DENVER - Sixty-one strings, and centuries of history.
Ukrainian musician Siuzanna Iglidan is on a mission to introduce more people to an instrument very important to her home country — the bandura. It has a sad but meaningful history with Ukraine.
"During the Second War, more than 300 bandura players were killed by the Stalin regime. They didn't like Ukrainian culture," said Iglidan. "Bandura became a heart of Ukraine."
She currently lives in Denver and is organizing multiple local concerts to both raise money for Ukraine and awareness. This Sunday, she will also be performing at the Grammy Awards, alongside John Legend, in a tribute to the war-torn country.
In the above video, you can learn more about this instrument's importance to Ukraine and why Iglidan is so passionate about spreading her culture.