Moldovan artists are giving away free DJ lessons to Ukrainian women and girls
Make Borș Not War is aiding Ukrainian refugees in Chișinău
Moldovan DJs and producers are coming together to teach Ukrainian women and girls how to DJ with the help of Moldova For Peace.
The initiative, set up by Moldova’s DJ BORȘ, aims to help female refugees and those who have had to flee Ukraine following Russia’s invasion by teaching new skills and creating a community through music.
Make Borș Not War is the initiative’s title coined by DJ BORȘ, and with the help of Ceai de Lalele and Moldova For Peace, the project went ahead for the first time across the first weekend in August.
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“Ceai de Lalele and DJ BORȘ are so thrilled to teach DJ mixing to refugee and local women and girls this coming weekend in Chișinău,” starts a post from Moldova For Peace.
“Techno has always been about resistance, especially in finding strength through community and creativity,” they added. “Moldova For Peace has been at the forefront of assisting refugees following the Russian invasion in Ukraine and we thank them for approaching refugee support in such a holistic way.”
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Speaking to Mixmag, one of the participants, Nastya, said: "This training is definitely important - it unites women in these hard times with music and positive vibes. I made new friends here and took part in a Ukrainian festival and was also invited on TV to perform my mixes. This is a really amazing experience."
Make Borș Not War also set out to help Ukrainian refugees through a ‘borș-off’, referring to the popular Eastern European soup, borsch, where Ukrainian women cooked the dish for over 1000 people in honour of Ukraine’s Independence Day today.
Those who are being trained to DJ have showcased “impactful live sets”, according to DJ BORȘ, featuring a range of Ukrainian music, “occupying space in the ever-so-patriarchal music scene here”.
“I have received messages from many women DJs activating in the Americas who want to do a similar initiative to increase gender representation in their local scenes,” she told Mixmag.
"Once you're involved in supporting the local underground community, you will find new resources to improve it. I'm happy to have the chance to do that in Chisinau, together with bright-minded people like DJ Borș, and the collective I am in - PODVAL. And the girls that participated are amazing," said Ceai de Lalele.
Find out more about Moldova For Peace here, and check out a list of ways you can support Ukraine.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assistant, follow her on Twitter