Written in Partnership with Amir BakianRed Bird Rising’s “My Revolution” is a powerful and moving anthem of love and defiance amid the chaos of war. The song, featuring Taras Kuznetzov on lead vocals, reflects the artist’s experiences living in Ukraine during the Russian invasion of 2022. The music and lyrics of “My Revolution” is beautiful and profound, expressing the urgency of a personal story and an anti-war statement.
Diedrich Donald Weiss, the mastermind behind Red Bird Rising, has a world-worn faith in the power of music to change people’s lives. From 2009 to 2015, he performed music every Friday for patients, families, and staff in the cancer and mental health unit of Fairview Southdale Hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In addition, he recorded four solo studio albums, engineered and produced five albums for other artists, and performed as a studio musician. Critics have described Weiss’s music as compelling and emotionally charged.
Weiss’s experiences traveling the world have influenced his music, and he settled in Colombia to build his recording studio. Remote collaborators on Red Bird Rising’s songs include artists from Ukraine, Argentina, France, England, Croatia, Brazil, South Africa, and the United States. “My Revolution” is the first Red Bird Rising release, featuring Taras Kuznetzov on lead vocals and as a video co-director.
In Buenos Aires, producer Mariano Cukierman took Weiss’s “My Revolution” demo and recorded Fernando Moreno on drums, electric guitar, and keys. Taras, who was living in Odessa during the Russian invasion, walked over an hour to his studio to track lead vocals with the imminent threat of missile and bomb strikes. His wife, Ana Pshokina, tracked bass in Odessa. And in New York, Megan Gould tracked violins and violas with session cellist, Eleanor Norton.
The urgency of the music and video production of “My Revolution” is palpable, with the threat of missile and bomb strikes derailing the project. The video was shot in public in Odessa during the day and at night, capturing the war-torn city’s eerie silence and chilling sirens. Weiss edited the video using shots produced by Kuznetzov in Odessa and footage from sites such as the invasion archive site Dattalion and Ukraine. In addition, Filmmaker Flor Giardino shot dance scenes in Buenos Aires of choreographer and dancer Melina Ascune to express the inner struggle of the song.
At the heart of “My Revolution” is each artist rising to pull everything they have within them to fulfill the vision of a personal story of supreme immediacy. The song’s intro features audio from Ukrainian protests during the Orange Revolution of 2014, with guitar feedback harmonics soaring through the track. Unfortunately, the bombings by Russian missiles to Odessa’s energy infrastructure after the explosion on the Crimea Bridge made collaboration on the video even more difficult, with Taras having less access to electricity and the internet.
The result of this tremendous undertaking and community effort is a beautiful and profound piece of art that captures the spirit of love and defiance amidst the chaos of war. “My Revolution” is a testament to the power of music to change people’s lives and make a difference in the world. The song’s lyrics are a call to action to rise against war and oppression and fight for a better future.
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