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American Morning

Russian Racism in a Song

Aired September 04, 2001 - 10:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: CNN ANCHOR: In Russia, there are also claims of racism. This controversy centers around a popular song that many young people know all too well.

CNN's Steve Harrigan explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE HARRIGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This hit pop song has a chorus most young Russians can sing by heart.

(SINGING): Ubili negro, ubili negro, ubili negro.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ay, yi, yi, yi ubili negro, ubili negro, ubili.

HARRIGAN (on camera): The words of the chorus are, "Ay yi yi yi yi yi yi, they killed a negro, they killed a negro."

(voice-over): The group: Zaprescheny Barbanshchiki (ph), says there is nothing racist about their song.

It is partly a joke and partly not a joke. You can understand it as you wish.

It's no joke for African-born George Blemu (ph), a Russian citizen, trained veterinarian and father of three, who has been attacked on the streets of Moscow five times in the past two years.

GEORGE BLEMU (through interpreter): Shoot, kill the negro, shoot, they were shouting, he says.

HARRIGAN: Blemu tried to hold back four attackers this summer while his wife called the police, only to discover the attackers were the police, an undercover antidrug squad.

BLEMU (through interpreter): A policeman came to the hospital and told me there was a mistake, he says, that there was an African drug dealer on the fourth floor, and that they came to arrest him.

HARRIGAN: Blemu, who had part of his intestine removed and now has to defecate through a tube, knows "They Killed A Negro."

BLEMU (through interpreter): Every day, as soon as I got on the bus to work, he says, the driver would see me and put on that song, and it hurts me a lot.

HARRIGAN: Steve Harrigan, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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