Braty Hadyukiny
Biography
The Gadyukiny Brothers are a cult Ukrainian rock band formed in 1988 in Lviv; they were the first Ukrainian rock band to gain popularity in the former Soviet Union. "The Gadas have released 4 studio albums, 4 live albums, and 2 greatest hits collections. In addition, there were a huge number of concerts and participation in festivals around the world. The band stopped performing in 1995 and reunited in 2006 for a concert at the Kyiv Sports Palace.
The first lineup
The band was formed in January 1988 in the bowels of the Lviv rock club. At that time, the musicians performed packaged Russian-language rock 'n' roll with ironic overtones. The first leader was Oleksandr "Shulya" Yemets, a saxophonist, author of music and lyrics. He also came up with the idea for the band's name, based on one of the characters in the story "Death of Spy Gadyukin" by Soviet children's writer Viktor Dragunsky, published in the 1960s.
In addition to Shulia, the first band consisted of Serhiy "Kuzya" Kuzminsky (keyboards), Mykhailo "Luzya" Lundin (drums), Oleksandr Hamburg (bass), and Andriy Partyka (guitar). Shortly after the first rehearsals, the Lviv Rock Club disbanded in January 1988, based in the Energo House of Culture in Novyi Lviv. On the wreckage of the rock club, the Association of Rock Musicians emerged, under the auspices of which several concerts were held at Energo. One of them, in the fall of 1988, saw the debut of the Gadiv, which, as the president of the Lviv rock club, Yurii Peretiatko, recalls, was not without scandal.
During Shulia's leadership, the band's repertoire included several songs in Galician surzhyk by Serhiy "Kuzi" Kuzminsky ("Chuvaki, vse chotko" and "Mertvy Piven"), which caused a sensation at the Moscow festival "SyRok-88". Kuzminsky's work was influenced by his participation in the Lviv hippie community and gatherings at the Armenian coffee shop, as well as in amateur music groups (labukhs). After returning from Moscow, Shulia lost his performing form for a while, and in the summer of 1989 he left the band to revive his Grandfather Mazai Orchestra. Kuzia took over the helm. In two weeks, he wrote a dozen Ukrainian-language lyrics that were included in the program "Our Answer to Kobzon" and became the basis of their debut album "Vsyo Chotko!" (12 songs). It was recorded with the financial support of the band's future manager Olena Markhasyova in May 1989 under the direction of Volodymyr Bebeshko in a studio set up in the Zaliznychnyky (Roks) House of Culture. However, there was not enough money to pay for the recording in full, so Kuzia "gave" a few songs to the sound engineer's wife Vika Vradii, with which she later won the rock nomination at the first Chervona Ruta festival under the pseudonym Sister Vika in September 1989 in Chernivtsi. At the SyRok-89 festival, the Hadukiny performed an entirely Ukrainian-language program. In the summer of 1989, their products (a cassette with the Vsyo Chotko (Everything is Clear) tape) got to Alla Pugacheva, who was touring in Lviv at the time, and in December 1989, the Gady went to Moscow. Shulia was replaced by keyboardist Igor "Kovbasa" Melnychuk, who had previously played in the bands Koop and Children of a Hard Rock.
Their success was based on a combination of musical styles-rock 'n' roll, blues, punk, reggae, funk, folk-and specific "viper" lyrics with sharp irony, total banter, and the use of Galician dialects and drug slang. Later on, the Vermin would be called the "Ukrainian Rolling Stones."
At the first Chervona Ruta in September 1989, the Hadukyny won second place (after Sister Vika) in the Rock category. Performing at the very prime time - at sunset in front of a packed stadium - the Gady became famous literally overnight. However, despite their success and media attention, there were also accusations that the Gadyukins were defaming the Ukrainian language.
In December 1989, the Gady went to Moscow for "Christmas Meetings with Alla Pugacheva." Although their performance was cut from the TV version of the concert, this episode became a springboard for their concert activities throughout Ukraine and the entire USSR. At the same time, the first "business trips abroad" began: through the Chervona Ruta festival, which took its winners to Canada; there, the Hadukiny gave four concerts in Toronto.
