Michigan Theater
DakhaBrakha
Drones and beats, crimson beads, and towering black lambswool hats all serve as a striking backdrop for an unexpected, refreshingly novel vision of Eastern European roots music.
This hit Ukrainian folk-punk quartet stirs up a mesmerizing sound that melds traditional Ukrainian folk music, African grooves, Eastern colors, and a contemporary, trans-national sensibility that the band calls “ethno-chaos.” With one foot in the urban avant-garde and the other in Ukrainian village culture, DakhaBrakha made NPR music host Bob Boilen’s “Top 10 Events of 2015” — no small feat given the 506 concerts he attended that year. Rolling Stone’s report on their Bonnaroo appearance was enthusiastic: “Ukrainian folkdrone Björkpunk quartet DakhaBrakha ended up with one of the most receptive crowds of the weekend…turning the tent into a happy menagerie.” National Public Radio added, “At times, DakhaBrakha is simply a rock band whose crazy homeland harmonies are filled with joy…it’s refreshing to hear the power of acoustic music and the many worlds of sound still waiting to be explored.”