Shuma Band Offers Alternative Eurovision Song Which Reflects Belarusian Reality

An ancient Belarusian prayer was laid in the composition of the song Dreva.

The Belarusian duet Shuma released a video to their song Dreva, which has many references to the Belarusian reality. The video was created by a team of Ukrainian video artists to express their solidarity with Belarusians, tut.by writes.

The electronic ethno band Shuma presented their own version of the song Belarus could show at Eurovision — it has become a response to the band “Halasy Z Miesta”, which is being sent to the Eurovision song contest by Belteleradiocompany. The Shuma musicians believe that their video more fully reflects what is happening in Belarus since the presidential election. In the description to the video, the musicians speak to foreigners:

— We are offering to your attention the immigrant version [of the song to the Eurovision contest] instead of the official one, so that you have a close-to-reality impression of the independent Belarusian music.

The characters in the musical video to the Dreva song are either chained or forcibly divided from each other by chains, there are white and red flowers under their feet. Another key character is a man in a suit and with horns, surrounded by the people in black. He is holding on to the book with the red cover with his bluish fingers, and then he throws the book at the prisoners. An inscription “Go away!” appears in the frame, along with a young man who looks a bit like Mikalai Lukashenka.

An ancient Belarusian prayer was laid in the composition of the song Dreva.

The Shuma lead singer Rusia clarifies that she now lives in Kyiv, and prays for the freedom of Belarusians. Just like her character does in the video. In the final of the video, she is falling peacefully asleep, while a title appears over her head reminding that there are over a hundred political prisoners in Belarus.