Pop music in Ukraine
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Pop music in Ukraine is Western influenced
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...
in its various forms that has been growing in popularity in
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 ...
since the 1960s.


Decades


1970s

The 1970s saw the emergence of a number of folk rock groups. One of the most prominent was a group known as Kobza which included 2 electric banduras. Initially it started off as an instrumental group playing folk inspired cool jazz. Other groups gradually appeared on the scene primarily from Western Ukraine such as Medikus, Smerichka. Major contributions were made by songwriter
Volodymyr Ivasiuk Volodymyr Mykhailovych Ivasyuk or Volodymyr Ivasiuk ( uk, Володи́мир Миха́йлович Івасю́к) (4 March 1949 – 24–27 April 1979) was a Ukraine, Ukrainian songwriter, composer and poet. He is the author and composer o ...
and singer Sofia Rotaru and
Nazariy Yaremchuk Nazariy Nazarovych Yaremchuk ( uk, Назарій Назарович Яремчук) was a Hutsul Ukrainian singer, born in the village of Rivnya, Chernivtsi Oblast. He was posthumously named Hero of Ukraine in August 2021. Until his death in 19 ...
. In a development the KGB defined as "radio hooliganism", from the end of the sixties thousands of high-school and college students In
Dnipro Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...
petrovsk became ham radio enthusiasts, recording and rebroadcasting western popular music. Annual KGB reports regularly drew a connection between anti-Soviet behavior and enthusiasm for western pop culture, but in 1980 conceded that all ideological and police efforts had failed to stem its spread.


1980s

After the death of
V. Ivasiuk ''V.'' is the debut novel of Thomas Pynchon, published in 1963. It describes the exploits of a discharged U.S. Navy sailor named Benny Profane, his reconnection in New York with a group of pseudo-bohemian artists and hangers-on known as the Wh ...
in 1978, developments in Ukrainian pop music almost ground to a halt. Even established folk -rock groups such as Kobza began to sing in Russian. The songs of Ivasiuk were rarely heard on the radio and many of the established singers such as Sofia Rotaru began to sing in Russian exclusively. Many Ukrainian musicians moved to Moscow, and various Moscow based Pop groups had a pop songs in the Ukrainian language such as the group Samotvety - Verba. Following
Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
's
perestroika ''Perestroika'' (; russian: links=no, перестройка, p=pʲɪrʲɪˈstrojkə, a=ru-perestroika.ogg) was a political movement for reform within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during the late 1980s widely associated wit ...
reforms, a small number of pop acts such as Russya and Vechirnya Shkola came on the scene, performing the Soviet italo disco pop that was becoming popular throughout the USSR.


1990s

The 1990s saw an explosion in the Ukrainian Pop music world. This was brought on by the Chervona Ruta FestivalChervona Ruta Festival which was held in Chernivtsi in 1989 and sponsored by the Kobza corporation and Pisennyi Vernisazh - New Ukrainian Wave 92 (Kyiv) sponsored / producing by the Rostyslav - Show Agency. At the end of the 80's it was considered that Ukrainian language based rock would not be effective. The sponsoring of a Ukrainian only festival did much to change this perception. Music groups (hoort) that came to prominence were: *Komu Vnyz *Ne zhurys' * Taras Petrynenko and Hrono In the 1900s Ukrainian music in itself was not as popular as it is in this day. Green Grey was by far the most popular trip hop group in the country. Green Grey was the first Ukrainian band that was endorsed by Pepsi. The band did many concerts internationally. At the end of the 90 most popular pop singer among teenagers was Yurko Yurchenko. At his concerts was something unimaginable. Many compared the level of fanaticism with the band "The Beatles".


