Events for the "Sing in Your Native Tongue" (Spivai Ridnoiu) Intercontinental Radio Festival of Ukrainian Song were held in San Francisco and Sacramento. The program featured performances by Ukrainian artists, members of the diaspora, and festival participants, as well as award ceremonies for laureates and jury members. Funds were also raised during the California concerts to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
This was reported by Ethno Fm Radio.
A "Sing in Your Native Tongue" charity concert took place in San Francisco as part of the festival, followed by an event in Sacramento the next day. The concert lineup included Honored Artist of Ukraine Ruslana Lotsman, who traveled to the U.S. for the festival events.
Lotsman is a singer and performer of Ukrainian folk and original songs, an educator, and a promoter of Ukrainian musical culture. She also heads the "People's Philharmonic" Ukrainian Song Center arts organization. Since 2014, the artist has participated in volunteer and charity concerts supporting Ukrainian troops and those affected by the war.
According to Lotsman, her performance in Sacramento marked a return to the city after a four-year hiatus. A previous visit had been cancelled due to the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion and the associated restrictions.
The artist noted that funds for the Armed Forces of Ukraine were successfully raised during the Sacramento concert. The event was also dedicated to promoting Ukrainian song beyond Ukraine's borders.
An awards ceremony for the festival's winners and honorees also took place in Sacramento. Jury members—People's Artist of Ukraine Anatoliy Matviychuk and Honored Artists of Ukraine Ruslana Lotsman and Liudmyla Kasianenko—received "Ambassadors of Ukrainian Song" awards.
Special recognition was awarded to the festival's founder, Honored Worker of Arts of Ukraine Nataliia Bahmut. She was honored for creating and organizing the "Spivai Ridnoiu" (Sing in Your Native Tongue) festival and for her long-standing efforts to promote Ukrainian song.
A special award was also presented to Oleh Avilov, a festival jury member and head of the "AI-Generated Songs" category. In this category, the festival blends Ukrainian song traditions with modern digital technologies.
Among those honored in Sacramento were representatives of the city's Ukrainian community, including the vocal group "Dobroho Vechora, My z Ukrainy" (Good Evening, We Are from Ukraine), as well as Jessica Kravchenko, Roman Tarantsov, Nataliia Dzhahhunia, Eleni Moskalu, Oleh Karpyk, Kateryna Kachalova, and Andrii Shahera.
The festival was founded by Davyd Ponomarov, director of the "Afisha" media holding and founder of Ethno FM Radio; radio host Nataliia Bahmut; and People's Artist of Ukraine Anatoliy Matviychuk.
"Spivai Ridnoiu" is positioned as an international song festival that brings together professional performers and amateurs from Ukraine and the USA. Its program encompasses not only concert performances but also competitive categories, jury evaluations, and the recognition of participants in the Ukrainian song movement.
Photo: Ethno Fm Radio
Author: Danylo Pievchev