Toronto Ukrainian Festival

As someone who is significantly involved in the affairs of many Ukrainian organizations, I don’t often have the opportunity to simply sit back and enjoy many of the events that these organizations host throughout the year.  I am all too often behind the scenes helping, organizing, co-ordinating and doing some of the many countless things that need to be done to stage events be they concerts, meetings, social events, banquets, anniversaries or what have you.

I am glad to say that this past weekend I was able to kick back and be a consumer rather than a producer of a Ukrainian “do”.  The event in question was the Toronto Ukrainian Festival, and aside from some minor publicity and sponsorship involvement, I was able to spend most the weekend simply enjoying the fruits of someone else’s labour, and what fruits they were indeed!  I dare say this was likely the best Ukrainian festival Toronto has ever seen.  Even the weather co-operated for a change, blessing the event with fine sunny, yet cool temperatures throughout the three-day event.

Jurij Klufas, the driving force behind the festival and his hundreds of volunteers, certainly outdid themselves in putting together a truly memorable experience.   I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed myself as much at a Ukrainian event. 

Certainly, a highlight of the weekend was the performance of the Haydamaky, Ukraine’s premiere Kozak rock band.  Over the past decade, their special brand of music has earned them fame not only in Ukraine but throughout Europe and now in North America as well.

The Haydamaky headlined the feature concert Saturday night on the main stage of the festival on Bloor Street, and to say that they had the crowd rocking would be an understatement.  I don’t think I have ever seen so many people of all ages so energized at any Ukrainian concert.  Their music is a unique blend of Ukrainian folk tunes amped up with contemporary driving beats and rhythm, all evoked by some of the finest musical talent ever to come out of Ukraine. 

This is no ordinary rock band.  Their sound is a wonderful blend of traditional rock instruments, wonderfully enhanced by the addition of trumpet, trombone, accordion, sopilka and a variety of other traditional Ukrainian instruments.  The result is powerful and almost overwhelming – strong melodic chords carried on a driving torrent of percussive rhythm and supported by a sense of showmanship that engages anyone listening on every sensory level.

The lead singer, Oleksandr Yarmola, prances about the stage bare-chested and Kozak-garbed like some historical figure out of a Repin painting.  Yet his songs and style are more akin to a young, Slavic and unquestionably more handsome version of Mick Jagger.  The elemental energy and visceral drawing power is certainly the same.

But the entertainment was not just limited to the Haydamaky.  The festival was graced by an outstanding a collection of Ukrainian musical, vocal, dancing and performing talent such as Toronto has ever seen.  The Ludy Dobri ensemble from Lviv was superb in their more traditional renditions of classical folk music.  The Zrada band from Winnipeg and Zirka from Sudbury are the latest in a long line of great Canadian Ukrainian dance bands, and they made sure that visitors had their partners spinning in the beer tent, myself included. 

The numerous Ukrainian dance groups, orchestras, singers and musicians were top notch, entertaining visitors to the festival almost continuously for the three days of the festival.  The food, whether traditional Ukrainian cuisine or some of the other ethnic food on hand for which Toronto is well known, ensured that diet became an unwelcome four letter word on Bloor Street.  My personal favourite was a whole roast pig on a spit that had no shortage of takers for a wonderfully juicy morsel.

By the time I got home late Saturday night after more than twelve continuous hours at the festival, I was absolutely spent, yet absolutely satisfied and satiated in every pleasant sense of the word.

Kudos to all the organizers, sponsors and countless volunteers that made this happen.  Toronto and the Ukrainian community are the richer for it.