As 1000’s of individuals attended Adelaide’s WOMAD pageant, a global celebration of music and artwork, over the weekend, one small café tucked underneath the fig bushes in Botanic Park supplied guests an area to color, sing and hope.
Whereas three musicians sang of tragedy and energy, prospects adorned the café’s chairs and tables with vivid colors, conventional Ukrainian designs and symbols of hope.
The Kobza Café was arrange by the to share music, tradition and meals, and lift cash for the Ukraine Disaster Attraction.
The singers are displaced Ukrainians who fled their homeland previously two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion. These within the café are among the 400 displaced Ukrainians now residing in Adelaide, a lot of whom are on three-year humanitarian visas.
With solely a yr remaining earlier than their non permanent standing expires and no everlasting residency possibility introduced, many are feeling anxious.
They are saying portray the chairs in vivid colors and nationwide symbols lifts their spirits and connects them to their homeland.
“We make a variety of preparations for this occasion,” one of many organisers Nataliia*, who misplaced her son through the battle in Ukraine, informed SBS Information.
“All these decorations, and Ukrainian music, and all this good Ukrainian portray. We share our tradition, we share our love and lift cash for Ukraine to finish this .”
‘We now have a variety of ache’
Dakha Brakha, a Ukrainian band headlining the pageant, gives the music. Final yr, Dakha Brakha carried out in over 90 worldwide live shows and, just like the café, the band goals to deliver Ukrainian tradition to the world.
“Our music and our mission is essential for us and for our nation,” band member Marco Halanevitch informed SBS Information.
“We hope we make a vital factor as a result of we have now a possibility to talk with individuals and communicate with our music.”
Marco says the band makes use of music as a medium to indicate gratitude and specific ache.
“We’re not simply musicians, we’re Ukrainian and we have now a variety of ache about our nation as a result of Ukraine turned a sufferer of Russian aggression.
“We attempt to say thanks a lot, lots of people assist Ukraine and every now and then we attempt to remind [people] about this drawback as a result of it’s a really very large drawback for the entire world.”
A historical past ‘filled with combating’
Kobza Café is the fruits of an artwork remedy mission for Ukrainians displaced by the battle.
Earlier, at an artwork remedy class on the Affiliation of Ukrainians visited by SBS Information, Nataliia painted her chair with a Ukrainian Kaleenah berry bush.
The Kaleenah berry, a standard image of bloodshed within the combat for independence, has private significance to Nataliia.
“The historical past of Ukraine is stuffed with combating and plenty of Ukrainians die defending our independence, like on this current horrible battle, so many troopers die.
“Even my son was killed one yr in the past so this is essential for us. From one facet it’s unhappy, however from the opposite facet it is extremely heat to our hearts.”
The Kaleenah berry bush is a standard image in Ukraine. Supply: Provided
Close to the Ukrainian Affiliation, Doss* from Espresso in Frequent makes use of his roaster to show younger individuals employable abilities.
“The hope is that after they end right here they will then exit within the hospitality world in Australia and seize a job,” he mentioned.
Nataliia says the music and the gatherings supply the Ukrainian group large solace.
“It connects us with Ukraine, with our state of affairs. We now have enjoyable and we have now tears on the similar time.”
Dakha Brakha performs at WOMAD on Sunday night time and in Melbourne on Monday.
* Surnames withheld.
