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Journalism of Courage
As Ukrainians try to defend their country against the Russian invasion, music has played a big part to provide some solace amid all chaos. Now, a military band is going viral for their performance outside Odessa’s Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Playing Bobby McFerrin’s iconic hit track Don’t Worry be Happy in front of a barricade made of sandbags near the famous opera theatre in central Odessa, army personnel tried to keep spirits high. A video of the performance, which many dubbed an act of defiance, has started a huge buzz online.
Dressed in army fatigues, the military band was seen performing the 80’s feet-tapping number, playing various brass band instruments like the trumpet and tuba among others.
As the clip started doing rounds on the internet, wowing people around the world, it also reached McFerrin, who reshared the video on his YouTube channel.
Along with the military band, other local artists also participated in the street performance to motivate people facing a humanitarian crisis. “We did not surrender Odessa to Hitler, and we will not surrender it to anyone else,” Galyna Zitser, director of the Odessa Philharmonic which on Tuesday put on its first performance since the war began last month, told Reuters.
“I can’t say that I’m not scared, I am very scared, especially when we see this news, broken cities, dead soldiers,” Zitser said, adding god will protect the country.
Netizens on social media were amazed how in such desperate times, Ukrainians have been turning to music to keep on fighting.
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