DakhaBrakha

Ukranian quartet DakhaBrahka are known for their eerie, unpredictable, “ethno-chaotic” performances. If Eastern European roots music is new to you, you’re in for a treat. A shadowy procession to the pounding of drums, to the murmur of a cello, morphs into an anthem, an invocation, a wild and wacky breakdown. Accompanied by Indian, Arabic, African, and Ukrainian traditional instrumentation, the quartet’s powerful and uncompromising vocal range creates a trans-national sound rooted in Ukrainian culture. 

DakhaBrakha was created in 2004 at the Kyiv Center of Contemporary Art “DAKH” by the avant-garde theatre director, Vladyslav Troitskyi, and given the name that means “give/take” in the old Ukrainian language. Theatre work has left its mark on the band’s performances – their shows are always staged with a strong visual element. Drones and beats, crimson beads and towering black lambs-wool hats all serve as a striking backdrop for an unexpected, refreshingly novel vision of Eastern European roots music. This is the self-proclaimed “ethno-chaos” of Ukraine’s DakhaBrakha, a group that feels both intimately tied to their homeland, yet instantly compelling for international audiences.

DakhaBrakha is comprised of Marko Halanevych (vocals, darbuka, tabla, accordion), Iryna Kovalenko (vocals, djembe, bass drums, accordion, percussion, bugay, zgaleyka, piano), Olena Tsybulska (vocals, bass drums, percussion, garmoshka), and Nina Garenetska (vocals, cello, bass drum).