YAGÓDY, a seven-piece ensemble from Lviv, Ukraine, will bring a mix of folk songs, vocal harmonies, percussion, and theatrical performance to The Local in Saugerties on Friday night.
The group features three vocalists, along with accordion, drums, bass, and dulcimer, plus Ukrainian wind instruments.
Its performance program, “Ukrainian Folk Ritual: YAGÓDY,” blends the sacred and the irreverent with a sound that at times approaches the abandon of rock ’n’ roll.
“Anything that expands your horizons, has got to be good,” said the Rev. Ivan Kaszczak, pastor of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jewett and Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church in Kerhonkson.
YAGÓDY’s Saugerties appearance is part of a U.S. tour and comes as Ukrainians continue to endure the effects of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.
“We are sending a message to the people that Ukraine is very powerful, its people are very strong and it’s impossible to defeat a spirit,” said drummer and vocalist Teimuraz Gogitidze. “Putin can kill people and destroy their bodies, but it’s impossible to defeat soul and spirit.”
The Local’s website says YAGÓDY revives and reinterprets folk songs.
“Sometimes heartbreaking and often rebellious, YAGÓDY’s music is a testament to the land, and spirit of the people of Ukraine,” the website reads. An enduring goal of the ensemble is to “breathe new life into ancient Ukrainian sounds.”
YAGÓDY was founded by actress and vocalist Zoriana Dybovska after she left Ukraine’s Donetsk region in 2014 following Russia’s incursion there. She later settled in Lviv, where she formed the band.
Gogitidze said those who attend Friday’s show can expect high-energy Ukrainian folk music with a contemporary edge, songs from other European countries, and original material.
He and his bandmates hope audiences leave with a few things to ponder.
“We hope they will be inspired to become stronger, never give up, no matter what is happening around, so problems will become a background,” Gogitidze said.
Alongside the heavier themes, he said, the band hasn’t lost sight of the joy at the heart of the performance.
“Going crazy,” he said. “And having fun.”
John W. Barry is a reporter for The Overlook. Reach him at john@theoverlooknews.com.