Rock music in Ukraine
The most popular bands include BoomBox, Braty Hadiukiny, Druha Rika, Haydamaky, Komu Vnyz, Lama, Mad Heads XL, Mandry, Mertvyi Piven, Okean Elzy, Plach Yeremiyi, S.K.A.Y., Taras Petrynenko, Tartak, TNMK, Viy, Vopli Vidoplyasova and others.
Opalnyi Prynz was, perhaps, the most influential rock band in the late 1980s and early 1990s, followed by its predecessor Loony Pelen.
[1] Okean Elzy, featuring Svyatoslav Vakarchuk has long been among the most popular bands of Ukrainian pop-rock, and has had some success abroad.
The band Mandry is known for fusing traditional Ukrainian music with rock, blues, reggae and chansons.
The rise of rock music in the middle of 1980s was inspired by Gorbachevs perestroika with its doctrinals of glasnost and uskoreniye.
The band music style combines different genres such as rock'n'roll, blues, punk, reggae, funk and folk.
After band's leader Serhiy Kuzminskyi died in 2009 the big tribute concert was held in 2011, joined by prominent Ukrainian rock musicians such as Komu Vnyz, Vopli Vidoplyasova, Okean Elzy and others.
Many songs of the band were written in lyrics of Ukrainian poets like Yuri Andrukhovych, Maksym Rylsky, Oleksandr Irvanets, Viktor Neborak, Yurko Pozayak, Serhiy Zhadan, Natalka Bilotserkivets, Ihor Kalynets and Taras Shevchenko.
In 2009 their song "Kiss" ("Potsilunok") was featured in the a soundtrack of Cold Souls, an American film directed by Sophie Barthes.
Their influences include folk, patriotic songs, punk, hard rock, heavy metal and, most recently, electronic music.
It was too late to submit the sample recording to the panel of judges for the tryout, but Taras Petrynenko, after listening to their work, insisted that they participated in the event.
Other influences include the Romanian folklore, punk music sound of Shane MacGowan and by the reggae of such bands like Burning Spear and Black Uhuru.
Haydamaky have recently performed at many club venues across Europe, including as a special guest at a concert of Asian Dub Foundation in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Other club appearances this year were held in Germany, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Moscow.
In April 2007 Okean Elzy received FUZZ Magazine music awards for “Best rock act”.
The group's name comes from Taras Chubay's father's Magnum opus Plach Yeremiyi posthumously published in 1999.
They openly express their opinion against violence, drugs and alcohol, trying to convey to the listeners with their music and lyrics the value of life.
They mix styles of guitar rock, hip-hop and dance music to produce an energetic compositions and lyrics.
Vasyl came up with the idea and put together the group; he also arranged the rehearsals since his father is a famous singer he has access to studios, so they could make records.
Tin Sontsia (Ukrainian: Тінь Сонця, sometimes literal translation Sun Shadow is used) is a folk metal band from Kyiv.
After the band had been formed in 2001 it started to tour the country and performed at several festivals like Perlyny sezonu, Tavriyski ihry and Chervona ruta.
The frontman Oleh Sobchuk in 2008 was awarded the medal of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) "1020 Years of Baptism of Rus" for his participation in the rock-tour with the same name.
[6] In October–November 2013 the group took part in agitational concerts "We are united", which were organized by pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk in Ukrainian cities.
