美国国家公共电台 NPR--This duo rehearsed between air raid alarms. Now they're repping Ukraine at Eurovision

This duo rehearsed between air raid alarms. Now they're repping Ukraine at Eurovision

Transcript¹

Musicians from more than two dozen countries will compete in the grand final of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool on Saturday, vying² for the ultimate title in front of millions of TV viewers worldwide.

There's a special spotlight³ shining on Ukraine, whose folk-rap group Kalush Orchestra won last year's competition with its patriotic⁴ song "Stefania" less than three months after Russia's full-scale invasion.

It's customary for the winning country to host the following year's contest, a famously elaborate production involving thousands of workers and 12 months of preparation. But the U.K., which placed second, stepped in after a panel of experts ruled that the security and logistical questions posed by Russia's ongoing⁵ war made it too risky⁶ for Ukraine to do so.

This year the country will be represented by the electronic music duo Tvorchi, which consists of Ukrainian producer Andrii Hutsuliak and Nigerian-born vocalist and songwriter Jimoh Augustus Kehinde, who goes by Jeffrey Kenny.

The two met as university students in 2016 and have so far released four studio albums, in addition to headlining multiple Ukrainian music festivals, cinching a record-breaking number of Yuna Award nominations⁸ (Ukrainian national music awards) and even advancing to the finals of Ukraine's Eurovision national selection process in 2020.

They have spent most of the war performing in cities across Europe to raise money for Ukrainian soldiers and civilians⁹. They decided¹⁰ to enter Eurovision again with their song "Heart of Steel," which they had written about the Ukrainian fighters defending the besieged¹¹ Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol in the spring of 2022.

"[We're] trying to say the Ukrainians will fight no matter what 'til the end, which is peace," Hutsuliak says. "So we just want to show they have hearts of steel. They don't have, like, brittle¹² spirits. No, they're very strong, mind and body."

Hutsuliak and Kenny spoke¹³ with NPR over Zoom¹⁴ from Ternopil, a city in western Ukraine, in February — the week of the first anniversary of the war's outbreak — about their journey from late-night kitchen jam sessions to bomb shelter rehearsals¹⁶ to the global stage, and what they want to show the world.

It all started with a chance encounter on the street

Hutsuliak, 27, and Kenny, 25, had been studying at the same medical university and were both passionate¹⁷ about music. But they only met by chance — or what Hutsuliak calls fate.

"I was walking home and he tapped my shoulder and said, like, 'Hey, I want to improve my English skills,' " Kenny recalls.

Hutsuliak offered to help Kenny — who had been in the country for some three years at that point — with his Ukrainian as well. Looking back now, he stresses he wasn't in the habit of randomly¹⁸ approaching strangers.

"I did it once in my life and ... I will not do it [again], because I don't know what was in my head [at] the time," Hutsuliak says. "But I think that was a sign of destiny. Something pushed me forward and that's how our friendship started."

Months later, Kenny revealed his vocal⁷ prowess when he played "Happy Birthday" on the guitar for Hutsuliak's birthday.

"And wow, I was impressed so much," Hutsuliak says. "After some time we were in my kitchen, I [cooked] some pasta and I took my laptop, played some music that I made, and Jeffrey just started writing lyrics¹⁹, and that's how our first song was made."

The two kept making and performing music under the name Tvorchi, which was suggested by a friend and means "creative" in Ukrainian. They released their first album, The Parts, in 2018, followed by Disco Lights in 2019, 13 Waves in 2020 and Road in 2021.

That year they won three Yuna awards, including for band and album of the year, and debuted²⁰ Road at a massive concert at the Kyiv Velotrek (a cycling track) that critics called "the best solo show of the year in Ukraine."

"We were having a lot of performances all around the country and outside the country, going on different ceremonies, releasing new music, shooting music videos," Hutsuliak says. "That was like, a life of artists."

Then, in February 2022, Russia invaded.

They're using their rising stardom to support the war effort

The start of the war came as a shock and a call to action, Hutsuliak says.

He and Kenny spent the first few weeks buying things like medicine, food and camouflage²¹ nets for soldiers and people in the hardest-hit regions. But they soon focused their efforts elsewhere.

"In our situation, we wanted to help how best we could with what we knew how to do best," Kenny says. "And we know how to make music best. So we decided to go around making charity performances to raise money."

Tvorchi has been performing around the world — in cities including London, Lisbon, Hamburg, Berlin and Budapest — to raise money for Ukraine's military and children affected²² by the war. They also perform for Ukrainian soldiers, doctors and refugees, which they call a big honor and responsibility.

They've performed on truck beds and at military camps, swapping²³ hats and trinkets with the soldiers there. Hutsuliak says they recently bought a car for some of them.

The war has made Ukraine stronger and more united, they say, since everyone has come together in the pursuit of victory.

"We got to show who we are as people and who other people are ... in the way they tried to help when this whole situation started," Kenny says. "It made us understand how to channel energy into doing something positive in a negative situation as well."

A bomb-shelter performance paved their way to Liverpool

Kenny says the two decided to apply for Eurovision at the very last minute — "We just went for it and we didn't even expect to win."

They hadn't written any songs specifically for the competition, but chose "Heart of Steel" because of the deep emotions they put into it and the message they wanted the world to hear.

They wrote it while watching the siege of the steel plant in Mariupol — which became a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance — unfold last spring.