2000s

In recent times folkloric elements have made a resurgence in modern Ukrainian pop music. Hutsul folk melodies, rhythms and dance moves were used by the Ruslana, winner of the
Eurovision Song Contest 2004 The Eurovision Song Contest 2004 was the 49th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Istanbul, Turkey, following the country's victory at the with the song "Everyway That I Can" by Sertab Erener. Organised by the European Broa ...
. * Sofia Rotaru – released a number of Ukrainian language albums that were in top chart positions (''
Yedinomu ''Yedynomu'' ( uk, Єдиному, russian: Единому — literally "To the Only One") - is the third studio album of Sofia Rotaru, recorded in Ukraine. The album was released in 2003 in Ukraine and Russia with 16 tracks with consequent world ...
'') *
Okean Elzy Okean Elzy ( uk, Океан Ельзи, translation: ''Elza's Ocean'') is a Ukrainian rock band. It was formed in 1994 in Lviv, Ukraine. The band's vocalist and frontman is Svyatoslav Vakarchuk. In April 2007 Okean Elzy received ''FUZZ Magazine ...
– popular rock band * Ruslana - singer, composer, pianist, conductor - Won the Eurovision Song contest for Ukraine in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
*
Verka Serduchka Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko ( uk, Андрі́й Миха́йлович Дани́лко; born 2 October 1973), better known as his drag persona Verka Serduchka ( uk, Вє́рка Сердю́чка, links=no, ; russian: Ве́рка Серд ...
- singer *
Svetlana Loboda Svitlana Serhiivna Loboda ( uk, Світлана Сергіївна Лобода; born 18 October 1982), also known by the stage name LOBODA, is a Ukrainian singer and composer. Loboda represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 and ...
- singer * VIA GRA *
nikitA Nikita may refer to: * Nikita (given name) * Nikita, Crimea, a town in Crimea * Nikita the Tanner, a character in East Slavic folklore Film and television *''Little Nikita'', a 1988 film * ''La Femme Nikita'' (film), also known as ''Nikita'', a 19 ...
*
neAngely NuAngels, also known by their former name neAngely (Ukrainian & Russian: неАнгелы), is a Ukrainian duo that was formed in 2006 by Ukrainian producer Yuriy Nikitin. The duo is made up of Oksana Kuznyetsova ( uk, Оксана Кузнєцо ...
*
Potap & Kamenskikh Oleksiy Andriyovich Potapenko ( uk, Олексій Андрійович Потапенко; born 8 May 1981), known professionally as Potap, is a Ukrainian singer, rapper, songwriter and producer. He has been involved as a performer and/or pro ...
* Vremya I Steklo Highly popular duo with the biggest name recognition in the West of all Ukrainian and Russian Language artists * Ani Lorak * Anyuta Slavskaya *
Natalka Karpa Natalka Karpa ( uk, Наталка Карпа; 14 August 1981), born Nataliya Semenivna Karpa ( uk, Наталія Семенівна Карпа) is a Ukrainian singer, TV-host, and the "Distinguished Artist of Ukraine" (2009). She is closely ass ...
* Natalia Mohilevska (Nataliya Mogilёvskaya) * Zlata Ognevich - singer - represented Ukraine at the
Eurovision Song Contest 2013 The Eurovision Song Contest 2013 was the 58th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Malmö, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Euphoria" by Loreen. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EB ...
and participated in the Ukrainian national selections in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. *
Anastasia Prikhodko Anastasia Kostyantynivna Prikhodko ( uk, Анастасія Костянтинівна Приходько, Anastasiya Kostyantynivna Prykhodko; born 21 April 1987) is a Ukrainian activist, politician and former singer-songwriter. Known for her ...
- singer - represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 and participated in the Ukrainian national selection in 2009, 2011 and 2016. Ukrainian pop and folk music arose with the international popularity of groups like Vopli Vidoplyasova, Viy,
Okean Elzy Okean Elzy ( uk, Океан Ельзи, translation: ''Elza's Ocean'') is a Ukrainian rock band. It was formed in 1994 in Lviv, Ukraine. The band's vocalist and frontman is Svyatoslav Vakarchuk. In April 2007 Okean Elzy received ''FUZZ Magazine ...
, and so on. The group
Kazaky Kazaky is a Ukrainian synthpop dance boyband, made up of Kyryll Fedorenko, Artur Gaspar and Artemiy Lazarev. Assembled in Kyiv in 2010 by former original member Zhezhel, a skilled choreographer, the group has released two albums and several sing ...
became one of Ukraine's first outfits to achieve a degree of international recognition only weeks after its constitution in 2010 by relying on the impact of its video through the internet.


