DakhaBrakha

Folk, world, punk, rap? Yes!

DakhaBrakha (Ukraine)

“The group mixes everything from punk-pop to traditional Ukrainian songs…But it’s really their live shows that take DakhaBrakha beyond curiosity to utter brilliance.” – NPR

Folk, world, punk, rap? Yes!

DakhaBrakha is a quartet of accomplished multi-instrumentalist and vocalists from Kiev whose tastes, talents and tunes cross multiple borders, ethnicities and eras to create an astonishing trans-cultural sound rooted deeply in traditional Ukrainian folksong.

Created by avant-garde theatre director Vladyslav Troitskyi for productions at the Kyiv Center of Contemporary Art in 2004, DakhaBrakha (which means give/take in old Ukrainian) retain elements of the dramatic in their elaborate garb and compelling performance style.

The group’s music is based on songs collected in Ukraine villages by folklorists, then infused by the global musicality of its four extremely talented and urban-dwelling musicians whose influences include American pop hits and dance music, African rhythms, Indian tabla, and Jamaican dub, among many others. With percussion and accordion as key elements, they play an array of Indian, Arabic, African, Russian and Australian traditional instruments.

A DakhaBrakha concert set list could see the foursome seamlessly move from a Crimea-based love song in the “Tatar language” to a tune of Carpathian origin sung in a rap style, a striking Middle Eastern-inspired piece, a touch of reggae, bird calls, Balkan yips and close harmonies, to traditional call and response singing.

Totally unique and utterly mesmerizing, it’s no wonder they win fans everywhere – sometimes in unexpected places: they “went into Bonaroo as unknowns but ended up with one of the most receptive crowds of the weekend. They got cheers for mournful accordion and apocalyptic cello…Animal noises and bird whistles…” – Rolling Stone

They’re at the festival all weekend. Come see DakhaBrakha early and often!

SiteLock