"We were inspired from those videos because we couldn't imagine how hard it was over there," Hutsuliak says. "But when we saw those videos, we only felt strength, confidence, and we saw those unbreakable ... people."

The duo shifted into rehearsal¹⁵ mode ahead of the national selection competition in December, practicing and refining the song, figuring out their outfits²⁴ and choreography and working with a team on the technical aspects — all between near-daily air raid alarms.

"It was pretty hard because you don't know which minute you can be hit by a missile, because air alarms are every day," Hutsuliak says. "So our life was like, we were walking from one shelter to another shelter and trying to make our schedule work."

The selection show was held at a Kyiv metro²⁵ station-turned-bomb shelter, with 10 acts performing deep underground on a small platform between train tracks.

Kenny sang onstage wearing sunglasses and a gold hazmat suit, flanked by dancers wearing gas masks and in front of a screen with flashing red lights and spinning nuclear symbols. The duo describe the production as an acoustic²⁶ and logistical challenge and credit their team with making it all work.

"It was crazy," Kenny recalls. "The trains were moving at the time. It was really cold and a lot of us got sick as well ... Everybody did a great job and everything went nicely ... when I went back to watch it, I wouldn't know it was a metro station if not for the trains."

The jury and the Ukrainian public chose Tvorchi to represent them at Eurovision. As the previous year's winner, Ukraine automatically qualified²⁷ for the grand final (alongside the so-called "Big Five" countries of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K.).

While Ukraine had hoped to host this year's competition, Hutsuliak and Kenny say they are grateful to the U.K. for stepping in for safety purposes and are optimistic they will do a good job in "making it feel like Ukraine."

Their music showcases a different side of Ukraine

A Tvorchi Eurovision victory would be the fourth for Ukraine, which also won in 2004 and 2016. Previous acts have incorporated folk music into their performances, and Hutsuliak is excited to showcase a side of Ukraine that he doesn't think many people would expect: electronic music.

"Ukraine is ... a nice country with a lot of different people who make different music," he says, listing genres²⁸ including hip-hop, rap, folk, pop and electronic. His own musical influences range from Mozart to Skrillex, while Kenny cites Afrobeats and mainstream²⁹ pop.

There's another message they want to send with their music.

"We want to say, world, that we don't want to be pitied," Hutsuliak says. "We want you to look at us, get inspired from us, be united like we are, and help us in this fight."

They hope viewers around the world will continue to support Ukraine financially, by donating to the foundations that raise money for its military and civilians and to United24, a government-run fundraising platform.

Ukraine is widely expected to launch a counteroffensive this spring in which it would use the money and weapons donated by its Western allies to try to drive Russian forces out of occupied land. Some 14 months into the war, the artists — whose families are not in Ukraine — say things are still tense.

"Everybody has been able to put their feet on the ground somewhere, somehow, where they feel most comfortable or where they can operate best," Kenny says. "The tension is still there because ... [Russia] still can send missiles at any time."

Kenny wasn't intending to stay in Ukraine when he moved there to study in 2013, but as the duo's partnership³⁰ and career took off he decided to "continue the good thing we had going." He doesn't regret the decision to stay, nor does he plan to move anywhere else.

He calls Ukraine a place of unity³¹ and diversity — before the war people would come from different countries to study and work, now others are showing up to join the fight.

"Ukraine is a place where you can come together and still be a family, regardless of where you are from," he says. "And that's why Ukraine is as brave as they are today because, without unity, there's not much you can do by yourself."

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

7 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

8 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

12 brittle   

adj.易碎的；脆弱的；冷淡的；(声音)尖利的

参考例句：

• The pond was covered in a brittle layer of ice.池塘覆盖了一层易碎的冰。
• She gave a brittle laugh.她冷淡地笑了笑。

13 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

14 zoom   

n.急速上升；v.突然扩大，急速上升

参考例句：

• The airplane's zoom carried it above the clouds.飞机的陡直上升使它飞到云层之上。
• I live near an airport and the zoom of passing planes can be heard night and day.我住在一个飞机场附近，昼夜都能听到飞机飞过的嗡嗡声。

15 rehearsal   

n.排练，排演；练习

参考例句：

• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
• You can sharpen your skills with rehearsal.排练可以让技巧更加纯熟。

16 rehearsals   

n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 )；排练；复述；重复

参考例句：

• The earlier protests had just been dress rehearsals for full-scale revolution. 早期的抗议仅仅是大革命开始前的预演。
• She worked like a demon all through rehearsals. 她每次排演时始终精力过人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

18 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

19 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

20 debuted   

初次表演，初次登台（debut的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• In late 2003 a full-size SUV, the Pathfinder Armada, debuted. 2003年末，全尺寸SUV的探路者无敌舰队，推出。
• The album debuted at number two and quickly went platinum. 专辑一亮相就荣登排行榜第二名，很快就取得了白金销量。

21 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

22 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

23 swapping   

交换，交换技术

参考例句：

• The slow swapping and buying of horses went on. 马匹的买卖和交换就是这样慢慢地进行着。
• He was quite keen on swapping books with friends. 他非常热衷于和朋友们交换书籍。

24 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

25 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

26 acoustic   

adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的

参考例句：

• The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。
• Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

27 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

28 genres   

（文学、艺术等的）类型，体裁，风格( genre的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Novel and short story are different genres. 长篇小说和短篇小说是不同的类别。
• But confusions over the two genres have a long history. 但是类型的混淆，古已有之。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

29 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

30 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

31 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。