A few years ago, not many people in Kyiv had heard of Druha Rika, a band from Zhytomyr, a small town 300 kilometers west of the capital. Today, they’re beginning to win a following here and elsewhere in the country, and Druha Rika has every chance to become a Ukrainian rock legend.
The band’s music is regularly aired on FM radio stations, and their music videos are currently occupying top slots on hit charts. They are also performing at rock concerts with other top-notch Ukrainian and Russian bands.
Druha Rika is proof that Ukraine’s show business machine is finally starting to produce bands that play quality pop. Okean Elzy, a band that has already become pretty big in Ukraine and Russia, led the way, and Druha Rika, has followed the same model, offering British-pop with a Ukrainian flavor.
Druha Rika is finding success even though its musicians haven’t tried to conform to market demand. “I don’t care who our target group is. I guess that’s just people who like our music. This music comes from our hearts and when we write it we don’t think whether it’s popular or what critics will say about it,” said lead singer Valery Kharchyshyn. “We simply know that there are people like us and our songs find response in their souls, otherwise we wouldn’t be here.”
After participating at the Chervona Ruta festival in 1997, band members realized the need to write in their native Ukrainian language, and the band’s name changed from Russian to its Ukrainian equivalent.
After Druha Rika was chosen the best rock band at the prestigious Tavrian Games in 1999, producer Yulia Kolodyuk brought the band to Kyiv.
The group’s debut album “Ya Ye”(“I Am”) was released in October. While Druha Rika hasn’t produced a super-hit to conquer the radio air, the new album has a few decent singles. “Vpusty Mene”(“Let Me In”) and “Tam De Ty” (“There Where You Are”) are the most popular songs, and the related music videos are being broadcast by Ukrainian music channel OTV often.
“Ya Ye,” was originally written in English and called “I Am Free.” It was rewritten in Ukrainian to be performed at the Chervona Ruta festival, which prefers bands singing in Ukrainian. “OOO TB” has an excellent arrangement that shows that Druha Rika’s music is improving.
The band members say the premiere album is the culmination of five years of work. Band members are so familiar with the music they find it difficult to listen with detachment. “It’s hard to say if I like it or not,” said Viktor Skurativsky, base guitarist. “I wish I could hear it with somebody else’s ears since every sound is too familiar to me.” Skurativsky added that he thought the album had something for everyone, “depending on what mood he or she is in.”
Show-biz people don’t doubt that “Ya Ye” will sell well. The band’s music “corresponds to European trends and will be popular in Ukraine,” said Valery Tversky, president of Nova
| Kharchyshyn: “We know there are people like us.” |
Records.
A few years ago, not many people in Kyiv had heard of Druha Rika, a band from Zhytomyr, a small town 300 kilometers west of the capital. Today, they’re beginning to win a following here and elsewhere in the country, and Druha Rika has every chance to become a Ukrainian rock legend.
The band’s music is regularly aired on FM radio stations, and their music videos are currently occupying top slots on hit charts. They are also performing at rock concerts with other top-notch Ukrainian and Russian bands.
Druha Rika is proof that Ukraine’s show business machine is finally starting to produce bands that play quality pop. Okean Elzy, a band that has already become pretty big in Ukraine and Russia, led the way, and Druha Rika, has followed the same model, offering British-pop with a Ukrainian flavor.
Druha Rika is finding success even though its musicians haven’t tried to conform to market demand. “I don’t care who our target group is. I guess that’s just people who like our music. This music comes from our hearts and when we write it we don’t think whether it’s popular or what critics will say about it,” said lead singer Valery Kharchyshyn. “We simply know that there are people like us and our songs find response in their souls, otherwise we wouldn’t be here.”
After participating at the Chervona Ruta festival in 1997, band members realized the need to write in their native Ukrainian language, and the band’s name changed from Russian to its Ukrainian equivalent.
After Druha Rika was chosen the best rock band at the prestigious Tavrian Games in 1999, producer Yulia Kolodyuk brought the band to Kyiv.
The group’s debut album “Ya Ye”(“I Am”) was released in October. While Druha Rika hasn’t produced a super-hit to conquer the radio air, the new album has a few decent singles. “Vpusty Mene”(“Let Me In”) and “Tam De Ty” (“There Where You Are”) are the most popular songs, and the related music videos are being broadcast by Ukrainian music channel OTV often.
“Ya Ye,” was originally written in English and called “I Am Free.” It was rewritten in Ukrainian to be performed at the Chervona Ruta festival, which prefers bands singing in Ukrainian. “OOO TB” has an excellent arrangement that shows that Druha Rika’s music is improving.
The band members say the premiere album is the culmination of five years of work. Band members are so familiar with the music they find it difficult to listen with detachment. “It’s hard to say if I like it or not,” said Viktor Skurativsky, base guitarist. “I wish I could hear it with somebody else’s ears since every sound is too familiar to me.” Skurativsky added that he thought the album had something for everyone, “depending on what mood he or she is in.”
Show-biz people don’t doubt that “Ya Ye” will sell well. The band’s music “corresponds to European trends and will be popular in Ukraine,” said Valery Tversky, president of Nova Records.
