AN EASTERN European folk song, transformed into a modern, soul-pinching, ethno-pop ballad - this is ‘Vershe’, the new single from Galway multicultural band Baba Yarga.
Baba Yarga is a collaboration between singer-songwriter and producer Agu, and Iweta and Witek Kulczycki, a Polish couple who perform original music under the band name Knot; and assisted by various other musicians from, or based in, Galway.
‘Vershe’ is originally a traditional Lemko song. The Lemkos are an ethnic group historically inhabiting the Carpathian Mountains along the border of today’s Ukraine, Poland, and Slovakia. Having experienced major emigration at the turn of the 20th century, followed by compulsory resettlement after World War II, their culture almost disappeared, but it has remarkably endured into the 21st century.
INSERT https://soundcloud.com/baba-yarga/vershe/s-8LE8P1TS5Vo
“The dramatic history of the Lemko language, as well as its endurance against all odds made us think about a very similar lot of the Irish language, hence we decided to juxtapose the two,” says Witek Kulczycki.
In doing this, the group was helped by the great Tracy Bruen, who gives a heartfelt rendition of the lyrics as Gaeilge. Also featured on the track are vocalist Eimear Coleman, drummer Tony Higgins, and Andrzej and Marciniak on double bass, with Witek Kulczycki on flutes.
Each musician recorded their parts at home during lockdown. Agu then mixed the recordings and the track was mastered by Polish sound engineer Dariusz Sojka.
The single is streaming on Spotify from Thursday June 17. See also https://www.babayarga.com.
