Russian-Tajik singer Manizha is taking a stand after being banned from performing in Russia due to her controversial views.
Manizha, 33, was the last entry to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest before it was excluded from the annual competition and now finds herself ostracised at home.
While most people loved the art-pop musician’s fierce performance, some could not accept a pro-LGBTQ+ Tajik migrant representing Russia.
These ill-feelings towards her intensified after she voiced opposition to Russia's war in Ukraine - the cause of Russia’s exclusion from Eurovision in 2022.
This has led to her being added to a blacklist which prohibits her from performing live. Her music is also banned in public spaces, and she struggles to release any music in Russia.
She is also still under investigation for her comments about innocent people of Central Asian origin experiencing hate in the aftermath of the Crocus City Hall attack outside Moscow earlier this year.
Although Manizha is now moving about freely, she continues to be monitored by the state.
Her social media was taken down following reports to Meta just as she released song Save Your World earlier this year, making it almost impossible for her to promote or discuss that song with her audience.
Refusing to be silenced, she is trying again with defiant new song Gun.
The accompanying video was filmed in Moscow and put together by creatives who volunteered their time out of a desire to be part of Manizha’s cause, including her husband Lado Kvataniya, who served as director.
The track follows previous single Candlelight and is the second to be taken from her upcoming EP, Hope, which follows on August 14.
Gun was written by Manizha with Liz Horsman and produced by MOBO and BRIT-Award winning Mike Spencer, who has previously worked with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Zayn, and Ellie Goulding.
The trio travelled to Tajikistan to record GUN tucked away amongst the country’s mountains, as they were unable to meet in Moscow or London due to Manizha’s situation and various safety concerns.
The track was originally penned in 2014 about the civil war in Tajikistan which Manizha fled when she was four in the 90s. Many things have changed since, but some only got worse: there are over 100 armed conflicts right now.
Speaking about her latest endeavour, she said: “It seems like we didn't choose this time, but the time has come when this work needed to appear.
“The song was written 10 years ago and was dedicated to the Civil war in Tajikistan. In 2022, at the rise of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, we resumed working on the song. While this work was proceeding - the 7th of October happened, followed by Gaza. Even within this short timeline of the song’s life, it’s overwhelming how many conflicts our planet is facing: there are 110 of them as of now and more seem to come all the time.
“The world is f****d up and it feels like there’s no way to change it, so for me the only way we’re gonna change anything is to look at the children because I feel like they know better than us. We always have a chance to give our children back their faith in us. Our children need peace.”
