Tickets
FirstWorks Summer Beats Concerts: DakhaBrakha
VENUE CHANGE ALERT: Due to an air-conditioning system malfunction in the main theatre at The Columbus Theatre, this performance has been moved to The Strand Ballroom and Theatre at 79 Washington Street in Downtown Providence.
“From the first moment the group starts performing, it’s hard not to get caught up in the magic it weaves. … utter brilliance.”
-NPR’s Bob Boilen
A sonic feast as well as a visual spectacle, Kyiv’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 Kyiv, cementing the group’s arresting visual image and signature theatrics.
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 the creation of their singular sound. With the current war and humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine, DakhaBrakha has taken on the mission of cultural ambassador, celebrating national pride in uncertain times through the limitless power of music.
Join us in welcoming the group back for their first Providence performance since PVDFest 2019!
MARKO HALANEVYCH Vocals, darbuka, tabla, didjeridoo, accordion, trombone.
IRYNA KOVALENKO Vocals, djembe, bass drums, accordion, percussion, bugay, zgaleyka, piano.
OLENA TSYBULSKA Vocals, bass drums, percussion, garmoshka.
NINA GARENETSKA Vocals, cello, bass drum.
VLADYSLAV TROITSKYI Director, ideologist and founder of DakhaBrakha band