I first heard this song this past winter, and have been thinking about it for a while: Instead of the fantasy world of boutiques and Porsche Cayennes and lip implants, I get the reality of my own neighbourhood in Ukraine: colloquial pronunciations, walls covered in graffiti and guys named Vasya, along with gossiping grandmas inContinue reading “Anyone who’s ever lived in a run-down neighbourhood in Kiev or Moscow or…”
Category Archives: Music
Monday Music: the Chestnuts of Kiev Edition
It’s good to be da king. And it’s good to be back in the city of blooming chestnuts, for a bit. Everyone’s talking politics and, despite the crisis, the bars in the center appear packed. One of my grandmothers has fallen in love with Susan Boyle, the other one is drawing upon her extensive experienceContinue reading “Monday Music: the Chestnuts of Kiev Edition”
Eurovision, Poetry and Sangria
A big congratulations to Norway’s Alexander Rybak and his lovely, playful “Fairytale” – a huge Eurovision win. Sasha was born in Belarus and speaks Russian as well as Norwegian. I still think that Sweden should have done much better, but “Fairytale” works on so many levels that it’s hard to fault anyone for voting forContinue reading “Eurovision, Poetry and Sangria”
I was going to numb myself with Eurovision
But Eurovision is not particularly numbing this year. It’s fun and glossy and ridiculous (Ukraine’s Loboda was particularly entertaining just now, I thought) and the technological aspects of the production look neat. This is a terrific little confection. Cheers to Moskva 2009.
Monday Music: the no, no, NO edition
I will never again underestimate the importance of being able to walk down the street without feeling like a hunted animal. I thought about it a lot before I came to Britain – on my trips to Ukraine especially – but it’s having been able to travel extensively by myself, go to Scotland, pop downContinue reading “Monday Music: the no, no, NO edition”
Natalia A. 