American band CocoRosie premieres video in support of Belarus protests

American folktronica band CocoRosie has launched a new video in support of Belarus’ pro-democracy protesters.

Created in collaboration with Belarusian choreographer and dancer Irina Anufrieva, the song’s chorus is the Russian word “Uhodi”, or “Go Away” — which became the song’s title. The slogan has been heard throughout the demonstrations that have swept Belarus over the past three months.

“We wanted to offer solidarity from the distance, encouragement, and recognition, and to bring more international awareness of what’s going on,” CocoRosie band member Bianca Casady told The Calvert Journal.

“We came up with the idea for the song as we were following the developments in Belarus. But the situation is somewhat relatable in many parts of the world, where there is someone in power who doesn’t belong there,” Casady added.

The video is a theatrical parody of dictatorship, featuring a mad general and a gothic bride in a tribute to the role of women in the pro-democracy movement. “My character started resembling a crazy dictator, and Irina’s character is depicting a fairytale curse,” the singer said.

Casady’s partner and collaborator Anufrieva left Belarus in 2010 but she still performs there, and is strongly connected to her community back home. Her mother, she says, “is part of the three per cent who actually voted for [longtime president] Alexander Lukashenko,” while her friends and colleagues have been arrested and imprisoned for participating in protests.

CocoRosie rose to fame in 2003 and they have since released seven albums — their latest, Put the Shine On, came out in March 2020.