Balaklava Blues
On Thursday, September 14, Balaklava Blues brought their Ukrainian hyper-folk-noir to BarnArts Feast & Field Music Series. The band also visited local schools for in-depth workshops and performances. That afternoon, TSA high school students were treated to a history lesson about Ukraine and heard some traditional music by the band as well as some of their more contemporary sounds and music videos.
Balaklava Blues is the brainchild of Mark and Marichka Marczyk, who met in Ukraine during the 2014 “revolution of dignity”. Since then, they have dedicated their creative energy to telling the stories of their home country to the world. Their 2015 play Counting Sheep garnered major critical acclaim, winning several awards at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe – including a Fringe First award and Amnesty International’s Freedom of Speech award.
At TSA, Mark spoke of the importance of volunteering for the war cause and observed that music can be very important to inspire and to keep spirits up during war and any time of stress. “That’s when we turn to art.” Music is also a way to share difficult as well as joyous feelings and experiences. “We decided that we wanted to make music that expresses what it is that we are going through and to recognize that this is a moment in history when the world has their eyes on Ukraine…” Mark also described how the band used their music to raise funds for the war and to call attention to the oppressiveness of the former government.
The band shared some music videos that demonstrate how they creatively adapt traditional music by incorporating modern musical techniques and elements. They view this as a way to keep the music alive and to introduce it to new audiences. In response to a question from the audience, Mark explained that he learned the music the traditional way, from other players who were also carriers of the musical tradition, as well as through his own research of traditional music.
As a special experience, Marichka called her brother on her cell phone; he is on the ground fighting in Ukraine. This was an especially poignant moment, highlighting the reality of war to a young audience on the other side of the globe.