The first public performance of the Cossack band “Grajte, muzyki” took place in September, 1989. The continual concert performances around Ukraine and abroad have brought the band to the professional stage. For today the band consists of six professional musicians performing both instrumental and vocal compositions with equal skill and giving preference to Cossack songs which reflect the centuries-old history of the Ukrainian Cossacks and the fate of Ukrainian people with extreme force and beauty. The band’s repertoire includes patriotic and march songs of the Ukrainian Cossacks, Cossack ballads as well as deeply lyric tunes and comic songs.
The band’s creative development constitute performances having brought them success and recognition in many Ukrainian cities of different regions and abroad. During the last years the band has been on tour to Finland alone more than 10 times. The geography of the band’s concert performances in Finland is amazing: from Sodankylä and Kittilä in the North to Helsinki in the South, from Pietarsaari in the West to Kitee and Tohmajärvi in the East. The Ukrainian Cossack songs performed by the band “Grajte, muzyki” have been heard both on large stages of Suomi in Helsinki, Tampere, Mikkeli and in small towns Suonenjoki, Pälkäne, Eurajoki… The Cossack band “Grajte, muzyki” appeared also at such well-known festivals in Finland as Kihaus Folk Festival, Haapavesi Folk and Sata-Häme Soi. In Finland two musical albums were recorded.
Virtuosic proficiency in playing numerous musical instruments (button accordion, balalaika, kobza, domra, violin, a variety of pipes and percussion instruments) gives this team an original and bright colour. And a Cossack show performed by the group, where the unique live sound, humour and merry Cossack temper are always present, will remain in memory of the audience for long.