2010s

Despite the deteriorated relations between Ukraine and Russia in 2016, new Ukrainian bands achieved Russian charts success. The wave of Ukrainian artists making Russian chart success has been labeled "UkrPop". Since the
2014 Russian annexation of Crimea In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This event took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and is part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War. The events in Kyiv th ...
, Okean Elzy and
BoomBox A boombox is a transistorized portable music player featuring one or two cassette tape recorder/players and AM/FM radio, generally with a carrying handle. Beginning in the mid 1980s, a CD player was often included. Sound is delivered through ...
stopped performing in
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, but they were one of the few Ukrainian artists to do so. Most tried to avoid making political statements and continue to perform in Russia. Ukrainian artists and bands with rising success in the 2010s include
Maruv Hanna Borysivna Korsun ( uk, Ганна Борисівна Корсун; , uk, Попелюх; born 15 February 1991), known professionally as Maruv (stylized in all caps), is a Ukrainian singer. She used to be part of the band Maruv from Fe ...
,
Kazka Kazka (stylized in all caps; uk, Казка, ) is a Ukrainian band that performs pop with elements of electro-folk. Since its creation in 2017, vocalist Oleksandra Zaritska, sopilka player Dmytro Mazuriak and multi-instrumentalist Mykyta Bud ...
and The Hardkiss. In 2016, Ukraine won the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
for the second time, this time with Jamala with the song
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...
, which was partly sung in Crimean Tatar. On 8 November 2018, a law came into force that mandated Ukrainian radio stations to broadcast no less than 35% of songs in
Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
. If it plays 60% of its songs in the official languages of the European Union, then 25% is the minimum.


Styles


Russia pop music in Ukraine

Russian pop (russian: Русская попса, Russkaya popsa; russian: Русская эстрада, Russkaya
estrada Estrada is a Spanish surname and Portuguese term. Notable people with the surname include: * Armando Estrada, actually Hazem Ali, professional wrestler * Arturo Estrada Hernández, Mexican painter *Carla Estrada, Mexican producer *Chuck Estrada, Am ...
) is arguably the leading music style in Ukraine,Top-11 Russian stars with Ukrainian roots. Origins of many whom I did not even know! (Топ-11 російських зірок з українським корінням. Про походження багатьох я і не знала!)
Ukr.Media. 30 August 2017
post-Soviet countries and Russian diaspora. Ukraine has the biggest Russian diaspora (see Russians in Ukraine). In the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, Ukraine used to produce up to half of all Russian speaking pop singers in the World.Tetyana Polishchuk.
Russian reanimates its estrada in Ukraine (Росія реанімує свою естраду в Україні)
'. ''
Den Den may refer to: * Den (room), a small room in a house * Maternity den, a lair where an animal gives birth Media and entertainment * ''Den'' (album), 2012, by Kreidler * Den (''Battle Angel Alita''), a character in the ''Battle Angel Alita' ...
''. 16 May 2000
Among the biggest music promoters in Ukraine is
Filip Kirkorov Philipp Bedrosovich Kirkorov PAR (russian: Филипп Бедросович Киркоров; bg, Филип Бедросов Киркоров, Filip Bedrosov Kirkorov; born 30 April 1967) is a Bulgarian-born Russian pop singer. He is a five ...
and Arkadiy Ukupnik. Many singers in Ukraine sing in both Russian and Ukrainian languages.


