Presented by Small World Music and Massey Hall

Direct from Kyiv, DakhaBrakha returns with their self-described “ethno chaos” of folk-pop-rap-punk music. Reflecting fundamental elements of sound and soul, DakhaBrakha creates a world of unexpected new music. Using Ukrainian polyphony as its foundation, they interweave complex rhythmic and melodic structures from India, Arabia, Africa, and Australia. The quartet’s astonishingly powerful and uncompromising vocal range creates a transnational sound rooted in Ukrainian culture. At the crossroads of Ukrainian folklore and theatre, their musical spectrum is at first intimate then riotous, plumbing the depths of contemporary roots and rhythms, inspiring cultural and artistic liberation. Though their name means Give/Take in the old language, DakhaBrakha is new Ukraine - a cosmopolitan culture that takes in other cultures, and gives in return.

“The group mixes everything from punk-pop to traditional Ukrainian songs in cool yet beguiling textures, often with the close harmonies usually associated with Balkan music. But it’s really the live shows that take DakhaBrakha beyond mere curiosity to utter brilliance.” — NPR

A quartet of musicians in modern versions of traditional Ukrainian dress perform traditional Ukrainian music interwoven with complex rhythmic and melodic structures from around the world. Their music is textural, layered sounds with distinctive percussive heartbeats, thumping bass, distorted electric guitars and influences of jazz, spoken word, rap and even punk.



Doors open 7:00 PM

The 2025 Small World Music Series is sponsored by TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment and funded by the Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.