Ukrainian artist: Sofia Rotaru

Last Sunday's program featured two songs by Sofia Rotaru.

Водограй (Vodohraj - Dance of the Water Fountain), from an LP produced shortly after the KGB murdered the popular singer/songwriter Volodymyr Ivasiuk in 1979. The album was a tribute to Ivasiuk and featured a number of singers and groups who recorded his music. Rotaru was one of them.

According to Wikipedia, this song won the Best Song of the Year award of the Soviet Union in 1972. There's a nice YouTube video featuring a slide show of photos of Sofia Rotaru here. (Embedding has been disabled by request, so I can only direct you to the YouTube site.) The photos are from various stages of her long and prolific career as a stage performer and recording artist.

Водограй was performed by other artists as well as Rotaru. Here's a black & white video of Smerichka performing it at what looks to be a variety show sometime during the Soviet era.



Одна Калина (Odna Kalyna, which means one, or single, kalyna tree) is a more contemporary release. It was very popular during Ukraine's Orange Revolution in 2004. I first saw the video at the Adult Ukrainian Language Immersion Camp in Crystal Lake, Saskatchewan a few years ago. I love the harmonica intro (wish it was worked into more of the song) and the upbeat tempo. And the visuals in the video are gorgeous. We should all age as gracefully as Sofia Rotaru! She is truly gorgeous... not to mention a wonderful singer.

Ukrainian Canadian playwright taking Canadian history mainstream

According to a recent article, Ukrainian Canadian composer Danny Schur is determined to make Strike! a Winnipeg tourism mainstay. The story centres on locals caught up in the internationally significant 1919 Winnipeg General Strike.

The play debuted at Rainbow Stage four years ago, and was also performed in front of city hall two months ago, complete with a street mob, horses and a replica streetcar.

Since its Rainbow Stage debut, it's become a vastly different show according to the composer. The stage version is twice as long and much more intimate, the script and song lyrics have been revised, and the ending has changed.

The two-hour, 18-song production is showing through to Aug. 5 at the Canwest Performing Arts Centre at The Forks in Winnipeg.

Schur hopes the play will become an annual fixture at national historic site and as integral to Winnipeg tourism as the musical Anne of Green Gables is to Prince Edward Island.

Read the full (and excellent) article here.

For a viewer's personal perspective, there's a review of the 2007 performance here.

If you can't catch the live performance at The Forks this year, here's the trailer and a clip from the movie version (which you can buy here):

Proof of Concept demo trailer for the Strike! movie musical:



Demo trailer from the movie:

Vancouver audio archives updated to July 26, 2009

Audio archives are now available for download at the Nash Holos website.

This week's recipe is Ukrainian honey cake. Judy shares some fascinating facts about one of the most prolific flowering trees in Ukraine and a unique and delicious type of honey.

Fr. Edward Danylo Evanko reflects on the bible story of the fishes and the loaves.

The musical mix on last Sunday's program is eclectic doubles ... two tracks by each artist. Featured artists from Canada, the US and Ukraine.

Enjoy!

Nash Holos recipe: Ukrainian honey cake

This week’s recipe is a modern adaptation of a traditional Ukrainian honey cake.

You can use any type of honey in this recipe, just make sure it’s liquid.

Serve this yummy honey cake with a lemon glaze, or a dollop of sour cherry preserves mixed with sour or sweet cream.

It's surprisingly easy to make! Just one little caveat. Honey cakes can burn easily, so make sure your oven temperature never exceeds 325ºF when baking honey cakes.

Here you go:

Judy’s Honey Cake

3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup liquid honey
1 cup corn or olive oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk

Beat eggs with mixer, gradually adding sugar, until light.

Blend in honey, then oil. Blend well with each addition.

Sift dry ingredients together. Add flour mixture to egg-honey mixture alternately with milk. Mix until well blended.

Bake in a greased and floured angel food pan, or a 12 cup Bundt pan, at 325ºF' for 60-70 minutes, or until an inserted tester comes out clean.

Serves 10-12.

For a nice easy lemon glaze, just add enough fresh lemon juice to a cup of sifted icing sugar to make a glaze you can drizzle.

See? Easy! :-)

Смачного!

Taras Chubai

Taras Chubai is one of the most well-known and respected musicians in popular Ukrainian music today. One of his CDs, heard often on Nash Holos, is a tribute to the late Volodymyr Ivasiuk, a contemporary of his father, the legendary 1970s underground poet Hryts'ko Chubai.

Here are some clips of Taras Chubai in Toronto, courtesy UkeTube. Enjoy!

