British rock band Pink Floyd has reunited to release a new song on Friday to raise money for humanitarian relief in Ukraine, featuring the vocals of a Ukrainian singer who quit an international tour to fight for his country and was wounded. Pink Floyd has released a song in support of Ukraine, under the group's banner, 'Hey Hey Rise Up'.
The newly released song features vocals by Ukrainian singer Andriy Khlyvniuk from his video singing a folk song in the capital city of Kyiv, which became the unofficial anthem amid the Ukraine-Russia war, according to news agency ANI report. Reportedly, the proceeds of the song will go for humanitarian relief.
The lead vocalist of the song is not David Gilmour but rather a Ukrainian singer, whose cappella vocals from an Instagram post shot in Kyiv's Sofiyskaya Square have been set to music by the veteran band.
"We, like so many, have been feeling the fury and the frustration of this vile act of an independent, peaceful democratic country being invaded and having its people murdered by one of the world's major powers," Pink Floyd's David Gilmour tweeted.
The music for the new song was recorded on March 30 by longtime members Gilmour and Nick Mason, along with longtime bass player Guy Pratt and keyboardist Nitin Sawhney, Variety reported.
The vocalist grafted into the new Pink Floyd track is Andriy Khlyvnyuk of the Ukrainian band Boombox.
They have been taken from an Instagram video he posted five weeks ago in which he sings a World War I-era Ukrainian protest song, 'The Red Viburnum In The Meadow', which has seen a revival as a cry against the Russian war upon Ukraine.
The final line of the song translates as "Hey hey, rise up and rejoice." As per Variety, a music video is on the way as well, also shot on March 30, directed by Mat Whitecross while the players were still assembled for the recording session.
(With inputs from agencies)
