Disputable idea of Warsaw concert
A concert of “Solidarity with Belarus” is to take place in Warsaw on March 25. This year Belarusian musicians will sing Bob Marley’s songs in English.
Rock and pop musicians are planning to perform at the concert in Warsaw. The organizers haven’t told who will come from Belarus referring to the Belarusian participants’ request.
It is only known that there will be a Belarusian group В:N and six Belarusian vocalists. ERB has found out that Lyavon Volskі, Rusya, Zmіtser Vaitsyushkevіch and Pamіdorau will go to Warsaw.
According to the concert’s idea, Polish musicians will perform their own songs while Belarusians will perform Bob Marley’s songs. Only one well-known hit “I was born here” will be sung in Belarusian”.
Why is there so little Belarusian influence at a solidarity concert? Yan Kentsik, one of the concert organizers from the “Volnaya Belarus” initiative, says:
“We are not making this concert for fun. We are preparing it in the right way but we are running into obstacles at certain moments”.
One of the obstacles is Polish television that finances the project. The concert will be broadcasted on TVP1 and TV Polonia. According to Yan Kentsik, television wants the concert to be watched by a big audience, but it cannot be done if you only let Belarusian musicians perform there.
Lyavon Volskі will participate in the concert to “support Belarus, so that those who do not know about it would get information about the country”.
Whether Lyavon is troubled by the fact that there will be only one Belarusian song at the concert? Lyavon Volski says:
“This is the concert’s idea. The one who does something instead of only criticizing is right. The concert will take place in a neighbouring country’s capital. The thing they pay attention to Belarus is already good. So we should not find fault with the organizers”.
I don’t see any special concept for March 25 in Belarus, and I cannot accept the one we are proposed – “the day of Belarusian unity – for Belarus, for freedom”.
Nobody invited me there but if they did I would leave the Polish action with pleasure because the Bob Marley idea does not appeal to me either. But I do not see any sense of going there without any good idea and simply fighting with the police”.
The organizer Yan Kentsik informed that all the invited musicians agreed to the concept. Kasya Kamotskaya was among those who were invited but she will not go to Warsaw.
Kasya Kamotskaya: “I have decided that it would be necessary to be in Belarus on March 25. Moreover, I think it is stupid to sing Bob Marley’s songs at a concert of solidarity with Belarus. We have our own songs and if they wished to express solidarity they would let us sing Belarusian songs. I do not understand their concept”.
The group “Reha” think the same. They were also invited but they have decided to stay in Minsk.
A producer Ihar Znyk chose Belarusian musicians for the concert, but he admitted that nothing depended on him because everything was organized by “Volnaya Belarus” and Polish television.
The only thing Ihar Znyk could influence is advertising the group B:N (he is its producer) that will warm up the audience. But what is Znyk’s attitude to the concept of a solidarity concert with Bob Marley’s songs?
Іgar Znyk: “I will not answer the question …which is already an answer”.
The group “Chyrvonym pa Belym” won’t perform at the concert either:
“I was invited but I started to lay down my own terms – I wanted to sing my song in my native Belarusian language. The organizers did not want it. Speaking about Bob Marley – yes, it’s a great musician but how is he related to Belarus?
Yes, he sang about freedom but 80% of Belarusian songs are also about freedom. I do not know what kind of solidarity it is – Jamaica with Poland, or Belarus with Jamaica?
I’m upset about the fact that there are people profiting of my people’s sorrow under the pretence of solidarity”.
So who is the concert for? Yan Kentsik says:
“For Poles, Polish viewers and Warsaw dwellers that will come to it. Bit its purpose is to express solidarity with the Belarusian opposition”.
Let me remind you that the concert “Solidarity with Belarus” will take place at the Stary Horad market in Warsaw on March 25 and will be broadcasted by ERB at 11 a.m. and 22 p.m. on March 26 so that you could assess the disputable idea yourselves.
