[Watch] ‘Our Musicians Wear Body Armour Instead Of Tuxedos’: Zelensky At Grammys

Las Vegas: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an appearance at the Grammys on Sunday, asking top artistes to “fill the silence” brought by war with music, in a pre-taped message.

“What is more opposite to music? The silence of ruined cities and killed people,” he said.

“Our musicians wear body armour instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals — even to those who can’t hear them. But the music will break through anyway.”

“We defend our freedom to live, to love, to sound,” he said.

“On our land, we are fighting Russia, which brings horrible silence with its bombs. The dead silence. Fill the silence with your music, fill it today to tell our story.”

Zelensky’s speech was played ahead of a performance by John Legend’s of the song “Free”, joined by Ukrainian singer Mika Newton, musician Siuzanna Iglidan and poet Lyuba Yakimchuk.

His appearance came amid mounting global outrage over possible Russian war crimes with the discovery of mass graves and corpses in towns near Kyiv.

“To all our cities the war is destroying — Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Volnovakha, Mariupol and others: They are legends already, but they have a dream of them living, and free.”

“Free like you, on the Grammy stage.”