Jazz Appreciation Month Starts With a Bang! Stellar Performance by Chick Corea and Gary Burton

Posted by: Heather Fabrikant, Deputy Cultural Attaché & Tim Standaert, Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer

April is Jazz Appreciation Month and it certainly started with a bang in Kyiv this year.  One of the world’s most renowned jazz pianists, Chick Corea, and the incredible vibraphonist Gary Burton wowed an enthusiastic crowd with a first class performance at Palats Ukrainy on April 7^th.  The duo played a mix of standards and new pieces that reflected diverse influences:  Dave Brubeck, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and even Mozart and the Beatles.

April was established as Jazz Appreciation Month a decade ago to commemorate this uniquely American musical genre; this year’s theme focuses on the legacies of women in jazz who helped build a more just and equitable nation through their music.  Throughout the month of April, concerts, retrospectives and celebrations in the U.S. and around the world are paying homage to jazz traditions and legacies.  For a taste of this year’s festivities click here.  This year’s poster slogan “Jazz: Born in America. Enjoyed Worldwide” is fitting for Ukraine, where jazz appreciation has a long history bringing us to this month’s Kyiv performance of jazz greats Chick Corea and Gary Burton.

 

Exclusive Interview with Mary Wilson of the Supremes

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché 

Mary Wilson at the Ambassador's residence

Listen to Mary Wilson talking about Motown, the civil rights movement, her collection of gowns from the Supremes, and the “school of life” of a pop music star in an exclusive interview she gave to the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on Feb. 3. 

Mary Wilson wrote the following about her visit to Kyiv:

“I have had the most fabulous time here in the Ukraine. We were accepted so very well at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador John Tefft, here in Kiev. The Ambassador’s wife, Mariella, was so very gracious and came on stage with me to sing “Stop …In The Name Of Love”; actually it was in her living room!” -Mary Wilson of the Supremes

Mary Wilson and Mariella Tefft singing at the residence

Come see an interactive, multimedia exhibit at Ukrainsky Dim that tells the rags-to-riches tale of the most successful group of the 1960s, The Supremes! Amidst the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement, the Motown sound emerged and grew to characterize the time. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn more about this era. The exhibit is FREE and open daily from Feb 4 to 14, 11AM – 7PM.



 

Prelude to Black History Month, Part Two: Mary Wilson of the Supremes

Posted by: Daniel Cisek, Deputy Press Attaché, and Heather Fabrikant, Deputy Cultural Attaché

As part of our commemoration of Black History Month, the U.S. Embassy is thrilled to be hosting Mary Wilson in Kyiv. She will perform a concert on February 4 at 7pm at The Concert Hall of the Tchaikovsky Music Academy (tickets can be bought at the box office) and The Story of the Supremes exhibit featuring the Supremes’ renowned fashion-defining dresses and a photographic tour of The Supremes and the civil rights movement will appear at Ukrainsky Dim (open daily from 11AM – 7PM from February 4 – 14).

One of the most successful musical groups of all time, The Supremes (Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson) skyrocketed to fame in the 1960s with a string of number one hit songs. Their glamorous style and broad appeal made them the most popular female group in America at the time, rivaling even The Beatles.

 

Folk Legend Peter Yarrow of “Peter, Paul and Mary,” and Maria Burmaka Record Ukrainian CD For Anti-Bullying Campaign

Posted by:  Susan Cleary, Cultural Affairs Officer

Peter Yarrow and Maria Burmaka singing in a "Coffein" recording studio

Watching Peter Yarrow and Maria Burmaka working in a ”Coffein” Studio to record three songs for Peter’s anti-bullying campaign “Operation Respect,” you would think they had been singing together for years.   But when they met on Dec 16 to record, they had only communicated through e-mail and through their music.   The resulting collaboration seemed so natural, Peter said to Maria after an impromptu first singing of Blowing in the Wind,  “This was meant to be!”

Folk singer Peter Yarrow, of the influential folk band “Peter, Paul and Mary” is in Ukraine this week as part of a campaign to teach tolerance and respect to school children through music.  His song “Don’t Laugh at Me” was written for this program which has been introduced into more than 22,000 schools in the United States and will be taught in Ukraine through partnerships with the Peace Corp, YMCA and Alternative V and with support of the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy.   Maria Burmaka’s Ukrainian version, as recorded on Thursday with Peter, is a surprisingly beautiful and touching song that works as well with adults as with children.  Maria’s rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” and “Let it Shine,”  work remarkably well in translation.