Bandura: The Voice and Soul of Ukraine

The bandura is a traditional Ukrainian instrument of unique importance. With an evolution intertwined with the history and development of Ukraine, it gave a voice to a country that spent centuries under oppressive external rule. Despite adversaries' many efforts to kill national identity, the bandura and her players helped keep Ukrainian culture and history alive through music.

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Ostap Kindratchuk (AP)

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Mykhailo Kravchenko, kobzar portrait by Opanas Slastion 1903

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Bandurist Dmytro Hubyak playing "Tico-Tico no Fubá" by Zequinha de Abreu

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"Song About Mazepa" original arrangement by Victor Mishalow Taras Lazurkevych and Oleh Sozansky, bandurists from their Bandurna Rozmova music video Stringsinging

Ivan Mazepa was a hetman during Ukraine's kozak era. In this song, he bids farewell to his homeland following the Russian victory at the Battle of Poltava in 1709.

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Yarko Antonevych, TTC busker. Read his interview with blogTO.

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P. Hashchenko, kobzar portrait by Opanas Slastion 1905

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An interview (conducted in Italian) of bandurist Vasil Morhoch (known as Basilio Momako)

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Bandura trio Yavoryna performing at Mazepa Fest on June 8, 2007. A shame this recording is cut short!

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Visit Original Link

"Ta Zabilily Snihy" (The Snow Became White) — Bandurna Rozmova (the Taras Lazurkevych–Oleh Sozansky duo)

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Translation: (on the left) the 3-stringed Russian balalaika; (on the right), the 67-stringed Ukrainian bandura. Any questions? (sidenote: this particular model is a concert L'viv bandura, designed by Vasyl Herasymenko)

The not-well-known bandura is often mistaken for the very-well-known balalaika. I have seen photographs of bandurists published with captions resembling, "[Name] playing the Russian balalaika," a bit of a slap in the face for both the instrumentalist and the instruments.

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Orest Sushko's documentary about the history Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus is now titled Music of Survival (changed from Living Strings).

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Bandurist Gets 2012 Genie Award Nomination

Bandurist and tsymbalist (hammer dulcimer player) Orest Sushko has been nominated (along with Christian Cooke) in the Overall Sound category for A Dangerous Method. Good luck, Orest!

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S. Pasiuha, kobzar portrait by Opanas Slastion 1910

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T. Paliyivetz, master bandura maker, with newly-made Kharkiv/Poltavka banduras

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Members of a Ukrainian art troupe play the bandura, a plunked string instrument, at a press conference in Taiwan, April 11, 2011.

[yesterdays-cold-coffee-deactiva]

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Georgiy Matviyiv playing the Super Mario Bros. theme on the bandura

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Old Ukraine. Bandurist-kobzar. illustration by Heorhiy Narbut 1917