Name: Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Caffè Lena Present DakhaBrakha
Start: 2025-03-14T19:30:00-04:00
Location: Spa Little Theatre

$Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Caff\u00e8 Lena Present DakhaBrakha$

Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and Caffè Lena will co-present DakhaBrakha, the groundbreaking quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine known for their hypnotic blend of folk traditions, dub, hip-hop and global influences to make what The Rolling Stone has called “folkdrone Bjorkpunk.” The self-proclaimed “ethno-chaos” ensemble will make its Saratoga debut on March 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Spa Little Theater.
“Caffè Lena has a long history of presenting not only American folk music, but Traditional music from other cultures. It’s a thrill to work with this band that has introduced so many people around the world to the roots of Ukrainian music with a contemporary twist that’s exciting and compelling,” says Sarah Craig, executive director of Caffè Lena.
DakhaBrakha, meaning “give/take” in the old Ukrainian language, was created by avant-garde theater director Vladyslav Troitskyi at the Kyiv Center of Contemporary Art “DAKH” in 2004. Accompanied by Indian, Arabic, African, and Ukrainian traditional instrumentation, the quartet’s astonishingly powerful and uncompromising vocal range creates a trans-national sound rooted in Ukrainian culture. At the crossroads of Ukrainian folklore and theater, their musical spectrum is at first intimate then riotous, plumbing the depths of contemporary roots and rhythms, and inspiring “cultural and artistic liberation.”
With over 300 performances worldwide and collaborations with renowned international artists, DhakaBraka has captivated audiences at major festivals across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. The ensemble features Marko Halanevych (vocals, darbuka, table, accordion), Iryna Kovalenko (vocals, djembe, bass drums, accordion, percussion, bugay, zgaleyka, piano), Olena Tsybulska (vocals, bass drums, percussion, garmoshka), and Nina Garenetska (vocals, cello, bass drum).
Their mix of contemporary, cosmopolitan savvy and intimacy with local traditions cuts to the heart of DakhaBrakha’s bigger mission: To make the world aware of the new country but ancient nation that is Ukraine. “It’s important to show the world Ukraine, and to show Ukrainians that we don’t need to have an inferiority complex. That we’re not backward hicks, but progressive artists. There are a lot of wonderful, creative people here, people who are now striving for freedom, for a more civilized way of life, and are ready to stand up for it,” Marko Halanevych of DakhaBrakha has stated.
DakhaBrakha’s appearance at Spa Little Theater is part of a unique and ongoing collaboration between SPAC and Caffè Lena. The partnership first launched in 2017, encompassing jointly curated and presented programs at both venues and is highlighted by their annual “Caffè Lena @ SPAC” fall festival.
Tickets for DakhaBrakha at Spa Little Theater cost $40-$55 and will be available beginning on January 9. Visit spac.org for details.