Our world has faced many terrible events recently, from floods in Pakistan, uncontrollable wildfires in Australia, devastating earthquakes around the globe, and of course the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which can still be felt even today. The Ukraine War is one of the most important crises currently still developing, it took the lives of many innocent people and has left much of Ukraine in shambles. Today we have the privilege of presenting the new song/video of war-fleeing survivor and refugee Ukrainian musician Natalia Gogol. Inspired by the terrible events of escaping her home in Kyiv with her family, “Wind of Hope” is an anthem of courage and valor, seeking to give strength and determination to the people of Ukraine.
It was on February 24th, 2022 when Natisa woke up to the sound of war. She couldn’t believe this could happen, taking a look at her son, she immediately realized they had to escape in order to survive. She collected the bare minimum from her home and decided to make it to the border, however, there was virtually no way out of Kyiv, and panic ran amok through the city. It was utter and total chaos. “I don’t know how we survived that night,” says Natisa now. “In the morning, my friend came to pick us up, but, as we drove away from Antonov Airport, we heard shots and explosions. When we arrived at the exit to the Zhytomyr highway, which leads towards the Polish border, two cars were already waiting for us. There were four women and four children ready to leave in these two cars but the shots became louder and closer, so we had to change our route. We followed our friend’s car through the traffic for 20km before he had to go back to Kyiv to help defend the city. As we watched him drive away, we could see Ukrainian tanks and soldiers arriving. We drove – and lived in – that car for five days until we felt safe.” says Natisa.
Leaving behind her life, friends and family, and the home where her music career began, Natisa remains steadfast against despair. She joined forces with Prague-based producer, songwriter, and musician Gregory Darling to make “Wind of Hope”, a song written at a crossroads in her life “when all that was dear and important to me had to be left behind.”. On February 24th Natisa performed at the Hlavni train station where refugees arrived, commemorating the anniversary of the Ukrainian War.
“Wind of Hope” encapsulates Natisa’s heartbreaking experiences “Tell me why they broke into our house/Tell me why they tore apart our lives?” Part of the ballad is one of sorrow and anguish; however like every coin, there are two sides to it, she shakes off hopelessness and gives a powerful message of love “Love is like air, it is everywhere,” to the people of Ukraine “Love will rescue us/Ukraine lives in our hearts.”.
The video takes a strong emphasis on Natisa, initially, she is dressed in a black dress representing mourning the melancholy that’s slowly covering everyone around her; as the song progresses this blackness is shed and everything is filled with color and light, she’s now in a beautiful golden dress symbolizing how even the deepest darkness can be overcome and vanquished.
Photos Credit: Courtesy of the artist Story By: Armando Vera
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