DakhaBrakha

 Global music quartet DakhaBrakha perform Ukrainian folk music with an air of theatricality.

Performing an unexpected and riotous clash of roots and rhythms, DakhaBrakha (meaning ‘give/take’ in old Ukrainian) merge their folklore stylings with the transnational sounds of Indian, Arabic and African instrumentation.

Originating as an avant-garde theatre project, the band appear on stage in traditional dress, which combined with their astonishingly powerful and uncompromising vocal range, creates a dramatic spectacle. As they play a multitude of instruments, their eerie, edgy harmonies blend with cello, concertina and percussive rhythms.

That's what I saw in the Barbican last night and it was great.

I had completely forgotten I was even going when I found it in my diary the other week. DakhaBrakha looked like a typo. 

It's a family thing. My brother John once bought eight tickets (8!) for Bratislavan folk dance in Swansea's Brangwyn Hall that he promptly forgot. "It seemed a good idea at the time." We both need PCs that have USB breathalyzers attached or disable e-commerce after 11 pm.