War reaches Ukrainian rock band Ziferblat even at the Eurovision Song Contest
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — Ukraine's musicians can't escape war, even at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Rock band Ziferblat were in Basel, Switzerland to represent their country when they learned the home of backing singer Khrystyna Starykova in a frontline region of eastern Ukraine had been destroyed by Russian shelling.
'She's so strong,' said guitarist Valentyn Leshchynskyi, who formed Ziferblat with his vocalist twin brother Daniil and drummer Fedir Khodakov. 'She is 19 years old only, but the impact of this situation — I think she won't give up.
'Of course it's difficult when you're losing your flat while you need to stay calm to celebrate here because it's a musical festival, it's not about the war.'
The band is set to compete for Ukraine in Saturday's Eurovision grand final with 'Bird of Pray,' a song whose intense vocals and prog rock sound owe something to the 1970s – as does the bell-bottomed pink suit Daniil Leshchynskyi wore in Tuesday's semi-final.
Valentyn Leshchynskyi said the lyrical message of loss and hope, centered on a phoenix-like bird, resonates with what Ukrainians experienced in recent years.
'We want to build a dream on the stage – even for three minutes, for Ukrainians – like the war will be over in the very near future,' he told The Associated Press.
Ukraine is a longtime Eurovision competitor – as was its neighbor Russia. Both saw their relationship with the continental pop contest transformed by Moscow's full-scale invasion three years ago.
Russia was kicked out of Eurovision. Ukrainian folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra won the 2022 contest less than three months after the invasion. Winning brought the right to host the contest the following year. When war made that impossible, Liverpool stepped in to stage Eurovision with a distinctly Ukrainian flavor, decking out the English city in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags.
Even before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine used Eurovision for cultural diplomacy, as a way to tell the world about their country's history, music and language. Ukrainian singer Jamala won the contest in 2016 — two years after Russia illegally seized Crimea — with a song about the expulsion of Crimean Tatars by Stalin in 1944. Kalush Orchestra's winning song 'Stefania' blended rapping in Ukrainian with a haunting refrain on a traditional Ukrainian wind instrument.
Now the message is that Ukraine is still standing, and still fighting.
Daniil admitted to feeling a 'little bit of pressure' ahead of Saturday. But he said it was 'such a privilege' to represent Ukraine.
'We have two missions here,' his brother Valentyn said. One is to come out at or near the top in Saturday's 26-nation musical showdown. The other is 'to remind Europeans about the war.'
As part of its Eurovision journey, the band is fundraising to buy robotic de-mining systems to help clear an area of Ukraine he says is 3 1/2 times the size of Switzerland.
Ziferblat's trip to Eurovision coincided with Vyshyvanka Day — the third Thursday in May, when Ukrainians around the world wear traditional embroidered shirts as a symbol of national pride.
The band members joined scores of Ukrainians clad in elaborately stitched vyshyvanka in a Basel park to eat borscht, sing Ukrainian songs and cheer on the band ahead of Saturday's final.
'This is a day that is gathering all Ukrainians together,' Valentyn said. 'In Kyiv, the capital, everyone is wearing these shirts and going to the streets celebrating and you feel like a united nation for one day.'
