Ukraine - Kyiv

 We arrive in Kyiv on our virtual trip, formerly better known with it's Russian pronunciation of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine and where the famous chicken dish originated. 

We start with the folk music quartet DakhaBrakha, who have garnered quite a large audience abroad and have somewhat become international ambassadors for Ukraine.  They were established in 2004 as a live theatre crew for an avantgarde theatre company the Dakh Contemporary Arts Centre, their name being a play on words of the the name of the centre Dakh meaning roof and Dakha (give) and Brakha (take). They perform Ukrainian songs combined with various other world music influences in what they call 'ethnic chaos', dressed in elaborate costumes.  I first came across them at the NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert, and have been hooked on their music ever since.  It's so unique and full of joy!

One of the members of DakhaBrakha is also a member of all female dark cabaret troupe Dakh Daughters, also associated with the Dakh theatre.  They have moved further away from tradition towards a poetry of anger to the rhythms of drums of war, with lyrics in various languages and often based on texts by classical authors.  Here is a song from their 2021 album Make Up called Rosy, based on Shakespeare's Sonnet 35:

Music producer Pavel Lenchenko, aka CEPASA from Kyiv produces electronic music that sits somewhere between downtempo, house and techno music rooted in Ukraine.  Synths, drum machine, guitar and his voice create a moody soundscape.  Here is an ode to his home city Kyiv with some nice shots of the city from his 2022 album Niby Chaiky:

Fusion project Bleu are a coming together in 2022 of Ukrainian singers Borys Cholewka and Sophie Tabakov with a group of Moroccan musicians playing the likes of oud and darbukka, plus Belgian accordionist Maurice Blanchy.  Their repertoire consists of traditional Slavonic songs from the wider region, rearranging them to suit the unusual instrumentation.  The result is their 2022 album Tchekala, which was recorded in Belgium.  Here is a stirring song from the album called Kozak:

 Ukrainian folk ensemble Bozhychi were established in 1999 and are very traditional in outlook.  They went on expeditions all around the country including a canoe trip up the rivers to unearth dance tunes and songs from the villages.  They now advise the Ukrainian parliament in matters of youth policy and culture.  Here are some extracts from a live performance in 2014:

That's it from Kyiv, next we are going to explore the rest of Ukraine, including some of the currently occupied territories.  Meanwhile you can follow my virtual journey on my Tripline map.