Kyiv showman takes up country music

This Kyiv Post article gives afficiodandos of Ukrainian and country music hope. Someone should tell them, tho, that the genre already exists in the Ukrainian Canadian diaspora. It can be heard on the Zabava program, hosted by RJ Tomkins on CFCW Edmonton and CKJS Winnipeg. A major vendor is Baba's Records in Winnipeg. For decades, it has been identified by prairie-dwellers of all backgrounds as authentic Ukrainian music.

I haven't found out yet how to get a copy of the CD, but am sure interested to hear if there is any resemblance to Ukrainian Canadian country music.

Of all Western music styles, country somehow never gained much popularity in the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine. Some of the most outstanding representatives of the genre, such as Johnny Cash, are known among music lovers here, but no local musicians have yet made any serious attempts to perform country … until now.

Just recently Ukrainian showman Anton Mukharskiy released his first solo record called “Zlokokhuchiy Man” (the adjective “zlokokhuchiy” proved impossible to translate into English) – an album of country music adapted to Ukrainian realities. According to Mukharskiy, who released an album under a different first name – Antin, the works presented on the album are “songs of an agrarian country performed in the style of village glamour.”

Theater actor and TV-presenter Anton Mukharskiy is lately best known among wide Ukrainian audiences for his role in the commercial for “Tide” detergent ...

Antin-Anton claims that what really forced him into taking up a music career was his irritation with the primitive pop and r’n’b music that dominates Ukrainian radio and TV. His idea was to offer the audiences something fresh and new. And while the local music lovers have yet to appraise his debut record, Mukharskiy has announced the future release of his second CD to be called “Khersonskiy Ranger” (Kherson Ranger).