The Roundhouse, Camden Town, London, UK7th October 2025
DakhaBrakha
During the dark days of the Lockdowns when I could not go to shows, gigs and rituals I didn’t write any reviews on anything, but I still kept an ear and an eye open for interesting stuff to listen to. And one day a video popped up on KEXP Seattle of four quirky individuals in earthly and colourfully dark costumes playing a uniquely interesting style of Ukrainian Folk music.
The video was from 2017, so not long after the 2014 uprisings in Kyiv. I’m not a fan of Rap but they played a track called ‘Carpathian Rap’ which gave the genre a new and more nutritional vibe. So through lockdown DAKHABRAKHA were added to my expanding list of walking music.
And then in 2023 I introduced them to my fellow travellers in a van driving through Slovakia (It may have been Slovenia, all I know is that it was an S country) my fellow travellers were not really that interested due to a present preoccupation with Symphonic Metal. But I liked the organic syncopated beats and the words sung in a language I didn’t understand which added mystery and charisma to the proceedings.
Who are DAKHABRAKHA? They started out at the Dakh Arts Centre in 2004 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Their creator was Vladyslav Troitskyi and they mix Ukrainian Folk music with added elements from the surrounding world that includes Pop, Jazz, Classical, visual art and theatre, give or take. I’ll add in Metal as well because I can hear elements that would fit in there nicely.
Of course, being Ukrainian there are current political sentiments in the mix but it’s not in your face obnoxious. Since inception DAKHABRAKHA have toured extensively and have performed in The UK, all across Europe, The US and Canada, New Zealand and Australia, China and Brazil. They’ve even played Glastonbury. They have also contributed to film soundtracks such as the US / Ukraine collaboration ‘The Porcelain War’, ‘Bitter Harvest’ (Canada), ‘Fargo’ (US) and ‘Mavka: The Forest Song’ (UA).
Believe it or not they’ve also written a song for David Beckham’s grooming products, yes!! You can check out the Unian Information Agency for more info if you are so inclined. ‘The Forest Song’ is based upon a play called ‘The Forest Song’ written by Lesya Ukrainka. Finally, to date DAKHABRAKHA have released around five albums. Right then, let’s move on to the performance tonight… https://www.dakhabrakha.com.ua/
Music & Performance
When I arrived at the venue there weren’t many people queuing so it was a pretty quick and fluid exercise to get in. Getting my pass was swift and security was swift as well, it was as if they knew me. I trundled up the steps to the auditorium and passed the merchandise stand which was busy but not overtly so and had a quick look at the merch wall. A T-shirt was selling for around £30, I think a tote bag was £25. Anyway I entered the auditorium through the two double black doors to be greeted by an easy anticipatory buzz of chatter and laughter.
The inner area between the iron posts was full of people but the area outside of it near the bars was still fairly vacant. That was nice because the space kept the auditorium cooler and I could walk around unimpeded. The balcony area was still sparsely populated also. I noticed the stage had been shortened width wise and most of the tall stack monitors had been removed making the stage area less cluttered and closed in, it felt more breathy.
So far I have seen only one kafir and when I saw it I thought to myself “If this turns into a ‘Free Palestine’ shit show then I’m leaving!!!” It didn’t and I never saw that scarf again. However I did walk past a chap sitting on the ground by a post with his girlfriend, they both wore FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM T-shirts, which elicited a thumbs up from me. The rest of the crowd were conventionally attired with small groups dressed in Ukrainian costume.
Whooping a plenty started when the band entered the stage added to by enthusiastic clapping. Ok, so the lighting for the whole event was excellent, it was contrasty and autumnal and real, as in colours you’d see in nature, no fake mixing. The sound was ethereal, dreamy folksy with jazzy elements thrown in, coming from Nina Garenetska’s cello. I found the cello was always simple but thoughtful.
One track that stood out for the jazzy cello was ‘I’ve Boarded The Wrong Plane’ because it reminded me of THE DOORS. This track lilted and lolled from side to side in a matter of fact manner of glassy eyed reminiscence. This easy vibe was also present on ‘Carpathian Rap’ which I mentioned above. Olena Tsybulska playing the drums, always with brushes, the sound emphatic, not hard or jarring. She plays with straight backed charisma and straight faced determination as if an expression of emotion is sitting just out of view.
Nina Garenetska is not shy with flashing smiles throughout. Other tracks in the set included ‘Yanky’ which got the ladies bedecked in Ukrainian costume dancing, spinning and twirling. There was even a man in a kilt step dancing on the spot with his arms folded. Also played was a Christmas song called ‘Christmas Song’,weirdly, that they played because it was a song that brought people together. It had a very Black Metal vibe in my opinion, you can head bang to it, I’ve tried, it works. My ears did hurt a bit though.
And then there was ‘Baby’ from the 2014 album ‘Light’ sung by Marko Halanevych. He sings the main lines with the back of the mouth flattened to elicit a muted sound, I won’t say strangled but subtly moving in that direction. The female lines remaining bright and wider mouthed, the tone is wistfully subdued. Towards the end of the set I was wondering when they would play ‘Vesna’ (Spring).
It’s a song of new beginnings and rebirth. Putting it at the end is as smart as putting it at the beginning because the end is a beginning and a rebirth. Every minute in fact is rebirth. The track is full of vocalisations, chirps, screeches and whoops, the main vocal lead by Iryna Kovolenko and then a nice interplay between all three female artists before it all comes back together as one. The track has a springy fresh lightness to it.
At the end there’s an auction to raise money for people back home in Ukraine. A painting went for £3,000 and then a mouth harp went for over £700. And then over £600 for a Ukrainian flag. People were now starting to leave the venue in trickles whilst the crowd between the iron pillars remained fairly dense. I’m sure there were a few more songs coming after the auction but I left in good spirits to be greeted by a full Hunters moon that lit my walk down Chalk Farm Road towards my bus.
Overall everything about that show was great. There was no support, it was just the main course set out in the right portions with no starter or pudding. As I have stated the lighting was great, the sound was spot on. The vocals were note perfect, everything felt sonically justified with no embellishment and BS. And all through the show there were stills and moving images projected onto a screen behind the performers.
There were kaleidoscope animations, band images and photos / videos of soldiers on the front lines in eastern Ukraine posing for the cameras, smiling or pulling silly faces. Ordinary people, Doctors, Nurses, Bus drivers, carpenters, computer programmers, fitness instructors, everyone from all walks of life defending their country. I looked around the auditorium and when I left the auditorium I looked at people and the question I asked in silence was: “Would you? What about you? You definitely wouldn’t! But would you defend your country?” I let the question hang, no answers came as my bus drew closer…
Line-up
Marko Halanevych: Vocal, Darbuka, Tabla, Didgeridoo,Accordion and Trombone
Iryna Kvalenko: Vocals, Djembe, Bass Drums, Accordion, percussion, Bugay, Zgaleyka and Piano
Olena Tsybulska: Vocals, Drums, Percussion and Garmoshka
Nina Garenetska: Vocals, Cello and bass Drum
Setlist
01. I’ve Boarded The Wrong Plane
02. Carpathian Rap
03. Yanky
04. Christmas Song
05. Lado
06. Baby
07. Vesna
All Pictures by Claudia Black
