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A sonic feast as well as a visual spectacle, Kiev’s DakhaBrakha weaves ancient Ukrainian folk melodies into a subversive musical tapestry that embraces indie rock, pop, hip hop, the avant garde, and traditional instrumentation from around the world. With a name (ДахаБраха) that translates as “give/take” in old Ukrainian, the quartet began over a decade ago as the musical component of avant-garde stage performances at the DAKH Theater in Kiev, cementing the group’s arresting visual image and signature theatrics. 

Over the course of six increasingly accomplished releases, DahkaBrakha has honed a haunting musical approach based around unearthly vocal harmonies and thunderous percussion, augmented by floating cello and accordion sonorities. Heralded by Rolling Stone as the “Best Breakout” performers at 2014’s Bonnaroo festival, the band calls their music “ethno-chaos,” a moniker that perfectly describes their fearless appropriation of African, Asian, Arabic and Western influences in creation of their singular sound. With the recent political and social unrest in Ukraine, DakhaBrakha has taken on the mission of cultural ambassador, celebrating national pride in uncertain times through the limitless power of music. Their newest release, Шлях (The Road), is dedicated to those who lost their lives to protect freedom in Ukraine, and those who continue to work to protect it.

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