Until now, the interval acts for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv, Ukraine have been kept secret. However, we spotted something – one Ukrainian band released their tour dates, and one of the dates listed is “13-05: Kyiv, UA – Eurovision Song Contest”. That band is ONUKA!
ONUKA are yet to reveal the details of their live performance; all that is known is that they will give a performance at the grand final.
Who are ONUKA?
ONUKA is an experimental, electronic folk band from Ukraine with a rich musical legacy. In 2013, Ukrainian musicians Eugene Filatov (The Maneken) and Nata Zhyzhchenko, the former vocalist of Tomato Jaws and KOOQLA, created the band.
ONUKA capture viewers’ attention with their unusual looks, particularly Zhyzhchenko’s. She usually dresses in black and white, and sports a geometric bowl cut. Because of this, she looks almost like an alien on stage!
Their music features electronic drums, trombones, French horns, and the Ukrainian folk instruments bandura and sopilka. Zhyzhchenko believes that old traditions and classic folk instruments such as these disappeared in the Soviet Union.
ONUKA released their début album, ‘‘ONUKA’, in October 2014. It was extremely successful, and quickly became the best-selling record of the month in the Ukrainian iTunes. They have also released their album in the U.S. and Japan.
They released their first EP, ‘Look’, in the same year, and debuted at the top of the Ukrainian iTunes. Afterwards, they released their second EP, ‘Vidlik‘, in February 2016. Zhyzhchenko says that the Chernobyl disaster and its impact on Ukraine were major influences on the album; the word ‘Vidlik’ means a new beginning, or countdown.
Furthermore, in 2015, industry experts nominated ONUKA for a Ukrainian Yuna Music Award, in the ‘Discovery of the Year’ category.
Listen to their Ukrainian hit song, ‘Vidlik‘, below!
The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kyiv, Ukraine will take place on the 13th May.
What do you think of ONUKA? Are you excited to see their live performance? Tell us in the comments below!
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