Volodymyr Horbatjuk. Pisni z Chernechoji Hory. (The Songs from Chernecha Mount)

It will be the meeting with a genuine and elderly bandura player Volodymdr Horbatyuk. The fact that he is no longer a youth adds more significance to what he is doing. For it will also be the meeting with Taras Shevchenko. After all, the songs recorded at this disc may be divided into two categories: folk songs composed to Shevchenko’s verses and folk songs which Shevchenko himself liked to sing. It is exactly here that the age of the bandura player becomes so important. There are two reasons for that. The first one is that he is traditionally imagined as a person with grey hair who has passed so many roads in his life. The second one lies in the fact that the older a person is, the greater life experience he has. And it is the quality of the experience on which the depth, a musician may communicate with Shevchenko’s literary heritage with, directly depends on. Today a lot of songs to his verses are performed and sometimes it is even interesting – if the songs are worked over in a creative way. Still, the time shows that most often it looks like the so called "soap opera" – covers are changed and the content is lost. This time everything is clear and simple. Verses, voice, bandura. The way it might have been – and it really was - 150 years ago. To look back in order to make a step forward. Moreover, I think, those who are interested in Shevchenko as a personality will appreciate additional work on the part of Volodymdr Horbatyuk, as it is not every day that one may have the possibility to listen to the collection of his favourite songs composed by Kobzar.

Anton Jozhik Leyba (Hedgehog)