List of Russian speaking singers

*
Lolita Milyavskaya Lolita Markovna Milyavskaya (russian: Лоли́та Ма́рковна Миля́вская, née Горелик (Gorelik); uk, Лоліта Марківна Мілявська; born 14 November 1963) is a Russian singer, actress, TV and film d ...
Mukacheve Mukachevo ( uk, Мукачево, ; hu, Munkács; see name section) is a city in the valley of the Latorica river in Zakarpattia Oblast (province), in Western Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of Mukachevo Raion (district), the city ...
, Zakarpattia Oblast * Natasha Korolyova
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
* Vera Brezhneva – Dniprodzerzhynsk (
Kamianske Kamianske ( uk, Кам'янське, ), formerly Dniprodzerzhynsk, is an industrial city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast of Ukraine and a port on the Dnieper. Administratively, it serves as the administrative center of Kamianske Raion. Kamianske hosts ...
),
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Dnipropetrovsk Oblast ( uk, Дніпропетро́вська о́бласть, translit=Dnipropetrovska oblast), also referred to as Dnipropetrovshchyna ( uk, Дніпропетро́вщина), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, obla ...
* Stas Kostyushkin
Odesa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative ...
* Anna Sedokova
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
*
Anastasia Stotskaya Anastasia Aleksandrovna Stotskaya (russian: Анастасия Александровна Стоцкая; born 8 October 1982, Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR) is a Russian pop singer and actress. Early life Anastasia Stotskaya was born on 8 Oct ...
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
*
Iosif Kobzon Iosif (Joseph) Davydovich Kobzon (russian: link=no, Ио́сиф Давы́дович Кобзо́н; 11 September 1937 – 30 August 2018) was a Russian singer, known for his crooner style. Early life Kobzon was born to Jewish parents in the ...
Chasiv Yar Chasiv Yar ( uk, Ча́сів Яр, ; russian: Часов Яр) is a city in Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast (oblast, province) of Ukraine. Population: . History In 1938, the urban-type settlement became a city. During the Second World War, from ...
,
Donetsk Oblast The Donetsk Oblast ( ukr, Донецька область, Donetska oblast, ), also referred to as Donechchyna ( ukr, Донеччина, links=no), is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 mill ...
*
Svetlana Loboda Svitlana Serhiivna Loboda ( uk, Світлана Сергіївна Лобода; born 18 October 1982), also known by the stage name LOBODA, is a Ukrainian singer and composer. Loboda represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 and ...
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
* Tatiana Ovseyenko
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
*
Lyudmila Senchina Lyudmila Petrovna Senchina (russian: Людми́ла Петро́вна Се́нчина; 13 January 1948 or 13 December 1950, – 25 January 2018) was a Soviet and Russian singer (soprano). In 1979 she was awarded the title of Meritorious Arti ...
– village in
Bratske Raion Bratske Raion ( uk, Братський район) was a subdivision of Mykolaiv Oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center was the urban-type settlement of Bratske. The raion was abolished on 18 July 2020 as part of the administrative reform o ...
, Mykolaiv Oblast *
Anzhelika Varum Anzhelika Varum (russian: link=no, Анжели́ка Вару́м), real name Maria Yurievna Varum (russian: link=no, Мари́я Ю́рьевна Вару́м; born 26 May 1969), is a Russian singer and actress, and an Honored Artist of the Rus ...
Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
* NK
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
*
Potap Oleksiy Andriyovich Potapenko ( uk, Олексій Андрійович Потапенко; born 8 May 1981), known professionally as Potap, is a Ukrainian singer, rapper, songwriter and producer. He has been involved as a performer and/or pro ...
– Kyiv *
Verka Serduchka Andriy Mykhailovych Danylko ( uk, Андрі́й Миха́йлович Дани́лко; born 2 October 1973), better known as his drag persona Verka Serduchka ( uk, Вє́рка Сердю́чка, links=no, ; russian: Ве́рка Серд ...
Poltava Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administratively ...
*
Olya Polyakova Olha Yuriivna Polyakova ( uk, Ольга Юріївна Полякова; born 17 January 1979) is a Ukrainian singer, TV presenter, and comedian known as ''Super Blonde''. Career At 15, she began her singing career at Bakhus (Bacchus) restauran ...
Vinnytsia Vinnytsia ( ; uk, Вінниця, ; yi, װיניצע) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. A ...
* YolkaUzhhorod