Part 1:



Part 2:



Part 3:



Part 4:



Part 5:

Demonizing "hyphenated Canadians" won't strengthen Canadian society

I agree - to a point - with the author of this article written by a first-generation Canadian of Pakistani descent. It's aptly titled "Canada's Tolerance Misplaced."

The author makes a very astute observation that what passes for 'tolerance" in Canada is more like timidity ... altho it could also be sheer indifference. (Likely the difference depends on one's socioeconomic bracket or educational background.)

As a social scientist, I oppose this kind of political correctness, lack of assimilation of new immigrants to mainstream Canada , hyphenated-Canadian identity, and the lack of patriotism in our great nation. ...

We have become so timid that the majority cannot assert its own freedom of expression. We cannot publicly question certain foreign social customs, traditions and values that do not fit into the Canadian ethos of equality. Rather than encouraging new immigrants to adjust to Canada , we tolerate peculiar ways of doing things. We do not remind them that they are in Canada, not in their original homelands.

In a multicultural society, it is the responsibility of minorities to adjust to the majority. It does not mean that minorities have to totally amalgamate with the majority. They can practice some of their cultural traditions within their homes -- their backstage behaviour. However, when outside of their homes, their front stage behavior should resemble mainstream Canadian behavior. Whoever comes to Canada must learn the limits of our system. ... (Full article here.)

He makes a valid point about how there is too much molly-coddling of immigrant cultures in Canada today. But from the perspective of a second-generation Canadian of Ukrainian descent, I think he misses a much larger point.

The issue really is about Canadian self-identity and trying to fit immigrants into a pre-determined cultural mold. In that way, things haven't changed much since my grandparents and great-grandparents arrived over 100 years ago.

Granted, some things have.

For example, today's Canadian citizens wouldn't think of demanding that the government throw immigrants into internment camps and have them repair the roads and upgrade the national parks that Ukrainian immigrants built when they were interned from 1914-20.

Today's media and government officials wouldn't think of referring to immigrants as "the scum of the continent" and otherwise maligning and humiliating them publicly.

And most Canadians consider it very uncool to tell an immigrant to "go back where you came from." (Although there are exceptions. Somewhere around 1991 I was told by an English/Indian immigrant that I should move to Ukraine. She was annoyed at my interest in publicizing the celebrations of 100 years of Ukrainian immigration to Canada.)

Still, most of the changes are superficial and the pendulum has merely swung to the opposite extreme.

Now, as the author points out, our society bends over backwards to ensure today's newcomers are allowed to practice their cultures unimpeded by demands to acquire even the minimum language skills to be able to communicate in one of the official languages.

This mollycoddling under the guise of "anti-racism" serves to keep Canadians politically correct and continuing with the business of identifying ourselves as "not American." (Ironically, these same Canadians are rabid consumers of American pop culture and for the most part ignore (if not disparage) the cultures of the peoples within our own borders.)

How many of us consider that the roots of racism could be something a little less superficial than skin colour? Like, maybe, cultural practices and beliefs so different from our own that they require considerable effort to become familiar with, and that carry the risk of conflict when common ground just can't be found.

For example, how can burqas and female circumcision be tolerated by a society that purports to value democracy, human rights, and peacekeeping? (What kind of peace does a woman with mutilated genitals experience under a burqa anyway?) Yet except for the odd brave soul to speak out about it, our society prefers to just leave such culturally sensitive issues to be dealt with in their culturally specific ethnic ghetto. How indifferent tolerant, eh?

We may have started down this slippery slope with turbans for RCMP officers and ceremonial daggers for schoolboys. Not that these things are wrong, per se. Personally I don't agree with them but I can live with them. In the final analysis, a hat does not make a police officer; his or her conduct does. And knives were common on schoolgrounds long before immigrant boys wore them on their pant legs. Such things are really cultural conventions and they're a done deal anyway.

But there is a huge difference between allowing an immigrant girl to wear a headscarf and allowing her to be mutilated, between allowing a boy to wear a knife to school and allowing him to use it as a weapon, and between allowing a police officer to abuse his position of authority, whatever his headgear. Yet so many of us bury our heads in the sand so we don't have to see the underlying issues, much less deal with them.

It does not speak well of Canadian society that the distinctions between language, race and culture are lost on most of us. A century ago, cultural intolerance was disguised as concerns about language. Today it's disguised as concerns about race. Both are red herrings in the debate about culture.

It's highly unlikely that the issues of either racism or language (i.e., official bilingualism) will ever be resolved until we individually treat each other's cultural practices with considerably more respect, and collectively apply a lot more common sense in formulating societal conventions of interacting with each other.

This can only be done by effective communication. And in order to communicate effectively, we really need a common language. In that I also agree with the author.

