Go_A ( uk, Ґоу_Ей) is a Ukrainian

electro-folk Folktronica is a genre of music comprising various elements of folk music and electronica, often featuring uses of acoustic instruments – especially stringed instruments – and incorporating hip hop, electronic or dance rhythms, althoug ...

band first formed in 2012 who were set to represent

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

in the

Eurovision Song Contest 2020 The Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was planned to be the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It would have taken place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country's victory at the with the song "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. The con ...

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, with the song " Solovey". Following the cancellation of the 2020 contest due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the band represented the country in

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, this time with " Shum", with which they placed fifth in the final.

History

The idea to form a band that would combine modern electronic music with ethnic motifs first came to Taras Shevchenko in 2011, but the first attempts to work with actual musicians took place in 2012. At the end of that year, in December, the first song "Koliada" (Коляда) was released. The band's name means "return to the roots" and was made by combining the English word "Go" with the Greek letter "Alpha", which symbolizes the beginning of everything. The band first gained attention after the release of the single "Vesnianka" (Веснянка), which won the national competition The Best Track in Ukraine 2015. For six weeks, the song stayed at number one on the 10Dance chart of the Kiss FM radio station in Ukraine and was awarded Discovery of the Year by the radio station. In the fall of 2016, Go_A released their debut album ''Idy na zvuk'' (Іди на звук; Follow the Tune) under Moon Records. The album consists of ten songs, including the successful "Vesnianka". In early 2017 they released a Christmas single "Shchedryi vechir" (Щедрий вечір) in collaboration with Katia Chilly. The group was founded by Taras Shevchenko. Since its inception, the band's lineup has changed 14 times. The musicians come from different parts of Ukraine: Kateryna Pavlenko - Nizhyn, Taras Shevchenko - Kyiv, Ihor Didenchuk - Lutsk, Ivan Hryhoriak - Bukovyna.

Eurovision Song Contest

ESC 2021 Rotterdam 1st Semi Jury Show Ukraine

In early 2020, it was announced that Go_A was among the 16 acts participating in the Ukrainian national selection for Eurovision 2020 with the song " Solovey". The band performed in the first semi-final, which took place on February 8, where they placed second and thus qualified to the final. On February 22, in the final they won both the public vote and the jury vote, thus earning the right to represent Ukraine at the

in May. However, on 18 March 2020, the event was cancelled due to the

. On the same day, UA:PBC announced that the band would represent the country in

. On 4 February 2021, it was announced that " Shum" would be the song that Go_A would be performing in Rotterdam. At the Eurovision final on 22 May 2021, "Shum" placed fifth, with 364 combined public and jury points. However, in the public vote, "Shum" placed second with 267 points. Band member Ihor Didenchuk is also a member of rap group

Kalush Orchestra Kalush (stylised in all caps) is a Ukrainian rap group formed in 2019. The group consists of founder and rapper Oleh Psiuk, multi-instrumentalist Ihor Didenchuk, and breakdancer MC KylymMen (). Didenchuk is also a member of the electro-folk ba ...

, who won the contest for Ukraine .

Discography

Albums

Singles

References

Musical groups established in 2012 Ukrainian rock music groups Electronic music groups Folktronica musicians Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Ukraine Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2020 Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2021 Articles with underscores in the title 2012 establishments in Ukraine {{Ukraine-band-stub