- The Russo-Ukrainian war has changed the lives of many residents of the country and one such person is the famous Afro-Ukrainian dancer Adelina Deli.
- During a recent interview, Deli shared her story and emphasized the importance of Africans realizing the plight of their brothers and sisters in the diaspora.
- The two-time Dancing With The Stars contestant also gave a refreshing look at her plans for the future and her commitment to promoting Ukraine and Nigeria.
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“It was March, the Dnieper River was very cold, the boat capsized and they died. Nothing can take away this pain. Pain for innocent adults and especially children. The Afro-Ukrainian dancer, Adelina Deli, said as she recounted the horrors of a terrible time in her life during an eye-opening interview.
The Nigerian-Ukrainian had spent most of her life in the country and was taking an entirely new and startling shape before her very eyes in the heat of the Russian invasion.
Source: UGC
Back home in the Republic of the Congo, Deli’s family members were equally plagued with fear and concern for what would become of her, and her father spared no time in reaching out and looking for ways to help.
As the days turned into weeks and months, life as the young choreographer knew it became a shadow of herself, but through it, the deep and genuine love of family kept her sane.
Before the Russian invasion, Deli, who was born in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, had done remarkably well in the country’s entertainment industry. When she was growing up, Deli loved to dance and this passion would eventually lead to a career for her years later.
At the age of 21, she had already gained great recognition in her craft as a dancer after participating in two seasons of the Ukrainian edition of Dancing With The Stars, taking on the role of choreographer for the Azerbaijan team at Eurovision 2021, and making appearances on international stages. in countries such as Portugal, Estonia, Spain, Dubai, Cyprus, Slovakia, Azerbaijan, the Netherlands, Turkey and Egypt.
Without a shadow of a doubt, life had been good for Deli and could only get better, until the war came knocking on the door on February 24, a day forever etched in his memory. Her young brother-in-law and her grandmother would eventually die while trying to escape the bombardment.
“Russia’s war against Ukraine is terrible. I wouldn’t wish it on an enemy. I believe that you can survive everything: crises, rallies. But war is something different,” Deli introduced.
Africans are one in the whole world.
The 21-year-old who remains in contact with her family in Africa hinted at the danger of Africans sitting on a fence and refusing to stand up to their oppressors.
For Deli, the Africans who are scattered in the diaspora are the same as those at home, and there is no point in people at home idly watching their brothers and sisters being killed.
“It is something that I do not understand. For Africans and people with African roots, skin color acts as a unifier. This is how we find “brothers and sisters” all over the world. We reach out to people, even if we don’t know them personally, and strike up a conversation. I think the story about me and my father is a perfect example: we still find each other, despite the difficulties and the many kilometers that separate us. So, I don’t understand, if Africans see that their “brothers and sisters” are suffering in Ukraine, why do they choose to turn their back on them? Or even worth it: supporting the full-scale invasion.”
The choreographer added that refusing to choose a side or remaining neutral is just as good as siding with the oppressors and allowing them to press down more evil.
“And those who invade feed on neutrality: the oppressors only get stronger if more countries claim neutrality in the face of injustice, instead of supporting the country fighting for its independence. No suffering of one person is more or less worthy than that of another. And why would Africans turn a blind eye to Ukraine, which has always contributed to the maintenance of peace on the African continent? In situations like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, even being neutral could be dangerous, because it feeds the oppressor and violates global security. Today Ukraine is in an anti-colonial war against the Russian empire and if the aggressor is not stopped in time, everywhere else, including Africa, could be at risk.”
On the possibility of Russian propaganda playing a role in the tune Africans choose to dance to, Deli urged people on the continent to be careful of fake news and narratives spread by attackers.
“I would like to convey to the African people that it is necessary to filter the information. The abuser creates a lot of fake news to spread his own narrative. Something like: “Ukraine does not want peace, otherwise it would give up territories.” Does it seem fair or equitable to give the aggressor some sort of concession on the cost of the colony? Who but Africans can better understand the absurdity of this idea? And when we see that Russia has chosen violence over diplomacy, to an extent that has not happened in Europe since World War II. I believe that when someone is in trouble, all people must unite to defeat this evil. Ukraine needs help and every penny, every voice counts!”
“I never felt discriminated against as a black person in Ukraine”
Source: UGC
Moving on to a less disturbing topic, Deli painted a colorful picture of life as a black person living in the Ukraine. For Deli, discrimination of any kind has never been discussed in Ukraine, in fact, she says the nation is particular about “opening doors to diversity.”
“Ukrainians are not just white-skinned, they are people of any skin color. In fact, people here speak different languages and have different political and religious beliefs, but that doesn’t stop us from forming meaningful relationships with each other. Ukrainians are not trying to build a “pure” nation with only white people. Instead, we open doors to diversity: in culture, origin, options, race, etc. Growing up black in the Ukraine, I never felt discriminated against. My roots have actually helped make me who I am today.”
Although still in the now, the talented choreographer already has an idea of what she wants to be doing in another 10 years. For Deli, although dancing and modeling will remain part of her career, she is on a mission to promote “Ukraine and Nigeria” to the rest of the world.
“The closest plans for 10 years are definitely self-development and self-realization. I want to dedicate myself as much as possible to my work: dancing and modelling. I want to try myself in the field of event organization. I am open to experiment in terms of career, to the point of being ready to sing. But most importantly, I want to promote Ukraine and Nigeria to the whole world. My goal is to show how much Ukrainians can give to the world: they are diverse and talented, with a rich culture and history. I thrive to achieve that through my work. And I plan to dedicate my entire career to this.”
By using his position to amplify issues like poverty and malnutrition in Africa, Deli revealed that it would bring him immense happiness to achieve a name that commands respect around the world and ultimately draws people’s attention to these issues.
“ When you have an important voice, it becomes your responsibility to fight injustices like child poverty or war. It is important to spread the truth about how African children are starving, and it is equally important that the world knows that Ukrainian children are suffering too. Many of them have lost their parents, homes and even access to education due to the war. If we want our rights to be guaranteed, we must protect the rights of others. And to do it not only at home, but wherever it is needed, be it Ukraine, Africa, Europe or anywhere else. We can only fight authoritarianism if we resist its practice around the world.”
Eurovision: Nigerian-Ukrainian band Tvorchi will represent Ukraine in the 2023 competition
In the meantime, legit.ng previously reported that the movement has been set in motion and music lovers are gearing up for the 2023 edition of the acclaimed Eurovision Song Contest.
Organizers in a social media post confirmed that Nigerian-Ukrainian band, Tvorchi, would perform their song, Heart of Steel, at the competition.
A social media user who reacted to the news wrote:
“OMG I voted for them. It’s so weird to hear bad comments from foreigners, because these guys really worked hard for years, and their lyrics are very relatable to fr Ukrainians.”
Source: Legit.ng
