Tavria Games, Kyiv-style
Ukrainian capital now home to popular festival
No sooner had Ukrainian music fans recovered from the recent Elton John concert on Independence Square than a new musical wave swept them away. On June 29 and 30 the National Olympic Stadium hosted a celebration of the 16th anniversary of the Tavria Games.
On the very eve of the celebrations the organizers announced they had created a “new philosophy” of their festival. Gone are the traditional beauty contests, pleasure boats, and the sea. Instead, spectators were offered lots of live music and the promise to hold a European-style international music festival on a regular basis in Kyiv. The organizers spent five billion hryvnias to put on their musical extravaganza.
Many famous singers and groups, as well as newcomers, came to show their mastery and cheer up the spectators at the games: Oleksandr Ponomariov, Verka Serdiuchka, Natalia Mohylevska, Ani Lorak, Tina Karol, Vitalii Kozlovsky, SKAI, Druha Rika, Aviator, Alibi, Mad Heads XL, Boombox, NeAngely, Gaitana, THMK, and many others. This time around, Valerii Meladze, Dyskoteka Avaria, Dima Bilan, and the internationally-known French rapper K-Maro were entrusted with upholding the festival’s reputation.
During the two-day festival stars actively entertained the audience with their musical drive, romantic songs, and even their behavior. For example, just minutes after finishing her song, Natalia Mohylevska strode triumphantly across the whole stadium to the exit without a word. Then the boys of Diskoteka Avaria got the audience hopping. After singing several hits, the band invited a few dancing girls to join them on stage and sing a song.
The appearance of drag queen Verka Serdiuchka (Andrii Danylko) triggered a rush of positive emotions. Everybody — not just the fans near the stage but those on the grandstands — danced to the chorus ‘Sieben, sieben, eins, liuliu’ from the song “Dancing,” which catapulted Verka to second place at Eurovision-2007 in Helsinki.
The festival was a huge success. In addition to performances by pop stars, the festival offered visitors a whole mini-city erected around the perimeter of the stadium, where every visitor could find something of interest. Everybody liked the vintage car show featuring about 30 antique models. The organizers set up an autograph site for people who wanted to buy a CD, poster, or just an autograph of their favorite artist. A new star or group would come out every 30 minutes. There were even competitions for those who were tired of sitting through the concert.
A few of the performers shared their impressions with The Day. “This festival allows a lot of people to see for themselves how artists perform live,” singer Svitlana Loboda said. For Tina Karol, it doesn’t matter if the Tavria Games are held in Kakhivka or in Kyiv. The main thing is for the festival to exist and continue to be held in Ukraine. Oleksandr Pononariov also liked the celebrations. But he thinks the Kyiv festival lacked public response and the special inimitable spirit that used to prevail in Kakhivka.
Both artists and audiences were unanimous in saying that live music, a star-studded program, and the festival mini-city, instead of the traditional ships and ferries, created a very good impression. Everybody who attended the Tavria Games came away in a good mood, with lots of positive emotions and interesting contacts. The organizers say that holding the games in Kyiv let the festival get its “second wind,” and their upcoming plans are full of interesting artistic events that audiences will remember for a long time.
