Folklore Lunch: From Kubasa to Cod: Repackaging Ukrainian Culture for Varying Tastes

Folklore Lunch: From Kubasa to Cod: Repackaging Ukrainian Culture for Varying Tastes

Presenter: Dr. Brian Cherwick

September 29, 2023 | 12pm MDT

Arts Student Lounge, Old Arts Building & Convocation Hall

(In person presentation)

Throughout much of the 20th century, Ukrainian music in Canada was shaped primarily by musical traditions that originated in the western provinces of Ukraine. While the period since 1991 has seen an increased flow of cultural products from Ukraine and a wide variety of musical influences among Ukrainians who relocated to Canada during this time, the Western Ukrainian base material continues to hold a dominant place in the musical fabric of Ukrainian Canadians. This presentation will look at both some general tendencies as well as some specific ways the presenter has selected and shaped material to suit the tastes of varying audiences.

Brian Cherwick is a multi-instrumentalist who has performed throughout North America, Europe, and the Caribbean as a soloist, with a number of folk ensembles, and as leader of the award-winning speed-folk group Kubasonics. With a Ph.D. in Ukrainian Folklore and Ethnomusicology from the University of Alberta, and with further studies at the National Musical Academy of Ukraine, his research has documented musical traditions of Ukrainians throughout western Canada and western Ukraine. His solo shows, featuring dozens of traditional instruments, are a fascinating excursion through the world of Ukrainian folk music with a unique blend of entertainment and educational experience, spiced with a healthy dose of humour.

Photo provided by author.

This is an in-person event, however the presentation will be available on our Youtube channel and our website after the event: ukrfolk.ca.

For more information, contact: ukrfolk@ualberta.ca