When she was six years old, Bethlehem (Betty) Endale’s parents asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She still clearly remembers her reply: “Well, I will be a singer.” With her sisters Miriam and Siona, Betty went on to form the group FO SHO, a hip-hop project that has garnered both […]
The first rap that Oleh Psiuk ever wrote was a diss on his school teacher, much to the joy of his fellow classmates. He was only 15 years old, on track to become an engineer like his father. He loved music and was an avid listener of artists like Eminem, NWA, Eazy E, and Ice […]
When asked to describe herself, Alina Pash proudly declares that she is “100% Bitanga” (a word from the Rusyn language meaning “Hooligan”). True to that characterization, she often pushes boundaries through both her personal style and the content of her music. Not wanting to conform to anyone else’s agenda, she even created her own music […]
Alyona Savranenko is better known by her stage name, alyona alyona (written in Latin characters and without capitals). She is a Ukrainian rap performer who, although with a background in Russian-language rapping, has greatly boosted the growing genre of Ukrainian-language hip-hop. In the two years since she exploded onto the scene, alyona alyona’s fame has […]
Tanok na Maidani Kongo (Танок на майдані Конґо, better known as TNMK; translates to “dance at the Congo Square”) is the most successful Ukrainian hip-hop group ever. They are known for mixing elements of rock, funk, and jazz into their sound, and for playing real instruments rather than using samples during their live shows. They have […]
Potap and Nastya (Потап и Настя) are a Ukrainian pop/rock duo. They sing mainly in Russian, occasionally in English, and rarely in Ukrainian. Their linguistic preferences have brought them controversy in their native Ukraine, but they remain a highly popular contemporary group, and they affirm that they are fully Ukrainian, despite singing in Russian. The group consists […]
ONUKA is a Ukrainian electro-pop group from Kyiv noted for their use of traditional Ukrainian folk instruments—predominantly the bandura (бандура) and the sopilka (сопілка)—in their arrangements. The band sings in both Ukrainian and English. Formed in 2013 by vocalist and songwriter Natalia, or Nata, Zhyzhchenko (Наталія Жижченко) and multi-instrumentalist and producer Yevgeny Filatov (Євген Філатов), the […]
Boombox is a Ukrainian band from Kiev that mixes various musical styles, including rock, hip-hop, and funk. Formed in 2004 by vocalist Andrei Khlyvnyuk (Андрій Хливнюк) and guitarist Andrei Samoilo (Андрій Самойло), they have released a steady stream of albums and collaborative projects since their inception and built a loyal following throughout Ukraine, Russia, and […]
