DakhaBrakha in Irvine

DakhaBrakha is a Ukrainian quartet formed in Kyiv in 2004 at the Dakh Center under theatre director Vlad Troitsky. The group calls its music “ethno-chaos”: Ukrainian folk material recast through layered vocals, percussion, cello and accordion. Its recordings include the albums Light and The Road, while “Sho Z-Pod Duba” is among its best-known songs. A 2014 NPR Tiny Desk Concert brought the quartet’s live format to a wide online audience. The four musicians perform in tall black hats and costumes derived from traditional dress, moving between close vocal harmonies and an instrumental setup built around drums, cello and accordion. Their international festival history includes Glastonbury Festival and WOMAD.