Photo: © Kseniya Kargina



Photo: © Kseniya Kargina
Stylist: Julie Pelipas -
http://vogue.ua

31 March 2016

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk: "15 years for you"... and 45 seconds of advertising!

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk lends his image to the company "Нова пошта - Nova poshta", a company specialized in parcel shipping...




The motto being "для тебе , зможу я все! - For you, I could do anything!"




Of course, these are lyrics of a song written by our favorite composer! :)



"15 років для тебе - 15 years for you"

07 March 2016

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk in Lviv for Women's World Chess Championship 2016

Yesterday, Svyatoslav Vakarchuk was in Lviv to support Chess Women’s World Champion Mariya Muzychuk...


Svyatoslav Vakarchuk & Mariya Muzychuk
© FIDE

Svyatoslav came with his father Ivan, professor of physics at Lviv University and former Minister of Education and Science in Ukraine.

Svyatoslav & Ivan Vakarchuk looking at the chess-board
signed by
Maria Muzychuk & Hou Yifan
Photo: © Anastasiya Karlovich


Svyatoslav Vakarchuk made a first symbolic move instead of the Chinese chess grandmaster Hou Yifan...

Photo: © Anastasiya Karlovich


... and Ivan Vakarchuk answered instead of Mariya Muzychuk, the current Women's World Chess Champion!

Photo: © Anastasiya Karlovich


So, the 4th game of the Women’s World Championship Match could start...

Hou Yifan
Photo: © Anastasiya Karlovich

Mariya Muzychuk
Photo: © Anastasiya Karlovich

This 4th round of the 2016 Women's World Chess Championship match lasted only 21 moves and Hou Yifan now leads 2.5:1.5 with six games to go... We wish Mariya all the best for next steps of the competition! 



Eager to know more about Vakarchuk's thoughts on this event? Please watch his interview (from minute 5:20 to 18 of this video):