Massey Hall and Small World Music present

Direct from Kyiv, DakhaBrakha returns to Toronto with its self-described “ethno chaos” of folk-pop punk.

Reflecting fundamental elements of sound and soul, DakhaBrakha creates a world of unexpected new music. Experimenting with Ukrainian folk music accompanied by Indian, Arabic, African, and Ukrainian traditional instrumentation, the quartet’s astonishingly powerful and uncompromising vocal range creates a transnational sound rooted in Ukrainian culture. At the crossroads of Ukrainian folklore and theatre, their musical spectrum is at first intimate then riotous, plumbing the depths of contemporary roots and rhythms, inspiring “cultural and artistic liberation.”

"The group mixes everything from punk-pop to traditional Ukrainian songs in cool yet beguiling textures, often with the close harmonies usually associated with Balkan music. But it’s really the live shows that take DakhaBrakha beyond mere curiosity to utter brilliance." –NPR

A quartet of musicians in modern versions of traditional Ukrainian dress perform traditional Ukrainian music interwoven with complex rhythmic and melodic structures from around the world. Their music is textural, layered sounds with distinctive percussive heartbeats, thumping bass, distorted electric guitars and influences of jazz, spoken word, rap and even punk.