The second lineup
In 1991, Oleksandr Hamburg left the band. Ihor Melnychuk became the bassist, and he brought Pavlo Krakhmalov, a keyboardist and conservatory graduate, into the band (Pavlo Krakhmalov: "I bought the first BG cassette for 25 rubles!"). At the same time, the band added guitarist Eric "Boar" Hreptyk (1965-1996), a recent student of the Lviv Medical Institute and a veteran of the KOP and DTR, and a brass section of Stepan Koval, Bohdan Vatashchuk, and Oleh Kachechka. At the Audio-Ukraine studio, the Gady recorded their second album, We Are the Boys from Bandershtadt, which was presented in December 1991 and released on vinyl.
The "Braty Gadyukiny" brand is expanded to include a creative association that supports young talented countrymen - "Plach Yeremii", "Dead Cock", "Club of Tea Fans" - and various rock events. In 1992, along with other winners of the Chervona Ruta festival (the second edition of the festival took place in August 1991), Gady went on tour in Poland, Germany, Belgium, and France, appearing on posters as Mainstream Snake Brothers (Pavlo Krahmalov: "We called it 'Naked Ass Across Europe,' and we were delayed in our fees and per diem, afraid we would run away and stay"). One of the concerts, in the prestigious Le Botanique hall in Brussels, was recorded from a remote control at the suggestion of Zenon Koval, advisor to the Minister of International Relations of the French-speaking Society of Belgium, to be released as Live a Bruxelles almost 15 years later. In September 1992, the band held an action "Let's not drink Ukraine" after which they stopped all activity for a year and a half.
The third lineup, moving to Kyiv, and disbanding
The reason was that the band's leader had lost his performance form - in other words, Kuzya was hooked on poppies again. With the help of representatives of the Ukrainian diaspora from Belgium, he was arranged to undergo drug treatment in Brussels. During his absence in early 1994, the band gathered without a leader and recorded several songs. In the summer of 1994, Kuzminsky rejoined his bandmates. With the participation of backing vocalists Yulia Donchenko and Lilia Pavlyk, the band recorded their third album, "It Was Not to Love," in Roman Liuzan's studio "Galmlyn," which was released on CD by Caravan CD six months later. The artwork was created by Lviv artist Orest Makota. Ihor "Kovbasa" Melnychuk: "There is an interesting story with the cover. The girl on the cover came to Lviv to become a model. Our friends, the artists, fed her for three days so that she would agree to pose topless. When the slides were brought back, we were all stunned, because without any photoshop, we got such a colorful image - they just added ribbons to her. Then her parents sued us." This fact is also mentioned by Orest Makota on the pages of the Hippie in Lviv almanac.
At that time, an internal crisis escalated due to the creative competition between Kuzia and Andriy Partyka. At the end of 1994, Partyka and Yulia Donchenko left the band and formed the duo Hawaiian Guitars. In early 1995, Hennadiy "Hesha" Verbyanyi, a guitarist with the Lviv band Rudolf Diesel, was hired to replace Partyka. After the saxophonist Bohdan Yur was drafted into the army, the Hadyukiny Brothers moved to Kyiv in 1995. Around that time, they also said goodbye to producer Olena Markhasyova.
In Kyiv, at the Komora studio, starting in December 1995, they recorded their fourth album, Bye, Bye, Sweetheart, and at the same time re-recorded the album Vsyo Chotko! Unfortunately, we had to wait a long time for both releases: "Bay, Bay..." under the title "Happy Road" was released only in 1999, and the shiny round album "Vsyo Chotko!" - in 2004.
At the same time, the Gadyukiny began to have problems organizing concerts. There are difficulties with the technical support of the 9-piece band, who do not play to a backing track. After a show at the Berezil Palace of Culture in Ternopil, the Gady, by mutual agreement, stop performing, and in early 1996, they cease their joint activities.
Subsequently, Serhiy Kuzminsky moved to Moscow and continued his career as a psy-trance DJ for Pubert, and then as a network electronic musician for Qzzaargh.
In 1997, Pavlo Krakhmalov and Igor Melnychuk founded the Gadyukiny Records studio in Kyiv, where they recorded music for film, television and advertising, as well as music for the UA: Pershyi, 1+1, 2+2, TET, Inter, STB, M1, and STS channels. Mikhail Lundin and Gennady Verbyanyi returned to Lviv.
