NEW YORK – The folk ensemble Ukrainian Village Voices (UVV) launched its self-titled, debut album to an enthusiastic crowd at St. George Academy on June 3. It was a joyous celebration of UVV’s LP, released on Jalopy Records, and also a fund-raiser for the group’s upcoming expedition to Ukraine.
Founded in 2012, UVV is dedicated to the polyphonic singing style traditional in Ukraine’s villages. Members learn songs by ear; the songs have been passed down for generations and recorded by ethnomusicologists from the oldest village dwellers. Incredibly, of the 18 current season members, merely half have a Ukrainian ethnic connection and only six singers speak Ukrainian fluently. However, what all members share is a deep love for this unique and powerful music tradition.
The concert was well attended by a mixture of Ukrainian expats, Americans of Eastern European heritage, ethnomusicology students, and curious friends. Crowd favorites from UVV’s performance included the mournful “Kolo Richky” (By the River) from Poltava Oblast, and Vinnytsia Oblast’s lively “Svatav Mene Popiv Syn (The Priest’s Son Was Courting Me), in which a girl laments turning down a man’s marriage proposal because she could have used his money to hire a handsome farmhand. A boisterous women’s toasting song, “Shcho u Sadu Vyshnevomu” (In the Cherry Orchard) from Kyiv’s left bank region, showered blessings upon the audience.
The show also featured two musical groups that are dear friends and supporters of UVV. Supruli, a traditional Georgian folk and liturgical polyphonic choir led by musical director Carl Linich, opened the show. The concert continued with Cheres, a vibrant four-piece band led by Andriy Milavsky, playing spirited songs from countries of the Carpathian Mountains.
UVV has performed over 50 times at venues such as Brooklyn Folk Festival, Zlatne Uste Golden Festival, Roots n’ Ruckus Fest and the St. George Ukrainian Festival, and on New Jersey radio station WFMU. The group has also organized more than 45 public vocal workshops led by native and diaspora Ukrainians.
This July, the choir will be making its first trip to Ukraine to learn songs directly from the source. Members will spend two intensive weeks traveling throughout Ukraine, documenting songs and rituals. Led by Ihor Perevertniuk, a highly respected ethnomusicologist and folk singer in Ukraine, the group will stay in the homes of the singers in each village and learn songs that are quickly disappearing. UVV will share this music at a culminating performance at The Ukrainian Museum on November 17 and at a vocal workshop, both in New York City.
To support UVV on its upcoming expedition to Ukraine in pursuit of keeping village music alive in the contemporary world, readers can donate via a GoFundMe campaign at gofundme.com/UVVUkraineTrip2018. Digital and CD albums are available for purchase on bandcamp.com. Readers may reach out to UVV through the website ukrainianvillagevoices.com.
Daniel Graindorge
Women sing a piercing song from the Chornobyl region.