However, I don't believe we should insist that newcomers divest themselves and their descendants of their respective mother tongues and speak only English and/or French. There is no harm in knowing several languages. Quite the contrary, in fact. (I do, however, draw the line at having a polyglot of official languages based on population numbers of immigrants. That's pretty darn colonial!)

So how far have we come, really, when a Canadian-born member of a "visible minority" calls for our society to step back in time and repeat the mistakes of history?

Until that pendulum stops swinging, nothing will fundamentally change in our society. Regardless of whether or how many of us retain hyphens in our Canadian self-identity.

So I guess I do agree with the author that Canada's tolerance is misplaced. I just disagree as to where and how.

What do you think?

Musicians - taking back their power from labels

Things are changing rapidly in the music biz, according to an article entitled Musicians Find New Backers as Labels Lose Power.

... [W]ith the structure of the music business shifting radically, some industry iconoclasts are sidestepping the music giants and inventing new ways for artists to make and market their music — without ever signing a traditional recording contract. ...

[A new] venture, called Polyphonic, which was announced this month, will look to invest a few hundred thousand dollars in new and rising artists who are not signed to record deals and then help them create their own direct links to audiences over the Internet. ...

The major labels — Sony Music, Warner Music, EMI and Universal Music — no longer have such a firm grip on creating and selling professional music and minting hits with prime placement on the radio.

Under the Polyphonic model, bands that receive investments from the firm will operate like start-up companies, recording their own music and choosing outside contractors to handle their publicity, merchandise and touring. ...

Instead of receiving an advance and then possibly reaping royalties later if they have a hit, musicians will share in all the profits from their music and touring. ...

Even the major labels themselves are demonstrating new flexibility for musicians ... In late November, for example, EMI took the unusual step of creating a music services division to provide an array of services — like touring and merchandise support — to musicians who were not signed to the label....

Full article here.

What an interesting development! Of course for artists, DIY self-promotion is a lot of extra work that isn't related to their art. So in that sense it may not be the greatest news.

However, I do believe there is something to be said about being "well-rounded." :-)

I recall seeing a documentary on Loreena McKennitt in which she said that she spends only about 25% of her time on her art, and the rest on her business. But she is an undisputed success, and that 25% is definitely "quality" time... for herself and her fans!

I would love to see Ukrainian Canadian artists following in her footsteps. Many that I feature on Nash Holos don't have websites of their own or even myspace pages. That is a tragedy IMO. Especially when the dollar cost can be as low as zero for a myspace page or a blog. Often the only way to get a CD from a specific artist is directly from them and people often go online first to shop, so it really is important for fans of their music.

I appreciate that music is a hobby for many of these artists, and it is amazing enough that they find the time to do gigs and record CDs that I can play on my program. :-) For that I am truly grateful!

But a selfish little part of me wishes that some of these awesome artists were more prominent in the music biz. I guess I see them as a reflection of myself to some extent. Granted, that's incredibly selfish ... but it's also very human.

That being said, I will continue to hope that the new developments in the music biz will encourage Ukrainian Canadian artists to focus more on the business side of things, and take full advantage of all the opportunities for indies in this Long Tail age.

In this economy, making money from music isn't a bad idea. And with 1.2 million Canadians who identify themselves as having Ukrainian roots, and just as many Americans, there is a pretty sizable target audience on this continent!

Now, how wonderful would it be if companies like Polyphonic were interested in investing in independent radio programs like mine. Hmmm ... maybe it's time to break from blogging a bit and take some of my own advice.

So much to do, so little time! And it's a beautiful summer out here in Lotusland...

But change is inevitably on the horizon at Nash Holos. Next year, 2010, will be a double milestone for me. It will be 20 years since Nash Holos first aired with myself and my two co-hosts, and 10 years I've been doing it solo on CHMB.

So I'd like to mark the occasion with a significant celebration, and maybe even a change in direction. Who knows? With all the new opportunities in this biz, the sky's the limit!

I have nothing specific in mind yet, and I'm totally open to suggestions at this point.

So if you have any, please leave a comment!

Nash Holos recipe: Rhubarb upside-down cake

This cake is not exactly what you would call traditional, or authentically, Ukrainian.

However, if you tasted it, you would definitely call it delicious. J

This is the first (and likely last) time that I have ever allowed a non-Ukrainian recipe to air on Nash Holos. But Judy so wanted to share it with listeners that I relented … on condition that she make a very strong Ukrainian connection to it.

Knowing Judy as I do, I was confident (even if she wasn’t!) that she would come up with a very interesting one.

She told the story (which, as usual, is very entertaining) on the July 12 broadcast of Nash Holos. The audio archive will be available for download or streaming at the Nash Holos website until about August 9th.