___
Associated Press journalist Kwiyeon Ha contributed to this story.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs keeping his discussions with team about viral boat video private
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs declined to share specifics about his conversations with coach Mike Vrabel and the team in the aftermath of a viral video that showed him passing what appeared to be a bag of pink crystals to women on a boat last month. 'Obviously, I want to be as candid with you guys as possible. I kind of have this thing where I don't talk about my personal life with people I don't know personally," Diggs said Tuesday following the team's final minicamp practice. "I'm pretty sure everybody here, men and women, are great people. But I kind of keep my personal life personal.' Tuesday marked the first time Diggs had spoken with reporters since videos were posted online of him chatting with three women before producing the substance. It wasn't clear what the substance was. An NFL spokesman said previously that the league would not comment, and Vrabel said the team would handle the matter internally. 'Obviously, it's a conversation that's happening internal. I can't really get into too much of the conversation about it," Diggs said. "The conversation I had with (Vrabel) and the people in the building is going to handled internal, in-house.' Diggs missed multiple optional team workouts this spring, but was present for the next one following the release of the video. He also was present for the Patriots' mandatory minicamp practices on Monday and Tuesday. Vrabel canceled a third practice originally scheduled for Wednesday. Diggs, 31, has attended multiple events this offseason with hip-hop star Cardi B — including the Met Gala and a Boston Celtics-New York Knicks playoff game. It has created an even bigger spotlight on the 10-year NFL veteran since he signed with the Patriots this offseason as a free agent, getting a three-year, $69 million deal that guarantees him $26 million. The four-time Pro Bowl selection posted six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Vikings and Bills before he was traded from Buffalo to Houston last spring. He had 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games for the Texans before he tore the ACL in his right knee in October. 'I'm grinding each and every day," he said. "Obviously, I can't do too much of the team stuff. But I'm eager to get out there, so whenever they do press the button I'm going to be ready. I'm trying, though." He did line up at times with the first-team offense on Tuesday as it installed new plays. But he wasn't allowed to participate in any full-speed drills, instead doing individual work with trainers. But it hasn't lessened his resolve to be cleared for full contact. "I'm confident. I've kind of took my rehab pretty serious," Diggs said. 'In beginning phases I wasn't as confident, but I was trying it out. ... When I came back here, I was in a mindset of I'm trying to get after and get going. But it's kind of like a dog on a leash, you want to hold it back a little bit, especially because I want to go. But it's the timing of everything and I'm looking forward to training camp.' ___
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Daughter of accused Gilgo Beach killer believes her father ‘most likely' did it, new film says
This image released by Peacock shows a street sign for Gilgo Beach in a scene from the documentary "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets." (Peacock via AP) This image released by Peacock shows a family photo of Rex Heuermann in a scene from the documentary "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets." (Peacock via AP) This image released by Peacock shows Asa Ellerup, left, and Victoria Heuermann in a scene from the documentary "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets." (Peacock via AP) This image released by Peacock shows Victoria Heuermann in a scene from the documentary "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets." (Peacock via AP) This image released by Peacock shows Victoria Heuermann in a scene from the documentary "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets." (Peacock via AP) This image released by Peacock shows a street sign for Gilgo Beach in a scene from the documentary "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets." (Peacock via AP) This image released by Peacock shows a family photo of Rex Heuermann in a scene from the documentary "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets." (Peacock via AP) This image released by Peacock shows Asa Ellerup, left, and Victoria Heuermann in a scene from the documentary "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets." (Peacock via AP) This image released by Peacock shows Victoria Heuermann in a scene from the documentary "The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets." (Peacock via AP) NEW YORK (AP) — The daughter of accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann believes he 'most likely' committed the infamous killings in New York even as her mother steadfastly defends her ex-husband's innocence in a new documentary released Tuesday. The admission from Victoria Heuermann isn't made on camera but through a statement from producers near the end of 'The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets,' a three-part documentary on NBC's streaming service Peacock. Advertisement 'A week before the series release, Victoria Heuermann told the producers that based on publicly available facts that have been presented and explained to her, she now believes her father is most likely the Gilgo Beach killer,' reads a statement at the close of the final episode of the documentary, which was produced by musician 50 Cent's production company, G-Unit Film and Television. Bob Macedonio, an attorney for Heuermann's now ex-wife, Asa Ellerup, said in a statement after the documentary's release that 'time will only tell' whether his client will ever accept that her husband may have been a serial killer. Heuermann's lawyer didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The Manhattan architect has been charged with killing seven women, most of them sex workers, and dumping their bodies on a desolate parkway not far from Gilgo Beach on Long Island, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Manhattan. Advertisement He has pleaded not guilty and is due back in Riverhead court June 17 as a judge continues to weigh whether to allow key DNA evidence into the trial. In the documentary, Victoria Heuermann struggles to reconcile her childhood memories with the portrait of the killer described by authorities. She says her father was around the family '90% of the time' and was never violent toward any of them. At the same time, Victoria Heuermann acknowledged there were times when he stayed home while the family went on vacation and that she was around 10 to 13 years old when the killings happened. Prosecutors say Heuerman committed some of the killings in the basement while his family was out of town. Advertisement 'Whether or not I believe my dad did it or not, I'm on the fence about that,' said the now 28-year-old. 