Play, musician!

Vinnytsia knows Oleksandr Honchar not by name but by his music. He plays his bayan button accordion on the street. His favorite place of all is a streetcar stop downtown. People are rushing off to work. They are stressed out; they push each other, but then the doors open and they hear the sound of a waltz. “I have made friends with many residents of Vinnytsia,” says Oleksandr. “I know the people who pass by me every day and they know me. I talk to my listeners and this adds to my optimism.” In addition to optimism, Oleksandr’s playing earns him money. Any sum satisfies the blind man whose only income is his pension.

“I haven’t worked for the Ukrainian Society for the Blind for 11 years; I couldn’t stand the working conditions. Besides, there you can find more people who can see than those who are blind. The pay is 250-300 hryvnias — that’s peanuts.”

Doomed to eking out a miserable livelihood, Honchar refused to put up with the situation. He found the solution to his problem when he turned his hobby into an occupation. The bayanist also likes playing on the street because he is an independent artist.

“When I am in the mood, I come out and start playing, and continue playing for as long as I have the inspiration. It’s a dream, not work!”

Honchar dreams of touring a few Ukrainian cities with his bayan. He is certain that he will find interested audiences there because his repertoire is diversified, ranging from classical to folk pieces.

If Honchar goes on this tour, he will probably resume his diary. The idea of recording his most vivid impressions was conceived a long time ago, but the bayanist has decided against writing his memoirs. Without a doubt, one of his first entries will be dedicated to Andriy Dziuba, the director of the Shchedryk group.

“I met him when I was performing in an improvised trio at a street market in Vinnytsia,” recalls the musician. “Dziuba happened to be walking by and he heard us. He came over, introduced himself, and presented us with a cassette of Shchedryk’s music.”

Honchar’s example shows that people can always find a way out of a difficult situation, even if they are blind and unemployed.