'Our mission now is to be the voice of Ukrainian people'

Kalush orchestra, a band of six musicians, shot to fame in May 2022, when they won Eurovision just a few weeks after their country was invaded by Russia. Now, more than a year later, with their country still at war, the band are touring again, performing their unique fusion of Ukrainian folk music with modern rap, as well as raising awareness of their country's situation and funds to help repair some of the devastation caused. Kalush Orchestra was created in 2021 as a spin-off of an initial project founded in 2019. Today's band consists of multi-instrumentalists Timofii Muzychuk (wind folk instruments), Vitalii Duzhyk (wind folk instruments and flute beatbox), Sasha Kondratiuk (wind folk instruments and double bass and guitar) and Sasha Tab (singer and backing vocalist).

Lead singer of the band is 29-year-old rapper Oleh Psiuk, recognisable for his iconic pink bucket hat. He answered SUR in English's questions prior to their concert this Sunday.

You were trained as a maintenance technician. How did you get involved in music?

I wrote my first track at the age of 15. At first, I was just listening to rap with my friends in our neighbourhood, in Kalush, and somehow I thought that I could do that too. The first tracks were dedicated to school and peers and the street, and were inspired by favourite rappers - among them, Eminem.

So, it is your birthplace that is the name of the group...

Yes, Kalush comes from the name of the place where I was born. I always go there when I return to Ukraine after concert tours.

Has your global success affected your home town in any way?

Well, now the world's media definitely mentions the city of Kalush more than once, and now many people abroad know that there is such a city in the west of Ukraine.

The success of Ukraine at Eurovision shows that the country is full of talented artists. What is the key difference between Kalush Orchestra and other bands in Ukraine?

The key difference is the combination of ethnic music elements with modern sound production, hip-hop dances and Ukrainian-language rap. The essence is that we take the old Ukrainian folklore that has been forgotten. We dig it out from many generations and add modern, contemporary elements, rap and instruments. In the end we have a combination of what our ancestors had and what the young people like today. And those are our songs.

You are sort of pioneers of Eurovision because no rap groups had won the contest before you. Why do you think that is?

Perhaps the most important thing is to do what you love and to be honest with your audience. Nothing is impossible, as we saw during Eurovision 2022. We felt a responsibility to our country during the period of participation in the competition, to show it worthy.

Do you feel responsibility after winning the contest?

Now, of course, we still feel that responsibility towards our country, because we still have the attention of the media and people from different parts of the world. We must continue to create quality music and show Ukrainian music to the world.

Your winning song Stephania was originally about your mum. How, in your opinion, has it turned into an anti-war anthem?

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Stephania became a kind of symbol of the struggle for freedom, because users of social media used the song as the soundtrack for videos dedicated to the heroic struggle of Ukraine against Russia. Stephania became a song of gratitude to all mothers who worry about their children and protect them from the disaster of war.

Your life changed after the victory in Turin and the lives of all Ukrainians changed after the Russian invasion. How do you define your mission in these hard times?

Immediately after the victory at Eurovision 2022, we went on a tour of Europe. All funds raised by the group at charity events go to help Ukraine. We appreciate the opportunity to be able to communicate with people in Europe in person. Our mission now is to be the voice of Ukrainian people.

Which countries have you visited touring?

We went twice to the USA with a concert tour, as well as to Canada, France, Poland, Estonia, Great Britain, Ireland, Sweden and many other countries. It is probably easier to name those countries where we have not been yet. We feel incredible support in every country. We are grateful to all those who support Ukraine and are grateful that you attend our concerts.

In some videos you appear with celebrities - Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kate Middleton, among others... How supportive were these appearances for you and Ukraine?

As for the Princess of Wales, we didn't know until the last minute that she would appear in our video [shown at the start of this year's Eurovision]; it was a surprise for us. We are grateful to the Princess of Wales for supporting Ukraine and choosing us for this magical appearance. Although we have not met yet, we hope that we will definitely meet in the future. As for Arnold Schwarzenegger, our first meeting took place last year during a charity tour of the United States, when he invited us to visit him in Los Angeles. We met Arnold for the second time in Vienna; he invited us to speak at the Austrian World Summit. We heard a lot of words of support from Arnold regarding Ukraine. And he also supported our collection to help the Hezron Hospital, which we launched on social media. Anyone who donates over $25 will be entered to win our pink Arnold Schwarzenegger autographed panama. Therefore, please go to our page and make your donations. Everywhere we take a QR code with us, by which anyone can donate to help Ukraine. These funds go to the reconstruction of cultural monuments destroyed by the Russians.

Timofii Muzychuk, 29, is a vocalist and a piper with Kalush Orchestra. He spoke to SUR in English about what fans can expect from their concert in Malaga.

This is your second time in Spain. Are there changes in your shows?

We hope to see many of our familiar fans again at the concerts. We also plan to auction guitars with signatures of all band members. At the beginning of 2023, we decided to modernise our costumes, but at the same time leave traditional Ukrainian elements. In general, all musicians of the band now play on stage in similar outfits. We have also slightly changed our programme; now it features our new English-language tracks and there are also Ukrainian-language songs that you can hear only at our concerts.

You graduated from Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts with a degree in Folklore and in Folk Instruments. You play the sopilka (a type of flute), but in Malaga you'll also play bagpipes.

Indeed, the Spanish gaita. I have tried to play it several times. It's not difficult to learn if you already have knowledge and skills for wind instruments. Besides sopilka and bagpipes, I also play the trembita (Ukrainian horn), melodica and others.

Ukrainians make up the fourth-largest foreign community in Malaga province. What is your message to residents here, on the Costa del Sol?

We are always glad to see Ukrainians in the venues. You feel closer to your home at such moments. Frankly, we travel a lot in the world and we meet lots of Ukrainians. My big message is we should be together and support each other. I am sure that very soon we will gather together in our native land.

Any plans for the Costa del Sol besides the concert at Paris15?

We have never been to the Costa del Sol but we will have time to spare. We are looking forward to discovering the Malaga coast.