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BRAMA, Jan. 17, 2000, 9:00pm EST


You can bring Ukrainians to the food, but you can't make them listen to the music
by Nadia Melnykivskyj

Barvy brochure cover

NEW YORK – Ukrainians and Ukrainian-Americans in the New York area were graced with the generosity of the Chopivsky Foundation (CF) and the Ukrainian Institute of America (UIA) during the week of January 9th. The CF and UIA jointly organized several evenings of free holiday entertainment at the UIA mansion. The first of three similar events took place in the afternoon on Sunday, January 9, the second on the afternoon of Tuesday the 11th, and the third, reportedly the most lavish, on the evening of Wednesday the 12th.

The big draw for all three dates were the delicacies prepared by two different caterers: Tania’s Restaurant and Caterer (New Jersey) and "PECCO – Parties and Events Catering Corporation" (Bedford, NY). Oh, and by the way, each of the foodfests was preceded by a Christmas show featuring a trio (or was it a quartet?) from Ukraine called "Ukrayinski Barvy" (Ukrainian Colors).

The UIA concert hall was still half-empty at 3pm on Sunday when the Christmas-caroling trio was about to begin the show – not unusual for those of us who follow "Ukrainian time" (at least half-hour late). More and more guests trickled in during the performance so that by the end of the program, chairs were being set up in the stairwell area to accommodate the estimated 200-plus person audience. But by then it was almost pointless to have them seated because the best part of the afternoon’s treats, i.e. the food, was about to be served. In typical fashion, as soon as the sliding doors to the dining area were pushed open, the crowds literally dove at the various tables laden with the delicious and abundant repast prepared by Tania’s. Among the many and varied dishes we saw were smoked salmon, cole slaw, beet salad and cold cuts. Then came the hot foods: chicken thighs, roast beef, meat balls, stuffed cabbage, spare ribs, baked ziti sausage and peppers. And if that wasn’t enough, there was also borshch, varennyky (3 varieties), sauerkraut and kobasa, and breads. No one went away hungry, except possibly for those who weren’t able to get past the throngs to the serving tables.

Tuesday’s performance and refreshments were geared towards the retired sector of nearby Ukrainian communities, and the program was much the same as the one that took place on Sunday. Busloads of senior citizens were driven in from downtown Manhattan and from as far as Philadelphia. Reportedly, some of the same guests turned up for both days. Who wouldn’t for the free food, once again served up by Tania’s?

Wednesday evening differed from the previous two events in that another caterer provided the refreshments. The invited guests included Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko and staff-members of the Permanent Mission to the UN. Also among the invited were Consul Serhii Pohorel'tsev and the staff of the Consulate of Ukraine in New York, as well as a handful of the two diplomatic institutions’ guests. Other guests included a few select patrons from the local Diaspora. Those attending on Wednesday evening were apparently considered of greater import than the Sunday and Tuesday crowds, however, because a more exclusive caterer was hired by the UIA to provide the hors d’oeuvres. According to Pecco Beaufays, owner of PECCO, the sumptuous dishes served up that night included: caprese sticks (tomato, basil, mozarella on a stick); world-famous German onion cake; smoked salmon with capers and red onions on little canapes; canapes with ham, red cabbage and apples; Japanese California rolls; sizzling bratwust (cooked fresh at the table!); crab cakes; chocolate cake pyramids; almond tarts; lemon tarts. And what did the UIA provide for the guests to drink with such a delectable feast? Fine champagne, of course! (Note to myself: remember to check which caterer was hired to serve at the next UIA function and choose accordingly).

Why all the focus on food? Does it sound like the guests were more interested in the refreshments than the musical program? Absolutely. The musical program was "…nice…" according to some of the guests, but the food …, well…, now that was memorable. Can it be that Ukrainians are simply an uncultured bunch of philistines because they prefer good food to the arts? Or is it more accurate to say that they are discerning enough to recognize mediocre musicianship when they hear it? My guess is that the latter is true.

The "collective" Ukrayinski Barvy describes itself as a vocal-instrumental trio from Kyiv. In point of fact, the male vocalist (Myroslav Tsupryk) was disappointingly unremarkable. The backup female vocalist (Oksana Stebelska) had a nasal quality that made it difficult to listen to at times. And although the lead female vocalist’s (Nadiia Boianivska) voice was pleasant, and even enjoyable especially when compared to the other two, it was obviously strained and limited in range.

As instrumentalists they were pro forma. There was the standard bandura, a flute, bells, a grand piano, plus an assortment of other instruments most of which are familiar to us. Even the playing of the bandura, the most exotic of the instruments, did not begin to approach the creative or stylistic talent that we hear in the work of master bandurists like Julian Kytasty or Roman Hrynkiw. The frequent lack of synchronization during the performance made the sounds incomprehensible at times. Then there was the sudden and unexplained appearance of a clarinetist in the middle of the program (he disappeared just as quickly), who fumbled through parts of the one piece he joined the trio in playing. His presence was a mystery because there is no mention of his participation in the all-too-busy "Barvy" brochure that was distributed, and no one in the audience was able to recall an introduction being made. Reportedly, this same clarinetist was later unable to identify the Christmas carol that he was asked to play on the grand piano in accompaniment to a group sing-a-long with the audience.

In all fairness, members of "Barvy" had just flown in from Ukraine a day or two prior to the Sunday performance. Allowances must certainly be made for their tired demeanor, and perhaps even the quality of their execution. But then one wonders why, as per one UIA member, the group went Christmas caroling (Ukrainian-style from house to house) the day before this performance. True professional singers protect their voices prior to important engagements, and a fatiguing tour of home-style caroling hardly seems a prudent choice of actions on their part.

Despite the shortcomings, it was evident that the trio worked very hard to develop an entertaining program. The presentation was more of a Christmas "show" than a "concert" as it was dubbed. Nevertheless, it was timely because eastern-rite Christmas had just taken place on January 7, and that’s when the caroling season begins (as opposed to our American culture where carols can be heard prior to the holiday). The group did its research well, seeking out obscure rituals and blending them in with the familiar and the mundane tunes that we’ve been hearing all our lives.

The program, though lengthy, was a well-woven series of "koliadky", "shchedrivky," Christmas wishes and greetings, all presented in an artistically inspired and poetic, albeit traditional, fashion. It moved so swiftly and contiguously, however, that one found oneself wishing they would pause and come up for air after the first 30 minutes. Thankfully, it ended soon enough and the guests were finally permitted to go and eat to their stomachs' content.


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