Ukraine’s Super Group Okean Elzy Rocks Toronto

By Kateryna Shpir

The crowd shouted for an encore and waited anxiously for Okean Elzy, Ukraine’s biggest rock band, to reappear on stage at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga on April 8.  Fans had just  danced up a storm for over an hour while listening to the band perform, after patiently waiting through an hour- and-a-half delay in the concert's start.

The fact that after Okean Elzy’s energetic set and the long pre-concert delay, (which was never properly explained to those in attendance), fans still thirsted for more is a testament to the band’s popularity and ability to reach out to their fans.

The band (vocalist and composer Sviatoslav Vakarchuk, guitarist Petro Cherniavsky, bass guitarist Denys Dudko, keyboardist Milosh Jelic, and drum player Denys Hlinin) played many of their hits, including “Gloria,”  the title track from their latest album, “Ty i Ia” “Divchyna” and the memorable “Moia Mashyna.”

The multi-coloured lights gave a fresh, high-powered feel to the show. Blue, yellow and red colours lit up the stage and emphasized each jump, twist and turn the rock stars made.

Unfortunately, the organizers booked a venue that was too large for the crowd.  With about 1,500 in attendance, the large 5,000-seat arena seemed somewhat empty, when in fact the turn-out was good. Also, the band deserved a location with better acoustics.

Nevertheless, the energy of the performers throughout the night was incredible and spread into the audience.  Many in the audience were young, recent immigrants from Ukraine, and many sang along to all the lyrics.  The band, which first emerged in the early 1990s, is one of the first in Ukraine to gain fame while singing in Ukrainian.

I have heard the band’s songs before on their CDs, but to see the show live was exhilarating. Onstage Okean Elzy flaunts a loose, sexy upbeat style.

The band’s lead singer, Vakarchuk, was recently voted “Sexiest Man in Ukraine 2006.”  But he’s not just a pretty face. Vakarchuk has a degree in physics and he and the band supported the Orange forces during the Orange Revolution. Afterwards, President Yushchenko appointed him as an advisor on youth issues and arts policy.

The 31-year-old is now a United Nations goodwill ambassador and visits different universities in Ukraine and, in this role, lectures on social activism and the important role of youth in society.

Last autumn, Okean Elzy was part of an International Organization of Migration campaign to prevent human trafficking in Ukraine. The band had a 30-city tour and offered 100,000 concert-goers information provided on protecting themselves if going abroad to work, study or travel.

At the Hershey Centre, though, music was the only item of business. The band played non-stop. Vakarchuk made only a few brief comments from the stage to his Toronto fans.

Despite a very late start, once on stage, Okean Elzy clearly satisfied their fans who cheered them on to two encores. One of the final songs was “Diakuiu” (thank you).  From the reaction of the crowd, which was clearly thrilled to finally hear Okean Elzy in Ontario, and the audience’s shouting out of molodtsi (good fellows) to the band at the end, the “thank you” was obviously mutual.

­–With files from Olena Wawryshyn