DakhaBrakha is a music quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine. Their “ethno chaos” sound spans years of performances prior to Russia’s 2022 invasion, but war is in everything now. Here, they masterfully blend Ukrainian traditional music with influences from around the world, resulting in an unexpected new music.

Traditional music has seen a resurgence in Ukraine over the past decades, after being suppressed during Soviet rule. DakhaBrakha uses Ukrainian polyphony as its foundation, interweaving complex rhythmic and melodic structures from India, Arabia, Africa, and Australia. Their music is textural, layered sounds with distinctive percussive heartbeats, thumping bass lines, distorted electric guitars and influences of jazz, spoken word, rap and even punk. DakhaBrakha calls this tapestry of influences “ethno chaos.” And this chaos is a strength, allowing them to draw in strands of music that connect Ukraine with the world.

They are troubadours, activists and educators. Though their name means Give/Take in the old language, DakhaBrakha is new Ukraine, both pre-colonial and post-Soviet. Moreover, they work within a global network of art and music. They aim to help audiences see Ukraine not as a monolith, but as a cosmopolitan culture. Furthermore, one that takes in other cultures, and gives in return.

DakhaBrakha was created in 2004 at the Kyiv Center of Contemporary Art “DAKH” by the avant-garde theatre director Vladyslav Troitskyi. Theatre work has left its mark on the band performances – their shows are always staged with a strong visual element. Projected behind them are a mix of animations from different Ukrainian artists and photos of life in today’s Ukraine.

The band is currently in the process of recording their first album since 2020 in Kyiv (Ukraine), which combines material created before and during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.