About

KRUTb (pronounced “kroot”) is a Ukrainian singer and virtuoso of the bandura, a stringed instrument unique to Ukraine that looks and sounds like a hybrid of lute and harp. At 28, KRUTb is an assured performing artist; her compelling, soulful performances evoke both folk traditions and modern sensibilities, with pop and jazz flourishes. A Eurovision finalist, she often represents Ukraine at official events and performs for soldiers in the current war zone, and she has appeared at the Edinburgh International Culture Summit, Andalucia Big Festival, Montreal Ukrainian Festival, and on other international stages.

Artist Links:  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  Instagram

Areas of Representation: .Worldwide

Biography

KRUTb (pronounced “kroot”) is a Ukrainian singer and virtuoso of the bandura, a stringed instrument unique to Ukraine that looks and sounds like a hybrid of lute and harp. At 28, KRUTb is an assured performing artist; her compelling, soulful performances evoke both folk traditions and modern sensibilities, with pop and jazz flourishes. A Eurovision finalist, she often represents Ukraine at official events and performs for soldiers in the current war zone, and she has appeared at the Edinburgh International Culture Summit, Andalucia Big Festival, Montreal Ukrainian Festival, and on other international stages.

The bandura’s harpsichord-like sound is both delicate and assertive. KRUTb’s instrument has an astonishing 64 strings stretched over a single piece of wood, with 13 bass strings stretched along a short, fretless neck, and the remaining treble strings stretched across a large soundboard. She plays the bass set with her left hand, while the right plays across the prodigious treble array. In addition to being a masterful instrumentalist, KRUTb’s striking, powerful voice soars in an acoustic setting, whether with a string quartet or solo.

Early bandurists were male balladeers who travelled from village to village; early in her career, says KRUTb, “I dyed my hair pink, painted my nails black, wore leather jackets and started to play the bandura in a more modern, jazzy and funky way” (Vogue Australia). Now she’s stretching her style back toward the bandura’s folk roots. “[Her music] represents the DNA of Ukrainian culture, in all its styles, classic and very modern” (Ouest France).

Tour Dates

Videos

Concert in Kyiv 2023

2nd clip

Carol of the Bells (Ukrainian)

Concert from a Lviv Bomb Shelter 2022

With string quartet:

News

• Photos: Kyiv musicians bring soul to Niagara

  Ukraine world-music quartet DakhaBrakha entertains FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre audience

  Wed., March 1, 2023

  DakhaBrakha, an ensemble from Kyiv, Ukraine, brought their eclectic style of world music to the stage at FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines Wednesday night.

  Original Article

• DakhaBrakha Wins globalFEST’s Artist Award

  globalFEST presents a series of annual awards that celebrate those that excel in the underrecognized but crucial global music field in the USA.
  The awards are presented to artists, professionals, and organizations who have been instrumental in making significant, long-standing contributions to the field through risk-taking; addressing cultural diversity and diplomacy; activism; helping to keep, transmit, ...

• DakhaBrakha’s Ukraine Update: Dec 2022
  Excerpt from interview in the Greek journal Hellas: Posts English
  When the war started were you in Ukraine? What is happening in the country right now?

  “When the war started we were all in Ukraine. At that particular moment we had started our tour of Ukraine. In fact, we had to travel to another city in the ...

• Songlines 2022 Fusion Award Winner: Justin Adams & Mauro Durante: Still Moving on Ponderosa Music
  Justin Adams has long been an adventurous serial collaborator, but his album with Mauro Durante – leader of Italy’s premier pizzica band Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, who won the Songlines Music Award for Best Group in 2018 – ranks among his finest achievements. The meeting point for the musicians was a fascination with trance rhythms and ...

Press

2023 Article – Rolling Stone Australia

2023 Article in French – Ouest France

2022 Article in Ukrainian – Vogue UA

Downloads/Media

Technical Riders:

KRUTb Rider 2023: Download (pdf)

Press Photos (High Resolution):