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We call them the 'stans'. The countries whose names we can't really remember who were created when the USSR dissolved. This-stan, that-stan. They're not all literally stans, like Ukraine.
But like with global news generally, it can be hard for people to humanize countries they know little about. It's just numbers. Which is harmful.
I would probably have more of that problem myself with Ukraine, but for several years ago finding a musical group. I'm not normally a fan of 'folk music', or 'ethnic music'. Just not my taste. Except this group.
I found their music amazing. They quickly became a group I consider of the most remarkable groups I know of. I will say, it's not quite exactly enjoyment of their music as much as favorite classic rock, but it is having a very high opinion of it and enjoying seeing how they find new fresh performances.
That was it, my one 'weird group' I'd tell people about. They performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - they weren't unknown - and they performed on 'Tiny Concerts' at a bookstore on PBS and did tours across the world. They'd play at a 'blues picking' festival in the American south.
The group is enigmatic, one man and three women, in ethnic costumes that vary, with the most unusual headgear you've ever seen in a group, usually just on the women.
But then I saw them say something political - their only political aspect. And that something was that they stand for a free Ukraine. It's a passion for them. And it humanized Ukranians for me. Incredible people who want to be free of Putin. Whenever I hear 'Ukraine', I don't think of a faceless stan, think think of these artists and how they humanize the people.
I think it's a huge travesty for countries in the west to take a 'they're expendable' approach to these countries, to make everything about NATO membership. That doesn't mean we go to war or can protect each country, but it means we can relate that it's like our founding fathers wanting freedom, which we only got because France helped, and now we're France as their country is being overrun, destroyed, tyrannized.
This is where we see if talk is cheap about things like democracy and 'values'.
The name of the group I'm talking about is "Dakha Brakha". All their performances are sung in their language, which we can listen to for its sound.
Their description of it as based on Ukranian folk music is modest and in my opinion doesn't begin to do it justice. I'd like to say it's unique but can't compare it to much. If you might like to have Ukraine humanized a bit for you also, I'll link a couple of videos of their performances. Of course you can just google on them for others.
But like with global news generally, it can be hard for people to humanize countries they know little about. It's just numbers. Which is harmful.
I would probably have more of that problem myself with Ukraine, but for several years ago finding a musical group. I'm not normally a fan of 'folk music', or 'ethnic music'. Just not my taste. Except this group.
I found their music amazing. They quickly became a group I consider of the most remarkable groups I know of. I will say, it's not quite exactly enjoyment of their music as much as favorite classic rock, but it is having a very high opinion of it and enjoying seeing how they find new fresh performances.
That was it, my one 'weird group' I'd tell people about. They performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts - they weren't unknown - and they performed on 'Tiny Concerts' at a bookstore on PBS and did tours across the world. They'd play at a 'blues picking' festival in the American south.
The group is enigmatic, one man and three women, in ethnic costumes that vary, with the most unusual headgear you've ever seen in a group, usually just on the women.
But then I saw them say something political - their only political aspect. And that something was that they stand for a free Ukraine. It's a passion for them. And it humanized Ukranians for me. Incredible people who want to be free of Putin. Whenever I hear 'Ukraine', I don't think of a faceless stan, think think of these artists and how they humanize the people.
I think it's a huge travesty for countries in the west to take a 'they're expendable' approach to these countries, to make everything about NATO membership. That doesn't mean we go to war or can protect each country, but it means we can relate that it's like our founding fathers wanting freedom, which we only got because France helped, and now we're France as their country is being overrun, destroyed, tyrannized.
This is where we see if talk is cheap about things like democracy and 'values'.
The name of the group I'm talking about is "Dakha Brakha". All their performances are sung in their language, which we can listen to for its sound.
Their description of it as based on Ukranian folk music is modest and in my opinion doesn't begin to do it justice. I'd like to say it's unique but can't compare it to much. If you might like to have Ukraine humanized a bit for you also, I'll link a couple of videos of their performances. Of course you can just google on them for others.
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