List of singers in both languages

* Taisia Povaliy – village in
Bila Tserkva Raion Bila Tserkva Raion ( uk, Білоцерківський район) is a raion (district) in Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Bila Tserkva. Population: . On 18 July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukr ...
,
Kyiv Oblast Kyiv Oblast ( uk, Ки́ївська о́бласть, translit=Kyïvska oblast), also called Kyivshchyna ( uk, Ки́ївщина), is an oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, w ...
* Ani Lorak
Kitsman Kitsman ( uk, Кіцмань, Kicmań, ; ro, Coțmani, older or ; yi, קאצמאן, Kotzman) is a city located in Chernivtsi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast, in the historical region of Bukovina of western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of K ...
, Chernivtsi Oblast *
Natalia Mogilevskaya Natalia Oleksiyivna Mohylevska,. née Mohyla. (born 2 August 1975), also known by her stage name Nataliya Mogilevskaya,. is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, composer, actress and TV presenter, producer. National Artist of Ukraine (2004). She gra ...
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
* Sofia Rotaru – village in Novoselytsia Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast *
Oleg Vinnik Oleh Vynnyk ( uk, Олег Винник, born 31 July 1973) is a Ukrainian electronic pop musician and actor. He has performed in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as a lead actor of several musicals under the stage name OLEGG. Biography Earl ...
– village in Cherkasy Raion, Cherkasy Oblast *
Monatik Dmytro Monatyk ( uk, Дмитро «Діма» Монатик; born 1 April 1986 in Lutsk), professionally known as MONATIK, is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, dancer, composer. He opened the first semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 ...
Lutsk * Melovin
Odesa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrative ...


Rock

Ukrainian rock Ukrainian rock ( uk, Український рок) is rock music from Ukraine. While it is rock it is important for those who follow Ukrainian contemporary music to understand the VIA music scene of the 1970s and 1980s. This controlled form of ...
bands include
Braty Hadiukiny Braty Hadiukiny ( uk, Брати Гадюкіни), or simply Hady ( uk, Гади) is a Ukrainian rock band from Lviv, one of the most successful Ukrainian bands of Soviet times. The band's musical style combines different genres such as rock'n'r ...
/Брати Гадюкіни,
Komu Vnyz Komu Vnyz ( uk, Кому Вниз, ) is a Ukrainian rock band founded in 1988. Komu Vnyz's music is a blend of gothic and industrial styles, combined with the lyrics of ancient Ukrainian legends. The band name is a '' perestroika''-era derogat ...
,
Plach Yeremiyi Plach Yeremiyi ( uk, Плач Єремії) is a Ukrainian rock band from Lviv, Ukraine. The band was actually formed in February 1990, but the two most constant musicians - Taras Chubay and Vsevolod Dyachyshyn have played together since 1984 in ...
/Плач Єремії, Taras Petrynenko, Viy, Vopli Vidoplyasova, Yurcash, Burning Hearts and others.
Opalnyi Prynz Opalnyi Prynz ( uk, Опальний Принц) was an influential and popular Ukraine, Ukrainian folk-rock, Ukrainian rock band; the band which came out of musical project called Strus Mozku ( uk, Струс Мозку), or 'Brain Concussion', i ...
/Opalni Prinz/Опальний Принц was, perhaps, the most influential Rock band in the late 80's.
Okean Elzy Okean Elzy ( uk, Океан Ельзи, translation: ''Elza's Ocean'') is a Ukrainian rock band. It was formed in 1994 in Lviv, Ukraine. The band's vocalist and frontman is Svyatoslav Vakarchuk. In April 2007 Okean Elzy received ''FUZZ Magazine ...
, featuring Slava Vakarchuk has long been among the most popular bands of Ukrainian pop-rock, and has had some success abroad. The pop-singer Ruslana also uses some elements of rock in her work. The Hardkiss - one of the outstanding Ukrainian indie-bands. Interesting in rock music is Skryabin. The
Rock legends of Ukraine Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
is a series of compilations of the best works of known Ukrainian rock groups. New wave of rock music in Ukraine is represented by such bands as TOL, Skinhate ( Hardcore),
Flëur Flëur was a musical collective from the Ukrainian city of Odesa, being unique for the Ukrainian musical scene. The collective was based around the two original members and frontwomen Olga Pulatova (Ольга Пулатова) and Olena Voinarovs ...
, Ya i Drug Moi Gruzovik, Snuff, Pictures Inside Me, Fakultet (
New Metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal ...
),
S.K.A.Y. SKAI is a Ukrainian pop-rock band. Skai may refer to: * Skai Group, Greek media group, contains : :* Skai TV, a Greek television network. :* Skai 100.3, a Greek radio station. * a fictional river located near the town of Ulthar in the Dreamland ...
(
Pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
),
Marakesh Marrakesh or Marrakech ( or ; ar, مراكش, murrākuš, ; ber, ⵎⵕⵕⴰⴽⵛ, translit=mṛṛakc}) is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco. It is one of the four Imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakes ...
(
Alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
), Holy Blood (
Folk metal Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for exampl ...
), Kara, FACTOR 150 (Christian
Metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...
), Robots Don't Cry ( Punk rock), Opozitsiya, xDeviantx, E42, The Homebodies,
Jinjer Jinjer ( "ginger") is a Ukrainian metalcore band from Donetsk, formed in 2008. None of the founding members remain with the band. The current lineup considers 2009 as its official year of formation, with the arrival of singer Tatiana Shmailyuk ...
(Metalcore / Prog Metal), etc.


