4 Songs by KRUTb: Ukrainian music that bridges the gap between tradition and renewal
Singer KRUTb, accompanying herself on bandura, will be in Canada for the very first time this February for a show at Place des Arts’ Cinquième Salle.
Born in 1996, Maryna Krut—stage name: KRUTb—fell in love with the bandura, a traditional Ukrainian 65-string instrument that looks like a cross between a harp and a guitar. Between 1918 and 1920, the Bolsheviks killed an unknown number of bandurists during the Russian Civil War, with the assassination and oppression of bandurists continuing under Soviet rule in the 1950s.
At a very young age, KRUTb learned the basics of her instrument before going on to further her studies at the professional music college in Khmelnytskyi, where she lived at the time. When she was fifteen, she sought to break the conventional rules of what it means to be a bandurist. She dyed her hair pink, painted her nails black, and wore leather jackets. Embracing this new aesthetic and fuelled by her experiences and travels—notably to China—the musician began to include other styles in her work, such as jazz, soul, pop, and electronic music.
In 2017, audiences in her homeland heard her for the first time, during the eighth season of the Ukrainian edition of The X Factor. She was a stand-out on the show, performing a reinterpretation of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, accompanying herself on her instrument.
Although KRUTb was not a winner on the show, she did release her debut album, Arche, in 2018, following up the next year with the EP Albino, on which she blended the sounds of her bandura with electronic music. The opus was critically acclaimed, with some publications even listing it as one of the Best Albums of the Year.
Notable performances
KRUTb once again attracted the attention of her homeland audience when she performed her unique take on Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody on the Ukrainian edition of The Voice in 2019.
In 2020, she made it to the final round of the Ukrainian section of the Eurovision Song Contest with her composition 99, which conveys a message of resilience in the face of life’s challenges. Three years later, she was again a finalist in her country’s selection for the competition with the performance of her piece Kolyskova, a lullaby dedicated to Ukrainian children, who are suffering the violence of war.
Her third and most recent album, Liteplo, released in 2022, contains seven folk-style pieces incorporating elements of electronic music. The song To Take Zhyttia can also be heard in the film I Work at the Cemetery, which received several nominations for best original soundtrack.
Alongside her artistic activities, KRUTb has been involved in several projects for the Ukrainian cause since 2014. She has notably performed for her community and for members of the armed forces working in war zones, in addition to raising funds to support her country in the fight against the Russian invasion.
On her first Canadian tour, KRUTb will be appearing at Place des Arts’ Cinquième Salle on February 14. She plans to introduce the public to her blend of musical styles, accompanying her crystal-clear voice with the traditional sound of the bandura.
