(23 Dec 2004)

22 December 2004
1. Rock singer Svyatoslav Vakarchuk sitting and talking on stage
2. Pro-Yushchenko pin on his suit jacket
3. Vakarchuk singing his "Almost Spring" song in English
4. Rear view of Vakarchuk on stage
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, singer and leader of the "Okean Elzy" rock band:
"I thought to myself that it would be great to retranslate to adapt one of our (band's) songs, which in this case is called "Almost Spring" in English. It would be great to translate and adapt it into English and to make a special video which is based on the Orange Revolution to launch it into a video on TV all over Europe just for people to see what was happening (in Ukraine)."
6. People watching Vakarchuk's video about Orange Revolution on screen
7. Vakarchuk watching the video sitting at a table with band member
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, singer and leader of the "Okean Elzy" rock band:
"Now there is some feeling in the air which drives us to make some new music, some new emotions, some new feelings. It's a rock-n-roll feeling you know. We understand that we are winning, that we can make something by ourselves, that people are together, everything. These items blend together, the rock-n-roll, and the lyrics and maybe our patriotic position. It drives (makes) me very happy."

Early December 2004
9. Pan of opposition supporters demonstrating in Independence Square
10. Protesters walking carrying Ukrainian and orange opposition flags with Vakarchuk's "Almost Spring" in Ukrainian in the background

STORYLINE:

A Ukrainian rock singer has written and presented English lyrics for his song "Almost Spring", which over the last month became the unofficial anthem of Ukraine's Orange Revolution.

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is a former physics students and the leader of Ukraine's most popular rock band.

His band "Okean Elzy" ("Elza's Ocean"), from the city of the western city of Lviv, was often at the top of Ukrainian charts in the last decade.

But their popularity reached un unprecedented level last month with the song "Almost Spring" sung in Ukrainian.

It was broadcast through the loudspeakers installed at the Independence Square in Kiev where thousands of supporters of the opposition presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko were gathered.

The rhythmic and catchy tune was played dozens of times a day becoming the musical symbol of the Orange Revolution.

Vakarchuk has translated the song into English and made it into a music video.

The video, which shows opposition protests with the "Almost Spring" song in the background, was presented on Wednesday.

Vakarchuk said he decided to make this video to show people around the world what is happening in Ukraine.

He hopes the video will be broadcast on television stations throughout Europe.

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