the ukrainians: evolutsiya

The Ukrainians's Evolutsiya: 40 Best And Rarest 1991-2016 is compilation featuring songs from the "Ukrainianizing" band. Len Liggins of The Ukrainians talks about the band and the release: The Ukrainians - the first quarter of a century 1991 to 2016. It has been a long journey that has taken us 25 years by trains, planes and battered vans and wherever we're going, it feels like we haven't got there yet - but it has been a fantastic ride! Our music is borne from the meeting of east and west, Ukrainian and British, and the genetic make-up of the band reflects this. Some members have a Ukrainian background and some don't. The result is a musical hybrid created from the meeting of different cultures. We have always felt moved to create our own songs. Because of our 'musical influences', Ukrainian folk music and western rock music, it feels natural to record our thoughts and emotions in this 'hybrid' style. Of course we also play traditional Ukrainian folk songs, of which there are thousands - composed centuries ago by a people whose culture had often been suppressed and whose only emotional and political outlet was in song. The resulting energy and emotion, combined with the poetry of the Ukrainian language makes it a wonderful listening experience, even for those who do not speak the language. The fact that The Ukrainians have been asked to play festivals all over the world clearly shows that this is the case. We also occasionally record our own 'Ukrainianized' versions of classic western pop or rock songs. They are, after all the folk songs of our age. Our band's music can be interpreted as specifically Ukrainian in its musical and lyrical content, but the songs' themes are most definitely universal because they reflect a whole range of emotions felt by the whole of humanity: love and loss, fear and bravery, ecstasy and despair. Many labels have been attached to The Ukrainians in an effort to categorize us. 'Cossack Punk' is one we particularly like, but it doesn't tell the whole story, as I'm sure you'll agree when you listen to this collection of our best and rarest tracks. Enjoy!"