In the Castle of Monsters

Ukrainian Musicians Defy Destruction

Ukrainian musicians, composers, dancers, and artists have simply refused to allow the invasion of their country to stop them from celebrating and sharing what is best about their country and culture. I have been sharing their performances with the goal of keeping people around the world aware of what is happening and celebrating the unquenchable spirit of the Ukrainian people.

Today I have two performances by one of the talented members of the Songs for Ukraine community (https://www.facebook.com/groups/658917051877064). His name is Andrii Malinich and he was both a performer in and an orchestrator of the concerts.

The first was a concert of music organized by a charity known as "Castle of Monsters,” which featured English, French, and Ukrainian Baroque music. The performers sang acapella and used drums and singing bowls to evoke an atmosphere of mystery and dread for the audience.

Andrii was the lead singer in this concert, and also played the drums. Two sopranos - Nastya Buynytskaya and Daria Gusak- sang with Andrii in several scenes. Below are some clips.

Andrii alone https://www.facebook.com/100001837639243/videos/pcb.8228286700575836/1481064719027245

Andrii with Nastya and Daria https://www.facebook.com/100001837639243/videos/pcb.8228286700575836/906524876990125

The second was a concert organized by the ArtPoint Municipal Theatre Orchestra in Odesa to support the Ukrainian army. It featured a variety of popular rock songs by bands such as Muse, 30 Seconds to Mars, the Cranberries, Rammstein, Lindemann, Scorpions, Metallica, and Scriabin. It also included the Ukrainian song "Humans Are Like Ships,” which Andrii is singing here: https://www.facebook.com/100001837639243/videos/638449154516040/

Andrii had this to say about the song, “Humans are Like Ships.” After deciding he really wanted to sing the song, he’d been working hard to master it. “When Katya Beilis called and booked me to orchestrate this song, I was inspired to work even harder. I had my ups and downs, but I think I’m gonna make this song mine.” Below are the lyrics for “Humans are Like Ships,” which will give you a good idea of the emotional power what Andrii was working to convey:

Humans are Like Ships

I am not your brother,
You are not my sister.
Never tell me whose fault it is,
What the fault is.

On our Earth, humans are like boats.
Everyone sails till the waves wash over them,
Until deep water carries them to the bottom,
To the very bottom.

Everyone meets in the depths
Where there’s no space for attacks,
Where even the Earth howls
at the envy, meanness, and evil.

But someone hasn’t sailed.
He’s been helped to escape the water,
longs to become a hero of this war.

Chorus
And the waves wash silently to the shore
The wounded souls of living boats
Go back and forth from shore to sea.
Carrying those who believed
and wanted to know the truth.

Our ocean knows more than we do.
All the secrets are at the bottom,
But we are sailing on the surface.
Big and small humans are like boats.
We sail proud and no one believes,
That the evil is interested in them,
While the winds mask the sounds of the rats
Gnawing at our bones.

The response to the concert and Andrii’s performances was gratifying. “I felt a big response from the audience,” Andrii said, “especially when I held the Ukrainian flag aloft.”

To learn more about Andrii visit: https://www.facebook.com/andrey.sarabanda.9

To donate to support Ukraine, click the image below, which will take you to a post I did listing many organizations that are working to help the Ukrainian people: