That sound isn’t the birds in the trees; it comes from Ukraine.

The tale of DakhaBrakha has become an all too familiar one. Once a playful quartet, now their black traditional dress and at times haunting stage presence represents a mourning for their country. But to them it’s more important than ever that traditional Ukrainian music gets its moment in the sun. DakhaBrakha builds upon Ukrainian polyphony as its foundation, interweaving complex rhythmic and melodic structures from India, Arabia, Africa, and beyond with influences of jazz, cabaret, rap, and punk to create an ‘ethno chaos’; a chaos they find strength in, drawing in strands of music that connect Ukraine with the world.

Since their first WOMADelaide appearance in 2011, DakhaBrakha have found worldwide acclaim, performing on international stages including Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (USA), WOMAD in the UK, Roskilde Festival (Denmark) and on the main stage at Glastonbury Festival (UK). In 2025, the band recorded the album Ptakh in Kyiv, which combines material created before and during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.