Russia is an evil empire. We will lose without help, says the frontman of the band DakhaBrakha – Seznam Zpravy

“Stop Putin! The end of the war!” announcing the DakhaBrakha band at concerts around the world. This year, the Kyiv Quartet celebrates twenty years of existence and has been politically active since its inception during the Orange Revolution. In his work, he draws on Ukrainian folklore, but at the same time he is not afraid to develop it with international influence. On his annual tour, he will also visit Prague, on November 21 he will play at the SaSaZu club. “I would like to express my gratitude to the military campaign of your president, Petr Pavel, which saved many lives,” said frontman Marko Halanevych in the interview.

In your music, you combine traditional Ukrainian songs with elements of world music from different parts of the world. Can you tell me more about how your innovative creative approach was born?

The basis of our work is the tradition of Ukrainian vocal music. My female teammates have been listening to Ukrainian folk songs since childhood. But at the same time, we came together on the stage of the Dakh Contemporary Art Center in Kyiv, where director Vlad Troitskyi led us to experiments with sounds, rhythms and instruments from other regions of the world. In addition, we started playing with elements of blues, minimalism, but also trip hop. The result is a mixture of species that we call ethno chaos.

Are your modern versions of Ukrainian folk songs also a way to strengthen national pride during the difficult times of the Russian invasion?

Of course, our music is inherently political. He opposes Russian statements which say that Ukrainian culture, identity and language are fiction. On the other hand, our band proves that Ukrainian culture really exists and has the right to exist, because it comes from deep historical roots. In addition, it is relevant, advanced and successful. We often hear that our work inspires both our colleagues and people abroad. And Ukraine needs inspiring stories.

Has DakhaBrakha been politically active since its inception?

We formed the band in the summer of 2004, and in the winter of the same year, the Orange Revolution began. Ukrainians then took to the streets to demonstrate against the rigged presidential elections. Even then, as a theater and music group, we joined the protests to demand justice and equality before the law. So yes, DakhaBrakha was political from the very beginning.

How do you feel when you play your compositions influenced by Ukrainian folk music during the war?

For several centuries, Ukraine was not an independent state. Our country was divided between several different empires. One of them is now trying to take back the former territory and finish what started hundreds of years ago – to erase the identity of Ukraine. It is a miracle that our country still exists and continues the fight for freedom. So we are proud that we have become ambassadors of Ukrainian cultural heritage in the world. In the almost three years since the conflict began, we have written several songs in which we reflect on the war. In addition, we show visitors to our concerts the faces of heroes who are currently sacrificing themselves to save Ukraine.

You played several concerts in the United States in October and you plan to tour Europe before the end of the year. Do you meet political support for Ukraine abroad?

Certainly, that support and loyalty gives us strength. Although the governments of some countries are often cautious and reluctant to support Ukraine, we hear many encouraging words from ordinary people. We felt the strongest support so far in Georgia, where we saw even more yellow and blue flags during the concert than in Ukraine. Which is understandable, since Georgians faced Russian aggression in 2008 themselves.

We also receive great support in the Baltic countries, with whom we have long-term friendly relations. Political analysts are now even warning that if Ukraine does not resist, Estonia, Lithuania or Latvia will be the next victims of Russian aggression. But we were also surprised by the wonderful support in Mexico, where we spent a concert in 2022. People there stopped us in the street to express their respect for the impossibility and Ukrainian heroism.

How do you explain that there is so much interest in DakhaBrakha abroad?

In my opinion, the secret of our international success lies precisely in the fact that we draw on tradition, but at the same time we are willing to try many different genres. So no matter where you’re from and no matter what style you’re close to, you’ll find something close to you in our work that you can relate to. But I think our experience with the theater also helps us, which gives a special atmosphere and emotional depth to our shows.

Do you try to remind the audience at your foreign concerts that Ukrainians are still fighting against the Russian authoritarian regime?

Of course. It is clear that as the war recedes from the front pages of the world’s media, support for Ukraine is gradually decreasing. In short, the constant bombing of Ukrainian cities has ceased to be news number one. Even now, when we are on tour, we keep track of where the Russian missiles are flying and whether our children managed to hide in the anti-aircraft shelters in time . We will continue to fight and we still believe in our victory. However, no matter how brave and capable Ukrainian soldiers are, it will be very difficult to defeat the evil empire if the democratic world does not help us.

So you will not despair, but at the same time you do not see the development of the conflict too optimistic either …

We are protected on the battlefield. Although the Russians have lost a significant part of their military capability, they still have an advantage in terms of manpower and weapons. So, Ukraine is slowly losing its territories and its people, and that is the worst part of the whole situation. This is not easy to say, but if democratic countries do not increase their military support to Ukraine, we may lose the war. That would ultimately be bad news only for Ukraine. It would give the green light to totalitarian leaders around the world.

Putin himself has big plans for a new part of the world. Today, the Russians are fighting with the support of Iran, North Korea and, secretly, China. They do what they want in Ukraine. On the other hand, Ukrainians constantly face warnings and restrictions from the West. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to President Peter Pavel’s military campaign, which saved many lives. We will never forget you.

At the end of November, you can expect a concert in the SaSaZu club in Prague. At the same time, you are not performing in the Czech Republic for the first time. How do you like it here?

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. He has a sense of history, a respect for the past and a great appreciation for art. We always get great audiences here, so we look forward to every opportunity to play in Prague. In addition, I myself have a very personal, if not close, relationship with the city. My wife is also an actress and a musician, but we often participate in different projects in different countries. However, eight years ago we did a joint performance at the Dakh Theater and it was in Prague. We saw each other after six months of separation and we only had a few days. Nevertheless, we had unforgettable moments in the city. We were left not only with pictures, but also our daughter Stefania.