Podcast

In the second of a series of interviews focusing on music and musicians in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, talented bass player and OneBeat 2014 alumnus Roman Garkavenko discussed his coming of age as a superfan of Queen, and the limitations of music in the context of unimaginable violence.

We are delighted to announce Season 2 of the OneBeat Podcast, where we will continue to tell the stories of the OneBeat music community and the places they come from.

This season comes with a special focus on place, where we inquire about the cultural contexts that shape and affect the ways our alumni engage with their communities, and with music-making. You will hear poignant accounts of Fellows who have been affected first-hand by the war in Ukraine; the art of noise music in China and its role as protest music; the idea of preserving history through sound in Nairobi, Kenya; how an American alumna is striving to make the experience of creating and sharing music more accessible, and more. Each episode will be accompanied by a playlist featuring music inspired by the episode.

Season 2 begins with the powerful voices of our OneBeat Fellows who have been affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine, with the first being singer-songwriter and music organizer, Margaryta “Margot” Kulichova, who also releases under the experimental pop moniker ‘Grisly Faye’. Across two emotionally charged interviews taken six months apart (with the first taking place closer to the start of the war this February), the Lisbon-based Ukrainian shares the effect of the war as it unfolds on her family and friends back home; the ways that she as a musician is having to cope with the situation; and her dedication to assisting both incoming refugees and Ukrainians on the ground. Margot candidly questions the relevance of music-making in this time, and explains what keeps her fight for peace going.