"My heart is burning my heart is on fire…" - lyrics from the song "2 days" by one of the most popular Ukrainian singer, musician and composer - LAUD.
His real name is Vladyslav Karashchuk. At the beginning of the war, Vlad and his family moved from Kyiv to Lviv, where he continued his creative activity.
On a warm spring day, the lviv.travel team, together with LAUD, strolled through his favourite Lviv locations.
See how it all happened in the video and read in the article.
About Lviv
When I hear "Lviv", associations immediately appear in my head: Rynok Square, coffee and friendly people.
Recently, I was in Kyiv, and it seemed to me that the emotional distance between people there is much greater than here.
In Lviv, people are more open and sincere. I don't know what it's about, but I think so.
Every time I come to Lviv, it's always different, both in feelings and emotions. The warmest memories for me are participating in the Leopolis Jazz Fest, meeting with musicians and preparing a concert program. Almost two weeks after the start of the war, my family and I moved to Lviv. Here I wrote my song "Stop the war" in 15 minutes, just sitting in the house with a guitar.
Katedralna Square
This area evokes many associations in me. Since the beginning of the Leopolis Jazz Fest, I started going to Lviv more often. For about 2-3 years of the festival, my family and I constantly stayed in one of the apartments on the Katedralna Sq.
Every morning started in the "Svit Kavy", where I "dig" from Lviv, because these days there are many musicians in the city, including European and American. There is a very cool atmosphere.
Now I come to the Katedralna Square almost every day.
Heavenly Hundred Heroes Memorial
I learned about this place not so long ago. I had a difficult period in my life: spending a few months before the New Year in a permanent job - I realized that soon on December 31. And then I decided that I would gather and go to Lviv for a week.
Lviv is the only place where no one will bother me, and this is where I can reboot. I just rested, met with my Lviv friends and gained strength.
It was a period when there was no desire to do something but just drink coffee, eat, and look at the landscapes of Lviv.
And so, at the end of my stay, I visited the Heavenly Hundred Heroes Memorial. It was beautiful in winter, especially when it was snowing. Here you can just stand and think.
Lake near the University of Veterinary Medicine
During the first month of the war and my stay in Lviv, my family and I walked a lot. Then I discovered different locations thanks to the musicians I met. I started a lot of activities and events. That's how I met Sykhiv, which is a very cool area.
Now I travel around the city and discover it for myself. As it turned out, there are many fascinating locations outside the centre, including the area near the University of Veterinary Medicine and the lake.
Stryiskyi Park
I don't walk in Stryiskyi Park so often. But recently I performed at the Street Food So Good festival, which took place right here, and I liked the park. While walking with the lviv.travel team, I discovered a greenhouse with exotic plants. It is an awesome place.
Maotone Studio
In March, we realized that we would be living in Lviv for a while, so I started looking for a studio where I could work with students and record tracks.
I was recommended the Maotone studio. It is where I recorded my track "Stop the war" and plan to record other songs during my stay in Lviv.
Here I teach students vocals and guitar.
About Leopolis Jazz Fest
When I was a teenager, I used to go to festivals with my parents to listen to my favourite artists. For me, participating in the Leopolis Jazz Fest was a dream.
I remember my first meeting with Gino Vannelli (Canadian singer, musician and composer of Italian descent, Grammy nominee). At that time, I admired his work.
It was so nice to see him behind the scenes. Leopolis Jazz Fest art director Oleksii Kohan saw me nearby and said, "Come on, come on". I approached Gino Vannelli, greeted him, and took a picture with him and the team. It was the first and brightest emotion about Leopolis Jazz Fest.
About music and plans
Music accompanies me from birth. Already at the age of 5-6, I started playing the guitar for 3-4 hours a day. Since childhood, I have realized that music is my vocation, and I will do it for the rest of my life.
My parents inspired me to listen to American branded jazz music, and by the age of 12 or 13, I sang exclusively in English.
After participating in the Holos Krainy (Voice of the Country) project, I started writing original music, and the first was the song "Tonight", which is one of the most popular.
I dream of singing with Justin Timberlake, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber and others.
Now, the song "Stop the war" is waiting for its release because it is a track about the war, and it is not only for the Ukrainian audience but also for the world. The main message is a request to end the war, and it must continue to be said to the world.
We also plan to go on a charity tour of Europe with SHUMEI and other musicians to talk about the war in Ukraine and meet and support Ukrainians who have been forced to leave their homes.
About Music United
Music United is a series of charity streaming concerts, which we started recently in Lviv. One of the online concerts took place at the Africa Records recording studio with the participation of various artists. In the future, we plan to diversify the format and attract even more singers.
During the concert, we raise funds for charity: for example, we cooperate with the Your Support Charitable Foundation, which takes care of the treatment of seriously ill children and orphans, and also for the Armed Forces, involving proven foundations and those who help.
See more in the video on our YouTube channel.
Video - Andrii Stukhliak, Skyway Production