Black Metal

Influenced by their Norwegian counterparts, Black Metal bands include
Nokturnal Mortum Nokturnal Mortum are a Ukrainian black metal band from Kharkiv. They were one of the founders of the Ukrainian black metal scene and pioneers in the early National Socialist black metal ("NSBM") scene. The band has claimed to have moved away f ...
, Lucifugum,
Drudkh Drudkh is a Ukrainian black metal band. It currently consists of (former member of Hate Forest and Dark Ages), Thurios (former member of Astrofaes), Krechet, and Vlad. All four also belonged to Blood of Kingu until it was disbanded. Their ly ...
,
Hate Forest Hate Forest is a Ukrainian black metal band formed by Roman Saenko, the leading member of Drudkh, Dark Ages, and Blood of Kingu. Thurios joined the band in 1998 after the recording of ''Scythia''. The music is mostly very fast, but occasionally ...
, Astrofaes, Holy Blood,
Blood of Kingu Blood of Kingu was a black metal band from Ukraine formed in 2005 by Roman Saenko, the main member of Drudkh, Dark Ages and Hate Forest. Lyrically, Blood of Kingu deals with Sumerian/ Ancient Egyptian and Indo-European mythology and history. ...
, Raventale, Lutomysl and Dub Buk.


A Cappella vocal groups

Pikardiyska Tertsiya, Mensound


Singer-songwriter

Viktor Morozov, Andriy Panchyshyn,
Eduard Drach Eduard Drach ( uk, Едуард Драч) born 1965 in Kryvyi Rih, in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union – in present-day Ukraine) is а prominent and influential composer, singer-songwriter, kobzar, and bandurist. ...
. Юрко Юрченко


Fusion groups

The band Mandry is known for fusing traditional Ukrainian music with rock, blues, reggae and chansons.


Hip-hop

One of the prominent groups is Tanok Na Maydani Kongo ("The Dance on the Congo Square") which raps in the Ukrainian language (specifically the Slobozhanshchyna dialect) and mix hip hop with indigenous Ukrainian elements. Most Hip-hop in Ukraine is however in Russian. Ukraine's 2005 entry in the Eurovision Song Contest, GreenJolly's "Together We Are Many", had recently been the unofficial anthem of the Orange Revolution. Eurovision required the lyrics be changed for the contest version because of rules against political content. Recently a new artist named Vova zi Lvova (literally "Vova (Volodymyr) from Lviv"), part of a collective known as Chorne ta Bile ("Black and White"), has entered onto the Ukrainian hip hop scene, gaining attention not only because of his serious lyrics (compared to groups such as TNMK, which frequently sing humorous or joke songs) but also because of his unique usage of the Ukrainian language in his lyrics.


