The Ukrainians

The music of Ukraine can trace its origins to prehistory. Some of the earliest drums and flutes were found among mammoth bones from ice age settlements in the region and since that time the fertile lands of Ukraine have nurtured many of Europe's and Asian's major civilisations. Each has left its mark leaving the rich and distinct musical legacy found in Ukraine today. There are many instruments typical of traditional Ukrainian music. The bandura, tsymbaly and the trembita having a unique sound that accompanies one of the more gentle sounding Slavonic languages. Traditional songs describe the passing of the seasons, the beauty of the countryside and the cycle of life. There are songs for harvests, Easter, Christmas and many that have origins well before Christianity arrived in the 10th century. Above all, the songs reflect the deep emotions and passions of a nation that had been denied independence for 700 years. The Ukrainians is a group that springs from this tradition. Calling on their cultural history to write theeir own songs, they have added to the wealth of Ukrainian culture, as many of their compositions are played alongside old traditional favourites by today's Ukrainian bands. So, put this CD in your player and down-in-one a stiff quadruple vodka. Listen to Zavtra and dance round the room like a fired-up kozak before riding off to war. Get caught up in the whirlwind that is The Ukrainians! By the time you reach the delicate beauty of the final track, Son, you will have experienced the whole spectrum of emotions.