{"id":37777,"date":"2024-11-12T23:35:39","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T23:35:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/?p=37777"},"modified":"2025-02-06T00:31:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T00:31:18","slug":"musicsavestheworld-london-music-marathon-featuring-sbp4-alexey-aigui-palina-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/musicsavestheworld-london-music-marathon-featuring-sbp4-alexey-aigui-palina-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"MusicSavesTheWorld: London Music Marathon featuring SBP4, Alexey Aigui, Palina, and more"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Maria<\/a>
Maria Semushkina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Maria Semushkina, a cultural producer and the mastermind behind \u201cUsadba Jazz,\u201d one of Russia\u2019s premier festivals in recent history, conceived the idea of uniting politically displaced musicians while in Georgia in 2022. Though Georgia had emerged as a hub for relocating artists but hardly as the nexus of Russian counter-culture. Under the banner #MusicSavesTheWorld, Semushkina\u2019s initiative debuted with concerts in Yerevan and Kotor before expanding to Tbilisi and London, ultimately bringing together more than 100 musicians from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Cameroon, Georgia, Armenia, and Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n

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This December, the #MusicSavesTheWorld marathon returns to London, now as a double-header at The Steel Yard club. On December 8th, the stage will be taken by SBP4, one of Russia\u2019s leading indie bands, which recently relocated two-thirds of its members to Berlin. In October, the band released \u201cAnimals Drink from Puddles,\u201d an album showcasing the distinctive layered soundscape and rich cultural references\u2014ranging from unexpected echoes of Alexander Vasiliev\u2019s (\u201cSplean\u201d) vocal style to their characteristic synthesis of psychedelia and hip-hop. Following \u201cNothing Else Exists,\u201d an emotionally charged 2022 album, the group appears to have overcome a period of internal turmoil, returning to their creative mix of melancholy and beauty with a somatic effect.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Alexei<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Alexei Aigui<\/a>, whom Semushkina hails as \u201cthe greatest Russian composer,\u201d will perform on December 1st with a cadre of British musicians. A long-time resident of France, Aigui is renowned primarily for his film scores for directors like Valery Todorovsky, Kirill Serebrennikov, Hirokazu Kore-eda, and Raoul Peck. A maverick in the classical music world, he reimagines academic tradition: during performances, Aigui leaps across the stage with his violin, improvising extensively, while his compositions blend the string section with synthesizers and electric guitars. Notably, Aigui and his ensemble 4’33 performed at the inaugural \u201cUsadba Jazz\u201d festival in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Palina<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Another participant gracing the December concerts is Belarusian pop diva Palina, whose artistry melds performance with a genre-defying fusion ranging from indie to UK Garage. Her songs form an emotional narrative, shifting between the raw vulnerability of youth and existential contemplation.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Vadik<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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The MusicSavesTheWorld lineup is further enriched by performances from Vintskevich Kershaw Trio, Vadik Korolev (OQJAV), Yaroslav Oliinyk, Yegor Zabelov, Vasily Zorkiy, and United by Sadness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the context of forced creative migration, the role of cultural producer\u2014a mediator capable of bringing together collectives from different countries, and architecting the entire organizational infrastructure\u2014becomes paramount. Yet Semushkina eschews messianic pathos; when describing her involvement, she rarely ventures beyond the declaration, \u2018I’m simply doing a good deed.\u2019 While the slogan \u201cMusic Will Save the World\u201d may sound somewhat idealistic, deeper consideration reveals that despite the diversity of nationalities, individual characters and cultural conditioning we all react similarly, for the most part, to our surroundings, injustice, and falsehood. And as various forces attempt to divide us, through music it\u2019s crystal clear that we will embrace unity again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tickets<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n