Judy got this recipe from a friend in Rosa, Manitoba ... a Ukrainian lady with a reputation as a fabulous cook. It uses common (if not traditional) packaged ingredients and is sinfully delicious. It is also extremely easy to make.

And who knows, if Judy has her way, it will end up a Canadian export to Ukraine!

For Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake, you will need:

1 cake mix, either white or yellow
1 six-ounce package of Jell-O, strawberry, raspberry or cherry flavour
1 cup sugar
5 cups chopped rhubarb
1 small bag white miniature marshmallows

Put rhubarb in a 9x13 inch baking pan that has been greased and floured.

Mix the package of Jell-O with one cup of sugar and sprinkle over the rhubarb.

Over the top, add the bag of marsmallows, making sure they cover the whole pan.

Mix cake mix as directed and pour over rhubarb and marshmallows.

Bake, at 350ºF for an hour or until cake is done. (Insert a toothpick if clean it is ready.) Let cool for 15 minutes.

Invert onto a pan that is at least two inches larger than your 9x13 pan. Slowly remove the pan, being careful of the juice that will be oozing down the sides of the cake.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipping cream. It’s fantastic cold as well!

Смачного!

Vancouver audio archives updated to July 19, 2009

The Nash Holos website has been updated with the latest program broadcast.

The CD of the Week feature was "Diaspora" by The Ukrainians of Leeds, England.

This week's recipe was apple cake, and the spiritual message was about Saint Volodymr, who brought Christianity to Ukraine (or, more accurately, who made Christianity the state religion in Kyivan Rus) in 988 AD.

Enjoy!

Nash Holos recipe: Apple Cake

An apple a day keeps the doctor away!

Here’s a great recipe to help you get your daily dose of apple ... but fair warning: it’s so yummy that you may want to have a double dose or more! :-)

Judy got her first taste of this scrumptious cake in Ukraine on her first visit there in 2002. Her cousin made it for her using apples from the tree in her yard.

If you don’t have your own apple tree, store-bought apples will do just fine. The recipe for this apple cake works well with pitted cherries, plums or sliced peaches or pears. It’s great served with sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.

On the July 19 broadcast of Nash Holos, Judy shared an interesting anecdote about her trip as well as some neat trivia about apples on Ukrainian Food Flair. The podcast is on the playlist page for download or streaming and will be there until about August 16. The separate Food Flair segment will remain on the features page until the site is updated after next Sunday’s program.

In the meantime, here’s the recipe:

1 ½ cups flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/3 cup butter
1 large egg, well beaten
½ cup cream
½ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
4 tart apples, thinly sliced

Sift together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Cut in butter until crumbly.

Combine beaten egg with cream and stir into the flour mixture. Mix lightly, handling the dough as little as possible. Pat dough into a buttered 8x8 inch baking pan.

Pare apples. Slice very thinly and spread over the dough.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples. Dot with butter.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until fruit is tender.

Serves 6. (Or, you and a loved one!)

For added flavour, and a North America flair, sprinkle ½ cup of shredded cheddar over the top of apples before adding the cinnamon and sugar and popping it in the oven.

Смачного!

Kontakt TV in Vancouver

Good news for fans of Kontakt TV in BC... it will be back!

I just got word from the producer that the program is on summer hiatus and will resume broadcasting on September 27 on OMNI TV in Vancouver.

In the meantime, I'm told Kontakt staff are producing new programs, which can be seen on Expressvu Canada wide.

Hopefully I'll have more details soon and be able to update the info here with some links.

Stay tuned...

Tribute to Ukrainian Canadians on Cape Breton Island

I had no idea there was such a vibrant Ukrainian presence in the Maritimes! Great article (here) on the history of Ukrainian dance on Cape Breton Island.

An amazing exhibit at the Cape Breton University art gallery entitled a Cape Breton Story of Ukrainian Dance: From Village to Stage has been running since June 12.

... The local exhibit has been augmented by several panels on loan from the University of Alberta — panels which sketch the evolution of dance from various regions of the [sic] Ukraine.

... What is particularly admirable, however, is the incredible spirit and tenacity of these Ukrainian Canadians, most of whom came to this country to build better lives. They had a will to survive and to prosper.

...There was even in the 1950s a well-known choir, which became a vibrant symbol of artistic activity. ... The folk ballet eventually became the Ukrainian Folk Dancers. With about 27 members, they performed at the National Ukrainian Festival in Dauphin, Man. in 1974, in the heartland of Ukrainian culture, and came first in the intermediate dance combination, quite a feat for a small Cape Breton Ukrainian community. They won in 1975 as well.

If you're in the area or planning to visit, this wonderful exhibit of the heyday of Cape Breton Ukrainian dance is a must-see. It runs until Aug. 14, 2009.

Read full article here.