A tradition in some villages of northern Ukraine requires a groom to present his mother-in-law with new boots the day he weds her daughter.
Like so many others, it’s a custom immortalized in folk songs passed down orally from one generation to the next. They speak of life – the hardships and the joys, the sad and often the silly. Some were suppressed by the former Soviet regime and are now being heard for the first time in Ukraine and beyond thanks to a new generation of folk musicians.
Called Ludy Dobri (Good People) this Indie folk tribe of street buskers from Lviv, in western Ukraine is reviving old traditions and putting their own mark on the brand. They’ve injected traditional Ukrainian folk music – which includes a cocktail of gypsy sounds, Middle Eastern rhythms and hints of Celtic, with African, reggae or any other beats that feel right. When it’s time for these boys to marry, their mothers-in-law will no doubt wear boots by Doc Martin or Prada instead of Pravda.
