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Ukrainian folk group YAGÓDY embark on first North American tour
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Amid the ongoing horrors of the Russia-Ukraine war and the response by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Ukrainian folk vocal group YAGÓDY have emerged as powerful voices of resilience and hope.
Zoryana Dybovska, who founded YAGÓDY in 2016, said through a translator, “Our music is more than just a sound. It is the voice of Ukrainian culture that resonates against all odds.”
“Music is a powerful cultural tool,” she said. “It is an opportunity to reveal pain, exposing a raw nerve. It is a way of saying, ‘I am not your enemy; this is who I am.’ It has the power to unite, open hearts and change worldviews.”
As part of its first-ever North American tour, YAGÓDY is making five stops in New Mexico this month, so there are multiple opportunities to experience the group’s beautiful, hypnotic and soul-stirring music in person. They are performing at Western New Mexico University in Silver City on Thursday, March 27, New Mexico Tech in Socorro on Friday, March 28, Unit B in Santa Fe on Saturday, March 29, Daleee at The Solar Center in Taos on Sunday, March 30 and Fusion in Albuquerque on Monday, March 31.
Dybovska believes Ukraine has more folk songs than any other nation – over 200,000 – and they are part of the fabric of everyday life.
“Most of our repertoire is songs that our mothers and grandmothers used to sing to us,” she said. “We don’t look for them on folklore expeditions but bring the living heritage of our culture to the stage.”
“At the same time, thanks to the national selection for Eurovision (in 2024), our repertoire has added original compositions. (This was one of the conditions of the competition). It’s an interesting experience, because when you are deeply immersed in a folk song, it’s sometimes difficult to distinguish between authentic folklore and a modern author’s lyrics. For example, our songwriter Victoria Solovyuk, while working on the song ‘Tsunamia,’ researched ancient rituals and pagan Ukrainian sayings used by our ancestors and Hutsul molfars (magicians) to cast spells for healing water and revenge on the enemy,” Dybovska said. “So, given that the Christianization of Kyivan Rus was in 988, you can imagine how far back in history and tradition we are!”
“The Ukrainian song is our genetic code, which wars, colonization and censorship tried to destroy, but it is thanks to music that we have preserved what is the foundation of our nation,” she said.
Even while plumbing the depths of their ancestral traditions, Dybovska said YAGÓDY also “likes to experiment.”
“Rap, rock and electronica coexist quite organically in our repertoire. And now we are preparing ethno-drum and bass,” she said. “So if you think that folk music is something static, get ready to change your mind.”
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Before heading out on tour, YAGÓDY is debuting a new song, “BramaYa,” which they call “a defiant anthem of perseverance, freedom and unbreakable spirit.” They are submitting it to the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest to help spread their message to a global audience.
“Ukrainian music today is the voice of resistance, the voice of a nation fighting for its freedom,” Dybovska said. “The songs born in this terrible time become not only the soundtrack of grief and struggle, but also a way to preserve our history and convey our truth to the world.”
In the past, YAGÓDY has performed across Europe, and in 2024 the group joined the Ukrainian Institute on a diplomatic visit to South Africa, performing at the Free the Children concert.
“We spoke about the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children during the Free the Children concert …,” Dybovska said.
Over 19,000 children are thought to have been taken away by Russia, she said.
“Their fates are unknown, and only a little over 750 children have been returned.”
While their South African concert had a serious focus, the members of YAGÓDY also enjoyed meeting their Zulu musical counterparts and learning about South African instruments like the kalimba.
Likewise, Dybovska said she is looking forward to touring the United States, despite the anti-Ukrainian comments being made by some U.S. political leaders.
“We are immensely grateful to the American people, who have stood by our side in the fight for truth since the first day of the great war, Feb. 24, 2022. We feel your support and appreciate it,” Dybovska said. “But it is important to remember that this is not just another geopolitical conflict. The stakes are much higher — the future of global democracy and justice is at stake.”
For those who want to do more, Dybovska said, “Please support Ukraine with your words and actions: fly blue and yellow flags, come to rallies, help Ukrainian families and look for truthful news. Donate to medical aid, humanitarian demining and reconstruction through the United24 fundraising platform.”
“And if you have the opportunity and the courage, come to ancient Lviv, modern Kyiv or colorful Odesa. Ukraine is still standing, our cities continue to live. Yes, we all have the Air Alert app on our phones. Yes, each of us has someone close to us serving in the army. Yes, after nightly shelling, you can see traces of a heavy sleepless night on your face. But every day our bakeries bake fresh bread, we renovate our apartments, we donate every day and make plans for the summer because we know we have no right to give up.”