'Part of me thinks he didn't do it, but at the same time, I don't know, he could have just totally had a double life.' Ellerup, for her part, maintained she saw no 'abnormal behavior' in their nearly three decades of marriage. She dismissed a computer file prosecutors claim is a 'blueprint' of his crimes as 'absurd.' The document features a series of checklists for before, during and after a killing, such as a 'body prep' checklist that includes among other items a note to 'remove head and hands.' Advertisement Ellerup also shrugged off other evidence prosecutors have enumerated in court documents, including a vast collection of bondage and torture pornography found on electronic devices seized from their home, and hairs linked to Heuermann that were recovered on most of the victims' bodies. At the same time, she revealed that in July 2009, around the time one of his alleged victims went missing, Heuermann suddenly renovated a bathroom while she and their two children were on vacation for weeks to visit her family in Iceland. But she noted her former husband eventually joined the family for their final week of their trip. 'My husband, he's a family man. He's my hero,' Ellerup said. 'What I want to say to him is, 'I love you, no matter what.'' Ellerup divorced Heuermann after his arrest in 2023. But in the documentary, Victoria Heuermann says the separation was for financial reasons to protect the family's assets. Advertisement Indeed, the mother and daughter have been regularly attending court hearings with their attorney. The filmmakers even captured them speaking to Heuermann by phone from jail. A Peacock spokesperson said Ellerup was paid a location fee and a licensing fee for use of family archive materials, although the payments cannot go toward the defendant or his defense funds. The family, which also includes Ellerup's adult son from a prior marriage, is planning to put up its notoriously ramshackle house in well-to-do Massapequa Park for sale as they look to move to a property they own in South Carolina. ___ Follow Philip Marcelo on X: @philmarcelo.
Hamilton Spectator
42 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs keeping his discussions with team about viral boat video private
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs declined to share specifics about his conversations with coach Mike Vrabel and the team in the aftermath of a viral video that showed him passing what appeared to be a bag of pink crystals to women on a boat last month. 'Obviously, I want to be as candid with you guys as possible. I kind of have this thing where I don't talk about my personal life with people I don't know personally,' Diggs said Tuesday following the team's final minicamp practice. 'I'm pretty sure everybody here, men and women, are great people. But I kind of keep my personal life personal.' Tuesday marked the first time Diggs had spoken with reporters since videos were posted online of him chatting with three women before producing the substance. It wasn't clear what the substance was. An NFL spokesman said previously that the league would not comment, and Vrabel said the team would handle the matter internally. 'Obviously, it's a conversation that's happening internal. I can't really get into too much of the conversation about it,' Diggs said. 'The conversation I had with (Vrabel) and the people in the building is going to handled internal, in-house.' Diggs missed multiple optional team workouts this spring, but was present for the next one following the release of the video. He also was present for the Patriots' mandatory minicamp practices on Monday and Tuesday. Vrabel canceled a third practice originally scheduled for Wednesday. Diggs, 31, has attended multiple events this offseason with hip-hop star Cardi B — including the Met Gala and a Boston Celtics-New York Knicks playoff game. It has created an even bigger spotlight on the 10-year NFL veteran since he signed with the Patriots this offseason as a free agent , getting a three-year, $69 million deal that guarantees him $26 million. The four-time Pro Bowl selection posted six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Vikings and Bills before he was traded from Buffalo to Houston last spring. He had 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games for the Texans before he tore the ACL in his right knee in October. Diggs said getting his surgically repaired knee back to 100 percent in time for the start of training camp in July is his focus now. 'I'm grinding each and every day,' he said. 'Obviously, I can't do too much of the team stuff. But I'm eager to get out there, so whenever they do press the button I'm going to be ready. I'm trying, though.' He did line up at times with the first-team offense on Tuesday as it installed new plays. But he wasn't allowed to participate in any full-speed drills, instead doing individual work with trainers. But it hasn't lessened his resolve to be cleared for full contact. 'I'm confident. I've kind of took my rehab pretty serious,' Diggs said. 'In beginning phases I wasn't as confident, but I was trying it out. ... When I came back here, I was in a mindset of I'm trying to get after and get going. But it's kind of like a dog on a leash, you want to hold it back a little bit, especially because I want to go. But it's the timing of everything and I'm looking forward to training camp.' ___ AP NFL:
