News from and about Ukraine & Ukrainians: Ukrainian Community Press Releases
ADVERTISEMENT
Music and Art at the Ukrainian Institute of America
DISCLAIMER:The contents of press releases on this website represent
solely the positions of their respective authors and organizations.
BRAMA neither endorses nor disapproves of the views expressed therein.
BRAMA retains all final rights as to what may or may not appear on these
pages. Anyone wishing to comment on the press releases is welcome to
post notices to the Press Comment Board.
Submit press releases here
BRAMA, Dec. 11, 1999, 9:00am EST
"The Ukrainians" former
accordionist releases first Solo CD "Ludwig's Eclectic collection".
(15 Tracks in almost as many musical styles)
Dear Brama browsers,
My name is Stepan Pasicznyk, which in Ukrainian means something like
Steven Beekeeper. I am of Ukrainian/Irish descent. I was a piano accordionist
& co/songwriter with the indie/world/folk band "The Ukrainians." This
group achieved considerable international success writing songs in Ukrainian
& performing at venues ranging from Ukraine’s second anniversary of
Independence in Kyiv, Ukraine, through to the Bumbershoot and Glastonbury
festivals in the USA and England, not to mention numerous European festivals
& venues. It also recorded a sound track to a Nike advert. I was involved
with this band during the "Vorony", and "Kultura" LP’s, & the Smiths
covers EP. "Ludwig’s Eclectic collection" is meant to be a representation
of my experience of being of Ukrainian/Irish descent, and yet born here,
a British citizen. Ludwig is the nickname by which I am known in the British
Ukrainian community.
-
Chaban, a sheepherder’s song, is given the Ska treatment juxtaposed
with good old barrel chested Ukrainian village folk band vocals.
-
Halychanochka, a song about a woman from the Halychyna (Galicia)
region of western Ukraine is given "Latino" treatment.
-
An old Cossack song Zasvestaly Kozachenky (The whistling Cossacks)
or Za Svit Vstaly Kozachenky as it is better known is given an instrumental
"dance" type treatment. We go from Whistling Cossacks to Dancing Cossacks
in a few strokes of the keyboards.
-
Song for Y. Shukhevich (1984) was co written with musician M. Stebiwka
a.k.a. "Stebs" (Wolverhampton). It is a tribute to the well-known political
prisoner of the time, and a protest song about Ukraine’s plight in the
former Russian Empire (USSR).
-
Carpathian Tricklet is about Ukraine on one level, but starting
like an Irish Lament, the maiden could also be looking into the river Lagan
in Ireland. Similar histories, and as everywhere, the women left behind
suffer.
-
Refugee Nation addresses tragedies such as Kosovo in a way that
a descendant of another "refugee nation" such as myself, might relate to
it.
-
Potutory, of Potutorsky Waltz is my Fathers home village. It was
in the part of Ukraine ruled by the Austro - Hungarian Empire, and at one
point, in WW1, it was on the front between the Austro -Hungarian and Russian
Empires. It is alive with relics of some of the fiercest fighting in which
the Ukrainian army called "Ukrainsky Sichovy Striltsy" were involved, fighting
for Ukraine’s independence. The duet reflects this point in history by
having a Viennese sounding theme. (The image on the CD/tape cover is of
a soldier from this army. It is by an artist from Ukraine called Meron
Yatsiv). After Potutorsky waltz the CD/tape suddenly crashes from 1919
into 1999 and "Ludwig", a British citizen emerges.
-
You’ve gone sour on me is straightforward rock ’n' roll.
-
Name on a wing is a country style song about intercontinental love
doomed to failure.
-
Hard to hang on is about reminiscence, done in a dance/pop style.
-
Saturday will never come is about wishing it will never end. Yes
it is white reggae, but I never said I was Peter Tosh.
-
So near and yet so far away is a big band rock’n’roll song about
losing her to the competition, and
-
Is it too much to ask is more of the same, (but time for the obligatory
piano ballad).
-
Depending on how deeply you want to look at it, Gertrude, a Bavarian
style thigh slapping drinking song is either a slap in the face for over
the top political correctness, or a warning to any female thinking of using
steroids at the annual Ukrainian CYM* sports summer camp Olympiad.**
-
Last but not least, (in fact most), Miracles is a celebration
of everything good about life, especially becoming a parent for the first
time.
My Ukrainian Dad bought me an accordion when I was nine years old and got
me involved with the music scene in the British Ukrainian community, and
my musical tuition was helped along by my Irish Mum, an accomplished fiddle
player. In typical Irish tradition, our family band comprised of my Mum
on fiddle, sister Mariyka on guitar, and myself on accordion playing Irish
and Ukrainian music. My Mum comes from a musical family. Her cousin was
the late Eddie Rabbit, the Irish/American Country & Western singer
who wrote "Every which way but loose" for the Clint Eastwood film featuring
an Orangutan ape, and also "Kentucky Rain" made famous by Elvis Presley.
*CYM is the Ukrainian abbreviation for "The Ukrainian Youth Association",
a global cultural & educational youth organization.
** CYM organises an annual summer "Olympics" in which its members from
Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany participate as competing teams. Each
country’s community takes it in turn to host the event at their respective
summer camp properties. The atmosphere is friendly and participants also
indulge in an exhaustive schedule of evening social events!
CD LP Price:£ 9.50 sterling / $16.00 US / $23 Can / $25Aus / DM30
/ FFr99 / Bel Fr608
Cheques payable to : S.Pasicznyk, 74 Jackson Rd., East Barnet, Herts.,
EN4 8UU, England.
All Prices include packaging & posting.
Any questions? Contact Stepan Pasicznyk on stepan@pasicznyk.fsnet.co.uk
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
More Community Press Releases -- Click Here
Comments and observations about this article
and other news
may be posted to the Press Comment Board