In 2000, Rostock Records reissued the live album Na! Live", compiled from fragments of three different Gadiv concerts in 1994-95 in Lviv, Moscow, and Sevastopol.
Reunion
Everything changed in early 2006, when, at the suggestion of the Gadyukins' longtime friend Ovdi Pinalov, the legends decided to reunite. (Pavlo Krahmalov: "I felt that it had to be done. Not for financial gain, but just for fun. It was necessary and that's all! The negotiations were long and difficult, but in the end we remembered our boyhood relationship, thanks to which we had been together for so many years, and shook hands. Without any contracts, on mutual trust. That's how the mechanism was launched.") Due to the involvement of the brass section and the guitarist of the famous Kyiv blues-rock band "Junky Brothers" and the invitation of Olena Romanovska and her trusted combat friend Lilia Pavlyk to sing along, the fullest possible Gadyukinsky lineup was recreated and, after about twenty rehearsals, on January 20, the Brothers gave a fantastic show in terms of energy and positive, which was called "Concert of the Year" and "Comeback of the Century" without exaggeration. And the twelve thousand spectators who, despite the 28-degree cold, packed the Kyiv Palace of Sports to capacity is an eloquent indicator of how much this return was awaited. Describing what happened in the hall that evening is a futile task. Words can't convey that atmosphere and state of mind, and those who were there can remember it or try to imagine it (those who were not) by watching the DVD "Vrodylo".
Even at this time, Kuzia's throat problems were already evident (but he tried not to advertise it), but he honestly sang for an hour and a half. At the end of the historic concert, Kuzia, impressed by the reception, sincerely thanked the ecstatic audience and said goodbye on behalf of the Gadyukin Brothers for another ten years with his usual humor:
"We were glad to see you all here. "The Hadyukin Brothers say goodbye to you for another ten years."[1]
There were several more concerts. Kuzi's blog post refers to a concert on June 6, 2009 (a couple of months before his death).
On August 3, 2009, Serhiy Kuzminsky passed away due to a serious illness.
Members of the band
Oleksandr "Shulya" Yemets (born in 1962) in 1988-1989 (saxophone, lyrics, music);
Serhiy "Kuzya" Kuzminsky (1962-2009) in 1988-1996, 2006-2009 (vocals, keyboards, lyrics, music);
Mykhailo "Luzya" Lundin (born in 1959) in 1988-1996, 2006-2009, 2011, from 2014 to the present (drums, backing vocals);
Oleksandr Hamburg (born in 1959) in 1988-1991 (bass guitar, vocals);
Andriy Partyka (born in 1969) in 1988-1994 (guitar);
Ihor "Kovbasa" Melnychuk (b. 1965) 1989-1996, 2006-2009, 2011, 2014-present (keyboards, bass guitar since 1991; backing vocals);
Pavlo Krakhmalov (born in 1965) 1991-1996, 2006-2009, 2011, 2014-present (keyboards);
Ernest "Kaban" Hreptyk (1965-1996) in 1991-1992 (guitar);
Stepan Koval - in 1991-1992 (wind instruments);
Bohdan Vatashchuk - in 1991-1992 (brass);
Oleh Kachechka - in 1991-1992 (brass);
Yulia Donchenko in 1994 (backing vocals);
Lilia Pavlyk (born in 1976) in 1994-1996, 2006-2009, 2011, 2014-2017 (backing vocals);
Olena Romanovska (born in 1965) from 2014 to the present (backing vocals); guest: 2006-2009, 2011;
Gennadiy "Gesha" Verbyanyi (born in 1965) in 1995-1996, 2006-2009, 2011, 2014;
Andriy Skachko - from 2014 to the present (guitar); guest: 2006-2009, 2011, 2014;
Volodymyr Mykhalchenko - from 2014 to the present (drums); guest: 2011;
Bohdan Yura - in 1994-1995 (saxophone);
Olena Markhasyova (born in 1944) - manager (in 1989-1995).
Compositions
| Composition Title | Jenre |
|---|---|
| Roksolyana | Instrumental music, Ensemble music, A capella |