Popular performers in Ukraine

* Vopli Vidoplyasova – Ukrainian folk-rock (http://vopli.com.ua) *
Plach Yeremiji Plach Yeremiyi ( uk, Плач Єремії) is a Ukrainian rock band from Lviv, Ukraine. The band was actually formed in February 1990, but the two most constant musicians - Taras Chubay and Vsevolod Dyachyshyn have played together since 1984 in th ...
– rock music *
Mandry Mandry ( uk, Мандри) is a Ukrainian folk-rock/blues/ska band formed in 1998 in Kyiv. The band's vocalist and lead member is Serhiy Fomenko. Their music combines traditional Ukrainian folk music with modern rhythms, influenced by urban lif ...
- Mix of Ukrainian folk-rock and other genres (http://www.mandrymusic.com) * Viy – Ukrainian folk-rock (https://web.archive.org/web/20080505045203/http://www.viy.in.ua/) *
DakhaBrakha DakhaBrakha is a Ukrainian folk music quartet which combines the musical styles of several ethnic groups. It was a winner of the in 2009 and the Shevchenko National Prize in 2020. DakhaBrakha is a project of the Dakh Contemporary Arts Center, l ...
– folk music * The Hardkiss – progressive-pop * Yurcash - Ukrainian folk-rock, ska, punk * Hrystyna Soloviy - Ukrainian folk-pop


Music of the Ukrainian Diaspora

Pop music in the Ukrainian diaspora took off in the mid sixties in Western Canada with cover recordings by the Drifters 5 of
Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
tunes. They were followed by performers such as Mikey and Bunny. In the 1970s Montreal positioned itself as a major centre for Ukrainian Diaspora pop music mainly through the efforts of Bohdan Tymyc and his Yevshan corporation. Yevshan released numerous recordings by Zabava bands such as
Rushnychok Rushnychok (Ukrainian: РУШНИЧОК) was a Ukrainian-Canadian four-person music ensemble from Lachine, Quebec, Canada actively performing from 1969 to 1980 and later for small audiences. Considered the best Ukrainian diaspora The Ukrainian ...
, Syny stepiv. It is through Yevshan that Luba Kovalchuk recorded here first recordings and started her rise through an album called Zoria (Album cover by Maurice Prokaziuk). *
Julian Kytasty Julian Kytasty ( uk, Юліян Китастий) is an American composer, singer, kobzar, bandurist, flautist, and conductor of Ukrainian descent. He was born January 23, 1958, in Detroit, Michigan, in a family of refugees. Biography His first ...
– singer, composer, kobzar, bandurist *
Mariana Sadovska Mariana Sadovska (born 1972, Lviv, Ukraine) is a Ukrainian actress, singer, musician, recording artist, and composer, resident in Cologne. Biography Sadovska began her work with Les Kurbas Theater (Lviv, Ukraine) at Anatole Vasiliev's Festival ...
– singer, composer *
Eugene Hutz Eugene may refer to: People and fictional characters * Eugene (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Eugene (actress) (born 1981), Kim Yoo-jin, South Korean actress and former member of the sin ...
of
Gogol Bordello Gogol Bordello is an American punk rock band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 by musicians from all over the world and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring. Much of the band's sound is inspired by Ro ...
*
Victor Mishalow Victor Mishalow ( uk, Віктор Мiшалов) (born 4 April 1960) is an Australian-born Canadian bandurist, educator, composer, conductor, and musicologist.Бандурист Віктор Мішалов http://www.banduryst.org.ua/in ...
– composer, kobzar, bandurist


Ukrainian labels

* Atlantic music (1991) * Audio Ukraina (1991) * Zone records (1996) * Moon records (1997) * Rostok records (1997) * Nova records (1997–2001) * JRC (Joint Recording Company, 1998) * Lavina music (2001) * Empire Label (2007-2010) * Mozgi Entertainment (2010)


References


External links

Ukrainian ethnomusocological resources:
Ukrainian folk songsUkrainian folk songsLemko folk songsUkrainian folk songsUkrainian folk songsList of the Ukrainian labels
{{Popular music in Europe Ukrainian music Pop music by country