Photo by www.charter97.org
This fact, and participation of Belarusian stars in the concert of March 25 when a meeting at Kalinouskaha Square is planned to be organized, became a reason for arguments and discussion.
Rock and pop musicians are planning to perform at the concert in Warsaw. The organizers haven’t told who will come from Belarus referring to the Belarusian participants’ request.
It is only known that there will be a Belarusian group В:N and six Belarusian vocalists. ERB has found out that Lyavon Volskі, Rusya, Zmіtser Vaitsyushkevіch and Pamіdorau will go to Warsaw.
According to the concert’s idea, Polish musicians will perform their own songs while Belarusians will perform Bob Marley’s songs. Only one well-known hit “I was born here” will be sung in Belarusian”.
Why is there so little Belarusian influence at a solidarity concert? Yan Kentsik, one of the concert organizers from the “Volnaya Belarus” initiative, says:
“We are not making this concert for fun. We are preparing it in the right way but we are running into obstacles at certain moments”.
One of the obstacles is Polish television that finances the project. The concert will be broadcasted on TVP1 and TV Polonia. According to Yan Kentsik, television wants the concert to be watched by a big audience, but it cannot be done if you only let Belarusian musicians perform there.
Lyavon Volskі will participate in the concert to “support Belarus, so that those who do not know about it would get information about the country”.
Whether Lyavon is troubled by the fact that there will be only one Belarusian song at the concert? Lyavon Volski says:
“This is the concert’s idea. The one who does something instead of only criticizing is right. The concert will take place in a neighbouring country’s capital. The thing they pay attention to Belarus is already good. So we should not find fault with the organizers”.
I don’t see any special concept for March 25 in Belarus, and I cannot accept the one we are proposed – “the day of Belarusian unity – for Belarus, for freedom”.
Nobody invited me there but if they did I would leave the Polish action with pleasure because the Bob Marley idea does not appeal to me either. But I do not see any sense of going there without any good idea and simply fighting with the police”.
The organizer Yan Kentsik informed that all the invited musicians agreed to the concept. Kasya Kamotskaya was among those who were invited but she will not go to Warsaw.
Kasya Kamotskaya: “I have decided that it would be necessary to be in Belarus on March 25. Moreover, I think it is stupid to sing Bob Marley’s songs at a concert of solidarity with Belarus. We have our own songs and if they wished to express solidarity they would let us sing Belarusian songs. I do not understand their concept”.
The group “Reha” think the same. They were also invited but they have decided to stay in Minsk.
A producer Ihar Znyk chose Belarusian musicians for the concert, but he admitted that nothing depended on him because everything was organized by “Volnaya Belarus” and Polish television.
The only thing Ihar Znyk could influence is advertising the group B:N (he is its producer) that will warm up the audience. But what is Znyk’s attitude to the concept of a solidarity concert with Bob Marley’s songs?
Іgar Znyk: “I will not answer the question …which is already an answer”.
The group “Chyrvonym pa Belym” won’t perform at the concert either:
“I was invited but I started to lay down my own terms – I wanted to sing my song in my native Belarusian language. The organizers did not want it. Speaking about Bob Marley – yes, it’s a great musician but how is he related to Belarus?
Yes, he sang about freedom but 80% of Belarusian songs are also about freedom. I do not know what kind of solidarity it is – Jamaica with Poland, or Belarus with Jamaica?
I’m upset about the fact that there are people profiting of my people’s sorrow under the pretence of solidarity”.
So who is the concert for? Yan Kentsik says:
“For Poles, Polish viewers and Warsaw dwellers that will come to it. Bit its purpose is to express solidarity with the Belarusian opposition”.
Let me remind you that the concert “Solidarity with Belarus” will take place at the Stary Horad market in Warsaw on March 25 and will be broadcasted by ERB at 11 a.m. and 22 p.m. on March 26 so that you could assess the disputable idea yourselves.
Photo by www.charter97.org
