War has a catastrophic impact on people, both for those in the war zone and those that are far away.
For musician Chantal Kreviazuk, the crisis in Ukraine hit home in a big way.
The 9th annual Oakville Festivals of Film and Art came together with Kreviazuk, the Ukrainian World Foundation and Zirkova Vodka for the Ukrainian Arts Festival Gala Fundraiser to help towards emergency medical and humanitarian support for the volunteers that are helping on the ground within the conflict zone.
The evening featured live music and performances, live auctions and the sale of local Ukrainian art to help raise as much funds as possible.
Kreviazuk is no stranger to giving back. In fact, both her and her husband Raine Maida (with whom we recently chatted with) were appointed as members of the Order of Canada in 2014 by then Governor General David Johnston for their charitable and humanitarian work.
From headlining concerts to support Earth Hour, to raising hope in Congo, to her in-depth work with War Child and visiting war zones, Kreviazuk’s humanitarian efforts are as detailed and lengthy as is her music work.
Kreviazuk took a moment during her performances to share with us the impact the crisis in Ukraine has had on her, and how she hopes to help. In addition, we got a chance to understand the thought process behind the development of her music, and where her priorities lie at this juncture in both her career and personal life.
Honestly, I had a lot more to ask and hopefully a future interview will be on the cards for us to make that happen.
Cover Photo: Steve Murakami. © The Arts Guild Inc.