Ethno-Chaos by Ukrainian Band DakhaBrakha at Pohoda 2025
DakhaBrakha masterfully blend traditional Ukrainian music with influences from around the world, creating a sound they call "ethno-chaos." One of Ukraine's most sought-after musical groups will take the stage at Pohoda 2025.
21. February 2025
DakhaBrakha base their music on the beautiful polyphonic harmonies of traditional Ukrainian folk songs, blending them with rhythmic and melodic elements from India, Africa, and Australia. Punchy basslines, distorted electric guitars, and influences from jazz, spoken word, rap, and even punk—all of this can be heard in the tracks of the Kyiv-based quartet.
Formed in 2004 at Kyiv’s DAKH Centre for Contemporary Arts, DakhaBrakha was the project of avant-garde theatre director Vladyslav Troitskyi. Theatrical influence is still evident in the band today—their performances are staged with striking visual elements, including animations by various Ukrainian artists and photographs depicting life in modern Ukraine. Some of these images are bold and celebratory, while others are dark. What unites them is their reflection of the many facets of Ukrainian culture.
Since their formation, the band has played hundreds of concerts and appeared at major international festivals, including Big Ears Festival, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, WOMAD, and Denmark’s Roskilde Festival. In 2015 they played in popular sessions NPR Tiny Desk and in 2016, they even took to the main stage at Glastonbury.
The famous quartet has released seven albums, won two prestigious Shevchenko National Awards, and recorded music for the films Bitter Harvest, Mavka, and the Fargo series. The members of the band are also part of other projects such as the band Dakh Daughters and the Gogolfest festival. The band consists of percussionist Olena Tsybulska, cellist Nina Garenetska and multi-instrumentalists Marko Halanevych and Iryna Kovalenko. Currently, they are recording their first album since 2020 in Kyiv, featuring material created both before and during Russia’s war against Ukraine. We are looking forward to hearing new songs live at Pohoda.
"We can be proud to have Ukraine as our neighbour. This proud country can inspire us in many areas, including culture. The Ukrainian music scene deserves special attention - in addition to its great work, it plays an important role in its country's struggle for freedom and the values of humanism. We are honoured that the fantastic Ukrainian band DakhaBrakha will symbolically open Saturday's programme on the main stage. Great music and clear values at the same time. DakhaBrakha has already played two concerts at Pohoda and both were extremely strong. I am looking forward to seeing these amazing people again. Glory to Ukraine!", adds festival director Michal Kaščák.
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