Womad act compelled to address war in Ukraine
Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha make “ethno chaos” music – contemporary, cosmopolitan and intimate, with the soul of Ukrainian folk. We find out more with 10 questions ahead of their return to New Zealand for Womad 2024.
1 Tell us who you are and where you’re from. 2 Describe your sound (performance/dance/art) in one sentence.
We are the band DakhaBrakha from Ukraine.
Ukrainian traditional singing experimentally combined with other folk traditions and contemporary music genres.
3 How does a great festival look, feel, and sound to you?
This will be our second Womad in New Zealand. The first one is remembered as one of the brightest experiences in our festival life. Incredible nature, amazing locals who welcomed us as dear guests.
4 What can audiences expect from your performance at Womad?
Our programme has changed since our last performance, as the war has further affected our lives, and we are compelled to speak about it. The democratic world faces a tremendous challenge. We all need to realise this and make every effort to punish evil and prevent it from spreading throughout the world.
5 What’s your top festival tip/hack? 6 What are the top five songs on your playlist right now?
Try to have water with you at all times.
• Momo Wandel Soumah - Felenko Yefe.
• Tinariwen - Amassakoul ‘N’ Tenere.
• Gaiteiros De Lisboa - No´ s Daqui e Vo´ s Dali.
• Altin Gu¨ n - Anlatmam Derdimi.
• Einstu¨ rzende Neubauten - The Garden.
7 What’s one of your songs you’d recommend to someone who’s never heard you before?
It’s always hard to decide, but let it be Vesna.
8 What does success as an artist mean to you?
Success means seeing the happy faces of people you can see from the stage, even if there aren’t many.
9 What advice would you give to up-and-coming artists?
There’s nothing original to come up with here.
Don’t give up after the first failures, which often happen to beginners. Keep making music if it’s important to you and brings you joy.
10 What’s your dream relaxation spot in New Zealand?
New Zealand is a real fairytale country. We know about the national parks in this country, and we also know that it takes a lot of time to see all this beauty. But you could start with the Tongariro National Park. You could also visit Hobbiton.
Womad 2024 is from March 15-17 at Brooklands Park and the TSB Bowl of Brooklands, Ngā motu/ New Plymouth.