Lavon Volski, an icon of Belarusian rock music, received the 2016 Freemuse Award in Stockholm on 8 May 2016. The event took place on stage in Stockholm’s Kungsträdgården – which currently has been transformed into the ‘Eurovision Village’.
“Lavon Volski continues a long tradition of singers with a sincere political attitude, who address important social issues and have become symbols of civil rights movements and through their music express frustrations and hope”, says Ole Reitov, Freemuse Executive Director.
Stockholm city hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, the world’s largest live music event, wished to add another dimension to the song contest by focusing on banned and persecuted musicians, and as Ole Reitov said from the stage: “Belarus has a winner… but he is banned in his country – as is a previous Freemuse Award winner, Ramy Essam, in his home country.”
Two winners, Belarusian Lavon Volski and Egyptian Ramy Essam shared the stage and performed Volski’s song ‘Chuzhy’(Alien).
“Music is the centre of my life, the way I express myself and the way I express things which I love about my country Belarus or which troubles me in my country. The base of this expression is freedom in its purest form. Without freedom there is no music, no truth – no truth in music. I understand this honour also as an award for all the people who support me – in Belarus, in Europe and in other countries of the world – and for those people who help to maintain the freedom of artistic expression,” Volski said when informed of being the winner in late April.
Lavon Volski dedicated the award to his beloved wife and manager Hanna who died in March.
The Freemuse Award, initiated in 2008, is given to an individual or an organisation that “has worked for freedom of musical expression in a remarkable way”.
