Making their way to the Talley ballroom tonight is DakhaBrakha, the hottest musical ensemble from Eastern Europe that you’ve never heard of.
DakhaBrakha is based out of Ukraine, a country that has recently received international media attention for violent protests and revolution. While tensions have been building in its home country, DakhaBrakha’s music has been building a following in the United States and Western Europe.
Staying true to its roots, DakhaBrakha incorporates traditional folk music of Ukraine, featuring instruments such as the accordion and cello. In fact, their name is a play on the Ukrainian words for give and take.
Where it gets interesting is with the band’s experimentation with the sounds and instruments of other cultures such as African, Arabic, Indian and even punk rock. The band describes its sound as “ethno-chaos.”
“DakhaBrakha turn the dissonant, ethereal drones of Eastern European folk music into a Björkian drum-punk spectacle,” The Rolling Stone said.
Shows range from wailing vocal melodies with an eastern European flair to pounding percussion sessions bringing an exciting tribal beat to the stage.
DakhaBrakha took off in popularity after playing globalFEST in New York City this past summer where they were billed as “subversive Ukrainian punk-folk.” Mark Tulbert, associate director of NC State’s Center Stage series, was in attendance for the New York show.
“The show was beautiful,” Tulbert said. “They have so much energy in their performance.”
Tulbert was quick to act and book a performance for Center Stage after seeing the band. Since its success at globalFEST, DakhaBrakha has been touring throughout the U.S. and played a set with great reviews at Bonnaroo. The group has continued to generate momentum from western media and gain popularity.
“We’re excited to present a band who is making such a big career jump since booking,” Tulbert said. “We are a stop on DakhaBrakha’s journey.”
This is not the first time NC State has hosted an up-and-coming artist before they are expected to hit it big. In 2010, jazz artist Esperanza Spalding performed at NC State. Later, she won the Grammy for best new artist. While using a limited budget, the Center Stage team has managed to book internationally renowned talent to the university.
“Picking a favorite show would be like picking your favorite child, but I confess, I am nuts about DakhaBrakha!” Tulbert said.
Few tickets are still left to see this up-and-coming act in the Talley Student Union Ballroom at 8 p.m. tonight. Student tickets cost $4.68 and general public tickets cost $22. There is also a pre-show discussion with guitarist, Alex Gorodezky, at 7 p.m. in Talley Student Union Room 3285.